The Water

"Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4: 14

Jesus asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. His request led to a conversation between them and to her encounter with the living water that only Jesus can give. She went back to the city a changed woman and told her story.

"From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me all the things I have done.' " John 4:39

The Samaritans were so intrigued by what they heard the woman say about Jesus, and what they saw in her life, that it peaked in them a thirst for more. The living water that poured out of her gave them a craving for a personal taste of what Jesus had offered to her. They called on Jesus to stay with them, and He spent two more days pouring into their lives what they needed to quench their thirst, living water.

"Many more believed because of His word, and they were saying to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world."

The New Testament reveals that Jesus stays where He is welcome. He simply moves on when He is not. The Samaritans asked Him to stay. When Jesus acted as if He would go farther, the discouraged couple on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24) urged Him to, "Stay with us." In both cases, Jesus honored their sense of urgency for his Presence. He always will.

My Aunt Isabell had an unusual contraption on her kitchen counter, right next to the sink. I had never seen anything like it. I was seven years old, and on a vacation trip with my family from Dallas, Texas. When I asked what it was, she explained it was a vital part of her household. She and my Uncle Frank lived in a beautiful, old farmhouse, just outside of Bloomsburg, PA. The long-handled green pump provided cold, clear drinking water when it was properly primed. Who knew?

Right next to the pump was a pitcher of water. When I asked if I could have a drink, my aunt did something very unusual. She poured the pitcher of water down the pump neck and started cranking, up and down, the handle connected to the spout on the pump. It seemed to me to be a waste of water, and a lot of work, with very little result for the investment or the effort. Suddenly, I heard a groaning sound, and then water gushed out of the spout. She asked me to grab the pitcher and fill it up. I moved a chair close to the sink, and climbed up on it, and held the pitcher under the waterfall. IT WAS FREEZING COLD. I dropped the pitcher, picked it up, and before I knew it, the water was flowing over the top of my container and running down the sink. There was so much water coming out of the spout, that I couldn't catch it all. Even after she stopped cranking the handle, water kept coming out of the pump.

I had never seen anything like it. I had never felt anything like it, but the best was yet to come. My aunt poured a glass of water from the pitcher into a glass and handed it to me. It was SO cold. It hurt my teeth, when I tried to drink it, and it shot like iced lightning into my head and gave me a brain freeze. It was amazing. The thought of it today still gives me a shiver.

I had just been introduced to the principle of priming the pump. The results were very different from my previous experience with kitchen sinks. I learned it is possible for two sinks to offer two different things. Getting a glass full of lukewarm tap water from my sink in Texas never quenched my thirst, nor did it leave me thirsty for more. The water from both sinks was wet, but that is where the similarities ended. From one flowed tepid tap water, connected to shallow pipes under my house. They were part of a water line that was tapped into a man-made reservoir full of sunbaked, run off water. The other was connected to a deep, fresh water well far below a farmhouse. It had been sand filtered, sheltered from the sun, and hidden from view until my aunt tapped into it. One left me with wet lips, but the other left me refreshed, from my head to my toes.

Priming the pump requires an investment. The water contained in the pitcher, next to the pump, must be poured down the its neck. It looks like a total waste. It is not. It creates a vacuum that draws the water from the well, into the pipes, up the neck and out of the spout. Cranking the handle, without priming the pump, is a waste of energy. It looks productive, but it is merely activity without productivity. Sound like any churches you know? Yeah, me too.

The water Jesus offered the woman at the well was the gift of His Presence and an offer of forgiveness for her sin. The investment she made was a listening ear and an obedient response. The tepid tap water of her life was poured into the promise Jesus made to her. In a flash a new way of life rose up out of her and poured out on all those around her. She couldn't contain all that Jesus had given her. She had to share it with others. They heard what she said, and saw the change in her life, and it made them thirsty for more. Changed lives always do.

The living water Jesus offers is not an experience, or a feeling. It is a relationship and a life of obedience. His living water satisfies an immediate thirst, but it also creates a craving for more and more. The sources of life that once satisfied are rejected and replaced with The Source of life Who will never leave us thirsty again for substitute, man-made solutions.

