Prayer for Our Nation and her people!

Is our nation the same as the nation of Israel in the Bible? No. Is our nation a "Christian" nation? No, probably not. Does God love our nation more than other nations? No, definitely not. Should we ignore what we believe or what is Truth, because some don't agree? No, absolutely not.

Our nation was founded on principles that are taken from the Bible by men that looked to God for direction. They wanted to form a nation that stood for truth and morality without forcing one group's beliefs on the others. Their desire to live for God and stand for Truth and follow the Bible didn't mean that they always got everything right. No, just like us today, there were mistakes and failures and second chances.

Somewhere in the midst of it all, Christians found themselves having drifted away from what God says is True and how the Bible says we ought to live. Churches stopped being the place where the Bible was preached, and it started trying to placate the world and society by compromising what God's Word says is Truth and Righteousness. As a result, all forms of sinfulness and immorality are seen as commonplace and acceptable. We wonder why our nation struggles in areas of economics, peace, and social justice. It is not primarily because more people are sinning. It is because Christians do not stand up for God's Word.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "and [if] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

The "MY PEOPLE" are Christians. We can't blame anyone else. WE must begin to be HUMBLE, PRAY, SEEK, and TURN. If we want to see this nation changed, Christians and Churches will have to begin the revival.

Today, I was one of a group of pastors, leaders, men, and women who signed a proclamation for morality at the State Capitol. I stood up with others who see our nation headed in a place that is opposite God, His Word, and the Truth of Jesus Christ. It is not that we hate anyone. It is because we so believe in the Word of God and what it says, that if we did not stand and let our voice be heard, we would be failing our Faith and would be dishonest with our hearts.

This nation, while it is definitely not perfect...This nation, while it is not a Theocracy...This nation, while it is still a bastion for freedom and liberty is Our Nation. And if we do not shore up our stances on moral things, we will lose what we believe. May God watch over us, May God give us strength to stand for Truth, May God save our land!

Trusting in the Midst of the Unknown

I am one of those people that always likes to know what is coming around the corner. In fact, I can get extremely anxious when I don't know what is going to happen next. For instance, ever since childhood, I find myself trying to find out what I can expect to get on Christmas Day. I still remember sneaking into my parents closet and finding the portable CD player that I would be receiving the next week. I still was extremely excited when I opened it, and I made certain that the one that was giving the gift knew that I appreciated it, but I knew that it was coming.
(NOTE: I am not advocating the sneaking and opening of presents before they are given - children, do not try this at home.)

All this is to say that my personality really likes to know what is coming around the corner...to a fault. However, when we allow God to be in control, He does things in His time and in His way. The unknown surrounds us. You feel the presence of the Lord, and you know that He is working; but it is clouded in the unknown. This is one of the most beautiful times in the Christian's life. Yes, it is difficult and possibly frustrating and even unbearable. But it is here that Faith blossoms into a relational wonder between God and His children. When the outcome of a situation is visible and the unknown is discernible, there is very little faith required. Here, trusting in God simply means that you are knowledgeable of what God is doing and you will comply and follow Him. There is nothing wrong with this situation, and it is how many of the moments of our Christian life occur. But when you find yourself in the great unknown, and God's work and moving is cloudy and hidden in mystery, Faith is a much larger concept. Trusting in God just went from complying with what He is doing to completely placing your life in His hands. You must believe that He truly has the best plan for your life in His hands. Questions like, what will God do next? where does God want me to be? how can I serve? flood through your mind, and each time the answer is Unknown. Faith shows us that even though it is unknown to us, God does Know! He has always known and had it laid out and planned.

The Unknown has now become beautiful...It not only reveals how I can trust in the Lord, but it also displays in utter complexity how God is Faithful, Wise, Strong, Loving, and bigger than anything that I could ever know. Psalm 139 describes God's intimate knowledge and presence. "If I say, 'Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night.' Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You." (v.11,12).

My Prayer: God, thank you for every unknown in my life. I have faith that You know. I will follow You into the uncertain and trust that Your will be done. God, let me experience Your hand as you guide me into the beautiful Unknown.

Watching the Olympics!

As the Olympics role around every couple of years, I find myself glued to the television watching sports that I have either never seen before or only last saw four years previous when they were on the last time. This year I have sat in my living room, watched from an apartment on the campus of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, checked scores on my phone, and generally looking for as much information I can about how the Americans are doing. I root for each American with pride in their achievement and a hope that we can display the greatness of our country. I enjoy listening to and watching the stories behind the valiant work that each athlete has had to produce and occasionally the amazing tribulation that has been overcome. It even causes us to reflect on all of the history that is in the Olympics such as previous world-record holders, past medals won, and the place in which the whole world entered this grand stadium.

This year I have seen sports that I personally would not consider a "sport" (badminton, "racewalking," synchronized swimming, Dressage, etc.). I have enjoyed like so many others the amazing accomplishment of Michael Phelps. I have experienced the emotional let downs when an athlete that you cheer for falls. It is the Olympics and they are lots of fun, they captivate many throughout the world with feelings of national pride. And it is here that I want to focus...I love to see the Americans win! There is nothing inherently wrong with this. I am proud of the USA and what we are able to accomplish!