When we pray, Jesus takes what we pour into Him, and pours into us His Spirit's Presence. His Spirit produces power to repent, and uncontainable, undeniable, and irresistible refreshing influence on those who encounter the overflow of our changed lives. Changed lives change the world, one splash at a time. Prayer will pump you up.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Believer

"Whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." John 3:15

OLD PREACHER JOKE ALERT: Consider yourself warned.

One of the perks of being raised in a parsonage, was having a front row seat at "The After The Show Show." Whenever Dad would have an itinerant evangelist, guest preacher or denominational dignitary preach at our church, we always had them in our home after the service. My favs were those who preached on Sunday night. After church they would follow us home, and linger around the dinner table, sharing a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. This was always great theatre, dinner and a show. It was even worthy of missing "Bonanza."

One such night visitor regaled us with stories of his travels, and had us laughing so hard it required a bathroom break. Baptism stories were always my favorites. In those days indoor baptistries were still a novelty to some of our more rural churches. Small, lily white, wood framed prairie chapels dotted the Texas landscape. They were the legacy of circuit riding preachers who had traveled by horseback or buggy to spread The Gospel in the wide open spaces of The Lone Star State.

Post war affluence following WW2 led to a call for indoor plumbing and eventually a real-life, big city baptistry. Country church carpenters and plumbers retro fitted space never designed with indoor plumbing in mind. In time, muddy cattle tanks were replaced with small indoor tubs. Most were barely large enough for both pastor and baptismal candidate. As they entered the water, it always brought a giggle from the kiddie section, if the water spilled over the top of the glass at the top of the tub. It had a way of lapping over the glass and running down the backs of any quartet sitting in the choir loft. Enough of the history lesson, now back to the story.

The recently called seminary preacher was new to baptizing, and so was his baptismal candidate. The "christening" of the new baptistry tub was a first for both of them. This is rarely a good combination, but all went well until the filling of the baptistry. The small pipe used to bring the water to the church was tiny, and the perpetual Texas drought had lowered the pressure and the level of the water in the well. In short, the tub was taking hours to fill.

By the time church started for their highly promoted "PACK THE PEW" NGIHT, the pews were filled, but the baptistry wasn't. People had come from far and wide. They wore a "You're not going to believe this!" sense of expectation on their faces." The air in the room was electric.

Looking at the partially filled tub, and then the expectant crowd, the young preacher was inspired. He seized the day. He convinced his reluctant disciple to join him in the "water". and proceeded with the task at hand. His process was unique. He leaned the candidate backwards, onto the floor of the tub, and then rolled him around in the water, until his blue jeans and t-shirt were sufficiently damp. Then he held the poor guy's head under the water to work on his hair, nose and mouth. The candidate was gasping, coughing and snorting like a cat taking a bath. When the preacher stood him up, he asked him, "Do you believe?" The sputtering saint shouted, "I believe you're trying to drown me!" The crowd went crazy. They roared with laughter. This was as close to genuine revival, as they had been in years. They left that night with a story to tell to the nations and they spread it far and wide. They called him the "Dry Cleaning Preacher."

I warned you. Still the story contains a great question. "Do you believe?" In this day of "Easy Believism" and the equally dangerous efforts of those who cast doubt on the merits of authentic evangelism, it is a question that needs to be answered. People who do not believe will perish. Don't take my word for it. Jesus said so.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

The Greek words translated for believe and faith are very closely related. Believe is virtually the verb form of faith. Faith is not a concept to be held, but an act of the will. It involves placing trust or confidence in someone or something. To believe is not merely a one time decision, but a life of putting trust and confidence in God for His direction, protection and correction. To believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is one and the same thing. Believing involves practicing Christianity, not posing as a Christian.

"But he who practices the truth comes to The Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 3:21

Lawyers practice law. Doctors practice medicine. Musicians practice instruments. Athletes practice drills. In every sense of the word, they are not perfect at what they do, but they honor the label they bear. Christians who say they believe, but do not reveal what is on their label, are either guilty of fraud, or false advertising. Either they do not believe, or they do not practice what they say they believe. In both cases, they give evidence that they have "loved the darkness rather than The Light." (John 3:19).