HOWEVER (that can be such a big word), America also breaks my heart! We are a great nation, and we have so many great days and accomplishments ahead of us. But, I see an immorality that grieves God and should grieve every believer. We are complacent in our following the Lord Jesus Christ. We fail to seek God's Truth and are instead satisfied and tolerate humanism and arrogance and subjective truth (which is not truth at all)! We have become a nation that tolerates, condones, and even promotes the murder of infants in the womb through abortion (and God will Judge us if we don't stand up for these innocent ones)! This is not to say that I do not love my country...instead it is because I love my country that I have a broken heart over her sinfullness. Christians try to proclaim and falsely prophecy that the United States is the nation of God, and this is simply not true. We can be a nation that is faithul to God, but we are not that now! It must start with believers living faithfully TODAY!

My prayer: God heal this land! Bring us back to You by surgically piercing us and making us pure! Let me be a light and preach your Word faithfully.

I love my church!

Sitting in worship today, God showed me again how important fellowship and worship is at the local assembly of believers. Now, I know that I am one of those people that have grown up in church. And I can probably count with my hands the number of times that I have missed more than a week at church, but I just can't feel right when I am not regularly gathering to celebrate the Savior.

That being said, is regular worship attendance a habit, discipline, a requirement, or some other action within the believer's life? I have the tendency to say Yes! That is, yes to all of the above! Going to church regularly is not always easy or convenient, and occasionally it is not what we really want to do. However, the blessing and growth that one receives through regular church attendance is undeniable.

So even though you may not want to go to church, exercise discipline and go because God desires our obedience.

My prayer today is that God would help me accomplish all that needs to be done for my family, at my church, and concerning my academics. God use me, work through me, and be glorified by me.

Trying to be Too Busy!

I don't know about everybody else, but I seem to be busier and busier as life moves forward. At each stage in life, you tell yourself that finally "Now, things want be so chaotic and I can get some things done that I have been neglecting." However, when that time comes, I seem to have more on my plate than I have ever had before. Right now I am just a few weeks from my first doctoral seminar in Kansas City and yet we have just welcomed our new son into the world, I have barely taken a breath after completing the master's program in Ft. Worth, and changes and needs at church seem to require my constant attention. I was reading an article from one of the seminaries this week about just how much time we waste (reading junk mail and emails, watching TV shows that we don't even care about, surfing the Internet to find news on nothing, etc.).

This busyness not only affects the previously mentioned areas, but it also negatively impacts my relationship with my Lord and Savior. I wonder just how much we miss concerning God's will and blessings for our live because we are too busy. It just so happens that the prophet which shares my son's namesake found himself in 1 Kings 19:12-13 dealing with this very issue. He had the task of trying to listen for God's voice, and he ended up hearing it in the least likely of places..."a still small voice (kjv)."

My hope here is that I will learn to not be so busy! This does not mean that I must stop all of the activities in my life. Although, it does mean that I may need to make certain that I stop long enough to listen and appreciate Jesus Christ and His work. I wonder how much I have missed?
How much do you miss because you are going so fast that you don't even have time to breathe? Do you stop and listen? Now this doesn't just mean that you pray once a day! Do you actually stop a wait for God to speak (even if you are prepared or don't like what it is that He says)?

My prayer today is that in the midst of my busyness I will actively spend time with God! Lord, please cause me to drop some of the things that don't matter, give attention to the things that do matter, and allow You to guide me in all of these areas.

When God reveals Himself...and other random thoughts

It never ceases to amaze me how God works in the lives of His children, and often it is in such a way that He receives no acknowledgment or praise. He molds believer's lives and wills, He works in situations that without Him are impossible, and He blesses and keeps His children just as He promises. I challenge myself to look everyday for ways that God has touched me so that I may praise Him

Today, Shannon and I took Elijah to the doctor to get circumcised. It is not easy to leave your child in a place where you know that discomfort will come upon him. I also thought about how this procedure has taken place for over 4,000 years (at least). God commanded Abraham to start it among the people of Israel, and it has been common since then.
At the pediatrician yesterday, Elijah weighed 7 lbs., which means he has gained 1/2 lb in less than a week...Wow!

Now that we are home with a new baby and the summer is half over, I also have the task of working on getting ready for my first doctoral seminar in August. It makes me both excited and nervous, but I know that God is in control and I will simply trust in Him.

My prayer today is that I will be obedient to God's lordship in my life. I also pray that I won't forget that the things that God does in my life are not accidents, but instead purposeful leadings in my life to a right relationship with Him.

Being a Dad...Again!

Today is our first day home from the hospital with our new son, Elijah Thomas.
Coming home from the hospital is not new, we've done that two other times. Trying to figure out that first night with a new baby is not new either. Neither is looking down at a little bundle and seeing an amazing miracle that God placed in two parent's hands; however, each time is just as exciting as the first.

Last week I was at Falls Creek with our youth group and I had the opportunity to re-read the Old Testament narratives about the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17ff), and I hope that I can lead this new little boy to become a man that seeks God as the prophet did. The prophet Elijah did something that God called him to do even though it put him at odds with kings and nations. He fearlessly sought God and worked miracles that glorified God. He was not perfect though, for even he struggled with feelings of inadequacy just as every believer experiences when they realize just how small they are in the midst of their surroundings and their God. But God spoke to him in a still small voice and revealed His amazing plan to Elijah. By the way, the name "Elijah" in Hebrew means "My God is Yahweh."

Elijah's two sister, Emma and Evy, are extremely excited about their new "play thing." Keeping an eye on them will be fun. Emma understands most of what is going on, but Evy does not. Even though Evy does not express any animosity towards her new brother, she still displays some jealousy, so Shannon and I are trying to be sensitive to both of the girls.

My prayer today is that God would help me to be a good husband to my wife, a good father to my children, and a good pastor to my church. I also pray that my attitude and will would be conformed to that of the Father.