Prayer sheds The Light on the crisis of faith. Unless people believe, they will perish. Lulling people into a false faith doesn't provide them with eternal security. Casting doubt on their salvation gives no assurance of it. Poor practice habits do not improve a person's proficiency at anything, but criticizing a person's practice of Christianity doesn't improve their fruit production. No doubt some "Christians" have chosen to offer imitation fruit. However, their condition will not be improved by self-appointed "Fruit Inspectors."

"Discernment is given for intercession, never fault-finding." Oswald Chambers

When you see a person's imitation fruit, pray for them. Stop inspecting them. Start interceding for them. Prayerless people sit in the dark. It doesn't matter if they are an IMITATOR or an INSPECTOR. Both hide from The Light, like a child who puts their hands over their face in an attempt to hide from their parents, after an act of disobedience.

Note to self: God sees you. He hears you. All the time. Stop inspecting. Start interceding. Your refusal to intercede for imitators doesn't improve their fruit. Your conceited inspection doesn't improve yours. Your prayerlessness only deepens the darkness surrounding both of you. The Light exposes their imitator's deceit, and your inspector's conceit. Get on your knees and turn to The Light.

"For everyone who does evil hates The Light and does not come to The Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." John 3:20

The Knowledge

"But Jesus on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man." John 2: 24-35

After Jesus performed His first miracle in The Galilee, He went up the mountain to Jerusalem and cleaned out The Temple for the first time. Once He drove out the animals and overturned the tables of the money changers, He said,

"Stop making My Father's house a place of business." John 2: 16

His disciples would never forget what they saw that day. Jesus was on fire with a zeal they had never witnessed before, and would never see again. They recalled an Old Testament prophecy, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." Jesus is The Light, because He is a flame of fire. Those who turn away from The Light will always feel the burn!

Jesus has a jealous streak for God's glory, and those who confuse their personal agenda or financial enrichment with His Father's redemptive plan, invite His righteous wrath. When Jesus was a 12 year old boy He reminded His parents, that He must be about His Father's business. That didn't include a model that allows people to ruin the family business, by merging their corrupt practices and bankrupt priorities, with God's portfolio. He isn't running a glorified Ponzi scheme.

"Stop making my Father's house a place of business."

Now that sounds pretty clear. How in the world have Baptist churches found the latitude to kick prayer meetings to the curb, and yet keep business meetings on the calendar? Does anyone else see a conflict of interest here?

Over the past 62 years, I have logged a lot of time in churches in this country. If going to church provided frequent flyer miles, I would be a Platinum Member. From the vantage point of six decades of experience, allow me to sum up the weakness of the local church in two sentences. If I ever wanted to draw a crowd, I would call a business meeting. If I ever wanted to clear a room, I would call a prayer meeting. That is all.

I remember a Trustee making this comment to me in a church in Georgia. In the face of a movement of God that was leading grown men to Christ, baptizing hundreds of people, and causing the inconvenience in a church that only new growth can bring, he said, "These new people don't love this church like we do." He was right. They were coming to church to meet Jesus, and to turn control of their lives over to Him. He and his friends were only interested in staying in power and keeping control of the church for themselves. 13 years later, he has become an Elder of the church, run off the intruders, and wrestled the church down to a third of its size. They are as happy as clams. He thinks Jesus is proud of him. Go figure.

As a boy, I recall monthly business meetings in the church that had all the love of a drive by shooting. After each blood bath, the gangs would retire to their homes to lick their wounds and prepare to fight another day. In my first pastorate, our only hope of survival was holding these meetings once a quarter. It was not much of an improvement. Good times.

Jesus said to The Seven Churches in John's Revelation, "I know." You can lie to your friends, and I can lie to mine, but Jesus knows. Jesus knows people and He knows His Father's business. People who think they are doing business with Jesus, but have no heart for prayer, have no business being in leadership in the life of His church. They are spiritually bankrupt, and any investment of their own meager resources will bring no dividend. Any insight from their blind eyes will provide no sense of direction. As evidence of my remarks, I give you the landscape of the American culture, after 100 years of obsessive, progressive Christianity. Not very pretty.

Jesus would return to Jerusalem, three years later, and repeat His cleansing of The Temple. This second time He would state, "'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN." Matthew 21:13 (see also Luke 19:46 NASB) Prayer is the heart of a healthy church, and Jesus knows the life expectancy of prayerless people and prayerless churches is cut short by the lack of it.

Jesus is always about His Father's business, and He knows the hearts of men are always wandering away from it.

"He Himself knew what was in man." (John 2:25)

The Knowledge Jesus has of men, leads Him to intercede for the hearts of men. Seated at the right hand of The Father, Jesus continues carrying out the high priority of His Father's business, interceding, by name, for those who call themselves His followers, and The Father's children.

Jesus doesn't trust what people say. He knows what is in their heart. He doesn't need anyone to give Him insight into the nature of man, Without any spirit of cynicism, He is aware that if their lips are moving, they are lying. It is only when they come to The Father, in His name, that they have any chance of receiving His direction, protection, and correction. Anyone who claims to have Jesus in their heart, but is void of a heart for prayer is making a fraudulent claim of the worst kind. Sound harsh? Remember, Jesus knows. He has never trusted people who claim to be doing business with God, but have no real heart for prayer. Take heart. Jesus knows.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Whine

"Whatever He says to you, do it." John 2: 5

Jesus and His disciples were invited to attend a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. This becomes the first of seven signs affirming His Messianic mission, and it is the first public miracle performed by Jesus.

Also present at the wedding was Mary, the mother of Jesus. When the hosts ran out of wine, a social disaster, she turned to Jesus and said, "They have no wine." The exchange between mother and son appears to have been conducted on two different planets, or at least in two different languages. Most parents can relate.

Jesus responded by saying to his mother, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." This is not exactly a clear indication to us that Jesus understood what His mother had just said to Him. Again, most parents can relate. Whatever His meaning, apparently Mary seemed satisfied that she had said her piece and had been heard. She left the crisis in His hands.

With an air of, "My work is finished here," Mary tossed a little piece of advice towards the panicked servants. It is something every contemporary Christ-follower ought to have put in red ink next to their "Agape" tat.

"Whatever He says to you, do it.' " (John 2:5) They did, and the rest, as they say, is history.

"Whatever." I still cringe every time I hear that word. I was privileged to usher my teenaged daughters through the "Valley Girl" phase. It was a 1990's fad imported from California. Most cultural crazes and phases have the life expectancy of a fruit fly, but this seemed to have the shelf-life of a "Twinkie." I thought it would never end. It used every second of its allotted moments of fame on the cultural stage.

For the uninitiated, this is how it went. Every time a question was asked of a disenchanted teen, the correct response from them was always, "Whatever." The question simply didn't matter. The response was always the same. It could be said with disdain, disinterest, disrespect, or "whatever" particular mood swing was being experienced. "Whatever" became the word of choice and appropriate for the angst of the moment.

Still, there it is, from the lips of Mary to the ears of the servants of the household, "Whatever." She gave a confident heads up to those who were going to have to come up with a solution to the crisis du jour. It seems Mary knew something the servants didn't know. Perhaps she had become familiar with the drill in her own home. For three decades she had experienced what Jesus could do, when called upon. Mary's response to the crisis of the hour reveals she knew when Jesus was in the house, anything could happen. Good to know.

Nike's "Just Do It" campaign has been highly effective at convincing millions of people to lace up their running shoes, and to stop whining. Long before they made it into a household term, Mary had seen the wisdom in it. In her experience, when it came to Jesus, every potential crisis was an opportunity to see Him at work. It still is. Thank's Mary.

Jesus turned the water into wine. "Whatever" you call it, wine or grape juice, Jesus transformed the water, and the result impressed everyone who tasted it. "Whatever" the crisis, put it in the hands of Jesus. He has a way of turning the worst into the best, at just the right time.

"This beginning of His signs, Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him."
(John 2:11)

That is always the point of any great work of God. It should lead to great belief. Too often we treat Jesus like a traveling magician who has nothing better to do than to transform our "Whine List" into a "Wish List" for our self-gratification. Believing in Jesus should lead us to have a great passion for Him and His mission, not just a longing for what He can do for us.

Jesus turned the water into wine to reveal His transforming power, over the crisis at hand, but it was not a mere social grace to help an ill-prepared family save face in the community. When our "Whine List" becomes focused on our own personal needs, we miss the big picture. People obsessed with the lint their own navel, rarely weave it into a life-line for a lost world. Jesus turned the water into wine, but He can still turn a self-absorbed whine into selfless intercession for others. Now that's a miracle that will leave a good taste in the mouth's of a thirsty people. Save the best for last.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Skeptic

"You will see greater things than these." John 1:50

My friend, David Lane, has often shared a great piece of advice with me. He says, "There is no education in the second kick of a mule." For those who need an interpretation of this rural parable, it is very close in meaning to, "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." What's the take away? People are wise to avoid mules and jackasses, of all kinds.

People are naturally skeptical, but those who have been scorched by the relentless sun of a wilderness experience are less likely to believe their lives are about to become a walk in the park. Good news is often rejected along with any news that promises hope and change. Then when your trust in the one who promised you hope and change is betrayed, you feel foolish. Can I get a witness? But I digress.

News anchor, Water Cronkite spoke about a cat on an evening broadcast years ago. He was talking about the Vietnam War, and the need to learn the right lessons, not the wrong ones, from that national experience. He said he recalled a cat that used to come into his boyhood home and jump up onto the old wood burning stove in the kitchen to cool down. The stove hadn't been used for years, and it was always cool to the touch. One day there was a power outage and the electric stove proved useless, so the wooden stove was fired up again. The cat came in from its daily routine, walked across the kitchen floor and jumped up on the stove. In a flash of fur and fury, the cat vanished from the scene. He said the cat never jumped up on the stove again, cold or hot. Point of story: Don't learn the wrong lesson from a bad experience. Always learn the right one.

Nathanael is one of the least known disciples, but one of my personal favorites. He reminds me of a time in my life when everything I heard about Jesus was just too good to be true. See if you agree. After following Jesus, "Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him...Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:45)

Nathanael's response was classic skepticism, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Undeterred by this verbal wet blanket, Philip challenged "Disciple Downer" with, "Come and see."

Note to self: Jesus cannot be explained. He must be experienced. People who continually vet Him, have never met Him.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming down the road, and spoke to him first. He always does. The Skeptic in Nathanael was not impressed. He guardedly responded with, "How do you know me?" Jesus simply told him that he saw him standing under a fig tree, before Philip called him. Jesus revealed something to him that only He and Nathanael could know. It changed his life forever.

"The Skeptic" in Nathanael blew right past "The Seeker" in him, and transformed "Disciple Downer" into "The Speaker."

"Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel."
John 1: 49

WOW! Where did that come from? Like a bolt out of the blue, or a lightening strike to the soul, the words of Jesus turned Nathanael's life around. Nathanael was once spiritually blind, but now he could see. I can remember a day when it was hard to believe that God was true to His word. It seemed every time I reached out for Him, my hope exceeded my grasp. It really is true what the Bible says,

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick. But desire fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12

I too was tempted to believe the lie, that just accepting what I had was less traumatic than hoping there was something more. I have benefited from following in the example of Nathanael's faith and resiliency in spite of his discouragement. Thanks, Nathanael.

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.' " John 1:50

Note to self: Don't let past disappointments, present difficulties or future delays rob you of the immediacy or the intimacy of the Presence of Jesus. He sees you in every circumstance and crisis, and there is not a moment of your day when He does not know your spiritual condition. Whatever it is, and where ever you are, pray. One word from Jesus, can turn the impossible into the HIMpossible. If Jesus says it, never fear if it is too good to be true. He is "The Way, The Truth, and The Life." You can believe Him...EVERY TIME.

The Memorial

"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John."
John 1:6

As a boy, raised in a preacher's home, most of my "real-life" heroes were preachers, missionaries and evangelists. I have to admit that Ronnie Bull, #25 Fullback for the Baylor Bears and Chicago Bears, broke into this line up in the 1960's. But I digress.

I can't say I vividly recall the content of the preaching of men my father had step into his pulpit like Vance Havner, Dr. Culpepper, Bo and Dick Baker, Dr. London (H.B's daddy), W. A. Criswell, Dr. Naylor, and hosts of other lesser known luminaries, as much as I remember their personalities. Some of them were real characters. They were often invited into our home, and I was privileged to stay up late to spend time with them, after the service was over. This was when the real fun began.

Before the night was over, there would always be Southern comfort food, preacher jokes, baptism stories, and wave after wave of joy-filled laughter, leaving people clutching their sides, wiping tears from their eyes, and pounding the table, begging the story teller to stop. Of course he never did. There is no particular story that stands out. You just had to be there. These men loved what they did, and the company that they kept. It was inspiring.

The evening always ended with prayer, solemn handshakes, and promises to stay in touch. These 'behind the scene" or "after the show show" experiences introduced me to a unique band of brothers. Elton Trueblood called it "The company of the committed." To me they were the fraternity of the faithful. I always felt ten feet tall after being allowed to have a glimpse inside the lives of these men God had called "to bear witness of The Light." (John 1:7)

John the Baptist was a forerunner of men like these who gave their lives to tell people about Jesus, and he was given a powerful testimonial by Him. "For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there was not a greater prophet that John the Baptist, but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (Luke 7:28) Band of brothers, indeed.

On this Memorial Day, say a prayer of gratitude for the men and women who have given their lives to secure the freedom of our nation. Don't forget their families who shared their sacrifice by investing their sons and daughters to the cause of liberty. We are in their debt.

Still, there are others who come to my mind on this sacred day. They are the men and women who have gone to nameless places, dark places, hard places to live among thankless people and tell them about The Light of Jesus. They looked at a dark world, and instead of cursing it, they blessed it by lighting a candle with the fire of their love for Jesus. He said, "I am The Way, The Truth, and The Light. No man comes to The Father, but by Me." (John 14:6) Thank God there have been those who believed this and lit it up.

Memorial Day is set aside to remember the ultimate sacrifice made by those who stood in our place to protect us from those who have often sought to enslave a free people. Those who gave their lives to secure our national freedom gave all they had. Still, they could not offer enough of their blood to provide our spiritual freedom. Only Jesus could do that. It is only through His blood that people will ever know eternal security. This is always worth remembering.

On this Memorial Day, say a prayer of thanksgiving for The One, and those who followed His call. They made sure you could face this day knowing, come what may, no one can ever take your ultimate freedom away from you. As the old song says, "Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe." I am in His debt. How about you?

"You will know The Truth, and The Truth make you free." John 8:32

The H.O.P.E.

"Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off." Proverbs 23: 18

Sometimes the ancient spirit of my former days as a student minister is sparked, by those who continue to play that vital role in the lives of young people. I am grateful for what they do to invest in the lives of the leaders of the next generation. They plant trees under whose shade someone else will sit, and often don't get to see the fruit of their labors. If they do, they are in for a long wait. God bless them.

Recently I read on "Facebook" of the heart-ache borne by a former member of my student ministry. She is now a dedicated teacher, investing deeply into the lives of her students in school. She was broken-hearted over the suicide of yet another promising young person. I hurt for her.

There is nothing like it. So much hope is out there for young people. Yet, in a moment of despair, they take their lives, unable to grasp hope in the dark. How can we help them?

I remember being called upon to bury a 17 year old young man who had taken his life. After a breakup with his girl friend, he drove to a deserted road, and while listening to a country western song, the last words he heard, before the bullet ended his life were, "I'd Be Better Off in a Pine Box." No heavy metal music wailing, no rap, no drugs, nothing but good ol' C&W. Thanks Nashville.

As I prepared for the funeral, his grandfather came to see me. He was a distraught man. As he choked in his personal grief, his heart hurt for those young people who would gather for the service. He kept saying, "Tell them the truth! Tell them the truth!" I did.

Telling the truth meant stiff-arming a lot of sentimental drivel. For some reason, death brings out the poet in people. I was offered all kinds of rhymes and verses for the occasion. They ranged from Edgar Allen Poe angst to Hallmark card pablum. One of the creative writing teachers of the school my young friend attended handed me a piece of her work, just as I stepped up to the platform. She accosted me after the funeral, and demanded to know why I didn't read it. I explained to her this was not her turf, nor was it open mic Friday. What we say at this time and in this place is the truth, and nothing but the truth. That means God gets the last word. I said, "You won't let me say a word for God in your classroom, and you don't get to have the last word from my pulpit. God will." We are not friends.

I have come to understand HOPE, as Having Our Perspective Elevated. For me this involves prayer. Prayer is the night-vision goggles given to us by God for spiritual warfare with the forces of darkness. Prayerless people lose their way, because they lose hope. In the dark night of the soul, they sense they are alone. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Prayer reveals a silent Presence, available and anxious to comfort and to guide us through the night and into the light.

I am often comforted by the way Jesus made Himself available to a couple of disciples on the Road to Emmaus, after The Crucifixion of their Savior put them on a slippery slope of despair. In the midst of their darkness, Jesus turned on The Light. He still does.

"While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached." Luke 24: 15

Talking our way through our crises seldom ends them, but most assuredly extends them. We never talk a crisis to death. Talking only breathes new life into a crisis. Jesus approached these two disciples, when they had lost hope. He still does.

H.O.P.E. - Having Our Perspective Elevated. How? Pray your way through a crisis, don't try to explain it away. Talking about it increases your blindness. Prayer allows your eyes to adjust to the dark, until you see Jesus at work in the middle of it. He makes sense out of the senseless, and brings hope to the hopeless. He only dos this...EVERY TIME.

In the mid-1990's I was introduced to this statistic. 80+% of the young people who come through our Evangelical churches, never return to them after they turn 18 years of age. Staggering. Still, recent reports indicate that those who do return to church say that the homing mechanism for them was knowing that their parents prayed for them, by name. Good to know.

Parenting and praying are the twin towers of the next generation of leaders who will usher in the next Great Awakening. There is hope for them, and for us. PRAY!

Prayer changes things, because prayer changes people. Changed people change the world, when they come to the end of themselves and run to Jesus instead of stumbling in the dark. In His Presence hey receive a fresh perspective of God's vision. They begin to sense His direction, protection and correction. Talking prolongs our blindness. Praying improves our perspective. Take H.O.P.E.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Harvest

Recently I had a conversation after church with an Oklahoma wheat farmer and his wife. Their crop was a total failure this year. Weather conditions did not cooperate, and their crops of wheat and canola did not survive the spring snow and ice that has plagued the country, during this prolonged winter. What has inconvenienced most of us, was a disaster for them.

There they were. Both of them, in church, singing and praising God, in spite of this major setback. She said of her husband, "He has more faith than anyone I have ever known."

Some times preachers talk about taking our faith to the streets. They challenge people to be the church, not just come to church. Farmers take their faith to the fields, and pour it into the ground. They are often disappointed with the results, but they are seldom discouraged enough to quit.

I have always thought that farmers were the poster boys of faith. Dry land wheat farmers are a special breed. Year after year they place their trust in an uncertain future that can swiftly be derailed by too much sun, too little rain, unexpected hail, relentless insects, and fluctuating market prices.

Still, their passion for the harvest keeps them coming back year after year to the same piece of land, and the same process. Their diligence and dedication feed a nation and fuel the lives of people they will never meet. Their day begins before it is light. Their hours are long, and the rewards are meager, but they keep at it, regardless of the cost. That's why they call it the "heartland."

Jesus said, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into his fields." Matthew 9:37 NLT

I am learning a little more each day about the harvest that is taking place around the world. Chinese Christians are growing at a rapid rate, and the Cambodian church has shown remarkable resurgence, in the aftermath of "the killing fields" of the Khmer Rouge. The church is often made stronger by the opposition of the government, and the persecution of believers. The American church would do well to learn this lesson from the prayer book of the persecuted church.

The time has come for comfortable Christians to put on their big boy pants. They look a lot like over-hauls. Inventor, Thomas Edison is often quoted as having said, “We often miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work." With the current explosion of fact checkers aided by Google search, there is some doubt if he did say it, but it is no less true.

Note to self: There will come a day when we have so many fact checkers searching for truth that it will be proven that no one ever really said anything...ever. But I digress.

In Luke 11, Jesus revealed the passion of answered prayer in a parable on "importunity."

"I say to you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him..Ask and it shall be given to you." Luke 11:8-9

For the Christian, and the churches they plant, the issue is not opportunity, but IMPORTUNITY. Importunity describes the capacity of a ship to be sailed into the wind, against incredible odds, and to arrive safely at one's destination. The dilemma requires and reveals a spirit of persistence and a desperation in a sailor that drives him to overcome all odds in order to arrive at his port. To do less would mean certain death for his crew, and loss of his cargo. There is too much at stake to go with the flow, or be blown off course. The opportunity is the storm, and it calls for importunity.

E.M. Bounds put it this way, 100 years ago.

"The tenor of Christ's teachings, is to declare that men are to pray earnestly -- to pray with an earnestness that cannot be denied. Heaven has harkening ears only for the whole-hearted, and the deeply-earnest. Energy, courage, and persistent perseverance must back the prayers which heaven respects, and God hears.

All these qualities of soul, so essential to effectual praying, are brought out in the parable of the man who went to his friend for bread, at midnight. This man entered on his errand with confidence. Friendship promised him success. His plea was pressing: of a truth, he could not go back empty-handed. The flat refusal chagrined and surprised him. Here even friendship failed!

But there was something to be tried yet -- stern resolution, set, fixed determination. He would stay and press his demand until the door was opened, and the request granted. This he proceeded to do, and by dint of importunity secured what ordinary solicitation had failed to obtain."

There is growing evidence that the harvest is plentiful all around the world. The lack of it in America may be a revelation of the lack of effort in the arena of prayer. Blessed by a legacy of liberty and legal protections that have enabled the church to exist without resistance, it has resulted in congregations that have diminished in power and passion for the harvest. Pray for a new generation of leaders who will seize this opportunity for importunity.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Journey II

Dana and I are enjoying our time in Mt. Juliet, TN with Brent and Ashley. This morning we meet for breakfast with Randy Waddle, son of Derald Waddle, and a long time family friend.

Tomorrow I will fly to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to assist David Lane, host of a luncheon for 10 Iowa pastors with Sen. Rand Paul. In January, Dana and I were privileged to travel to Israel with these pastors, as we accompanied Sen. Paul on his first trip to the Holy Land. I am looking forward to the reunion, and a chance to lay some groundwork for The Renewal: Des Moines we will be coordinating for The American Renewal Project July 18-19th.

I love the people of Iowa. Their pastors are some of the finest people I have ever met. Pray for a safe trip, and a productive meeting. I return Friday night to Nashville. Dana and I will start our way back to Ft. Worth on Sunday. We are missing Allyson, and wishing she was on the trip with us. Thank you for praying for our safety and for the ministry opportunities we enjoy with

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Battle

Last night, Dana and I wrapped up our TLPM Conference w Sweetwater BC, Thomson, GA. It is always a joy to see husbands praying a blessing over their wives / wives blessing their husbands, and parents blessing their children. We prayed for God to raise up the next generation of leaders for the next Great Awakening.

Tomorrow at 2PM CST we meet with Pastor James Blair of Mt. Pisgah BC, near Pell City, AL to pray about a future TLPM emphasis at his church. Pray that God will give us a sense His sense of direction.

Tonight we gather with churches of Thomson, GA at the local football stadium for a TLPM Prayer Rally as they they take part in the National Day of Prayer. Pastor Keith Kurtz of Vine CC has been the leader of this city-wide effort. Stadium gates open at 6:30 PM and the TLPM Rally begins at 7PM.

in 1827, churches in this area were blessed by a wave of the 2nd Great Awakening under the leadership of Pastor A.D.L. Sherwood. It began with a small prayer meeting, and ended with the Baptist churches in the area recording 3,000 baptisms in one year. The Methodists, and Presbyterian churches experienced similar movements. We are praying for God to allow us to be part of something like that again.

Today 40,000 prayer events will be held all over the USA. The mass media will ignore it, but God will not. He is the focus, and He will hear the prayers of His people. Great Awakenings have one thing in common. They were all preceded by prayer. Do your part. Take a knee. It is the only way to take a stand in the battle against evil.

"Satan trembles when we pray." Samuel Chadwick