The Dangers of a Dead Religion

 "Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord."

I Samuel 2:12

One little verse of scripture says quite a lot when you realize the context. This was in the days when Israel was ruled and led by anointed judges who were empowered by God to supply critical leadership for the Jewish people. Eli served as a judge for forty years according to 1 Samuel 4:18, and was succeeded by the final judge, Samuel. As the days of the judges were coming to a close, the Bible says on two different occasions: "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (See Judges 17:6 and 21:25) What a sad testimony of God's people as they lived self-centered lives instead of being shaped and transformed by the Divine truth found in His word.

But the problem was not just a people problem, it was also a priestly problem. Why do I say this? Because as you read 1 Samuel you discover that the sons of Eli were not just common citizens of the nation. Those two men had been elevated to positions of priestly authority. In other words, they served in positions of spiritual leadership over the people, yet the scriptures tell us that "THEY DID NOT KNOW THE LORD!" What? Are you kidding me? The sons of Eli grew up in the home of this priest and judge and now served in strategic roles for the spiritual development of God's people and they didn't even know God for themselves? That's exactly right, for that is what the Bible plainly and powerfully reveals to us concerning both Hophni and Phinehas. And, beloved, with a broken heart I confess unto you that I do not believe this problem was limited to the nation of Israel and to those two men who lived so many years ago.

Surveys conducted during the past twenty years reveal that less than 10% of Americans with a so-called "born again" experience have a biblical worldview, compared to 4% of the general population. You may be asking: "What is a biblical worldview?" That's a good question, and here is a good answer: A worldview is the framework from which we view reality and make sense of life and the world. Whether consciously or subconsciously, every person has some type of worldview. It is a combination of all you believe to be true, and it becomes the driving force behind every emotion, decision and action. Therefore, it affects your response to every circumstance of life. It is the interpretive “lenses” we use for understanding what we believe is real. Someone with a biblical worldview uses the divinely inspired word of God as their lenses for understanding the world around them, as well as allowing the eternal truth of God's word to form the foundation upon which they build their lives. In other words, those who possess a biblical worldview refuse to base life choices and decisions upon any personal human logic, emotional persuasion, or cultural peer pressure. Having a biblical worldview, therefore, demands that God's word is the most powerful element in shaping how a person views all elements of life, including relationships, morality, lifestyle choices, parenting, and eternity. A biblical worldview will shape what a person believes about EVERYTHING!

For quite a few years, I have attempted to sound the alarm concerning these sobering statistics. If these surveys are correct, it means that an overwhelming majority of church members DO NOT possess a biblical worldview. Men and women in our congregations have such a shallow knowledge of scripture, coupled with a yawning attitude towards growing in biblical understanding, that we should not be surprised to see our churches declining in spiritual health and vitality. But please hold on to your hat, for in May of this year a new nationwide survey of America’s Christian pastors revealed that a MAJORITY OF PASTORS DO NOT HAVE A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW! In fact, the findings stated that slightly more than a third (37%) possess what is commonly referred to as a biblical worldview. WHAT? Pastors, those who serve in the strategic areas of church leadership, do not possess a biblical worldview? That, my friend, is what the survey revealed. And now you know why we are in such a mess in this rancid domain known as American Christianity.

Looking at the truth revealed in I Samuel, I find three unique thoughts unfolded for our benefit:

1. The Sinful Condition - As I mentioned already, the people are described during this time as doing what was right in their own eyes. What a pitiful description of a special people blinded to the realities of life and truth. But the sinful condition of the people was only a reflection of the sinful condition of the priests. Elevated to places of spiritual authority, Hophni and Phinehas went through all the motions of their priestly duties, yet they did not even know the Lord. A preacher friend of mine who has completed his faith journey told me years ago as I began travelling in itinerant ministry: "Bro. Charles, you won't have to look past the pulpit to see what's wrong with most churches in America." He told the truth in that statement. During those years I often wondered if the pastor that I was with even had a true, personal relationship with the Lord. I vividly remember asking a particular Mississippi pastor about his salvation experience, and he could never verbalize how he came to faith in Jesus Christ. God have mercy.

2. The Sudden Confrontation - An unknown and unnamed prophet appears in verse 27 with a disturbing message for Eli. He speaks of the Disgrace that Eli's sons are bringing upon everyone serving in the priesthood, and how Death will come upon his sons on the same day because of their sin. Finally, in light of this horrible report, the man of God states that a Deliverer, a faithful priest, will God raise up that shall do everything that is in His heart and mind. Praise God that when darkness and depravity are overwhelming us, He has a plan of deliverance - Amen!

3. The Sure Conclusion - In I Samuel 4, we find the final days of Hophni and Phinehas described for us as they accompany the Ark of the Covenant onto the field of battle. There, in a very unceremonious way, these two men are killed as the Ark is captured and taken by the Philistines. When a solitary runner brings the awful news to Shiloh, the aged judge, Eli, falls from his seat and dies as he hears the report of his two sons and the Ark of the Covenant. Likewise, as the tragic testimony reaches the wife of Phinehas, who at the time was giving birth to their son, she said: "Name the child, Ichabod, for the glory of God is departed from Israel." What a horrible and honest confession concerning a group of backslidden religious folks that were supposed to be the people of God.

Proverbs 29:1 says, "If he that is often reproved, hardens his neck; he shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." I wonder how often the two sons of Eli were troubled deep down in their unregenerated hearts to repent of their sin and trust in the grace of God for eternal salvation? Yet they refused. Beloved, do you possess a living, vital RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ; or do you simply have an empty, dead RELIGION that will result in eternal condemnation before a holy God?

"Truly, truly, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." When Jesus made that statement, He was in the presence of one of the most outstanding citizens of Israel. The absolute experience of the new birth is a requirement for any and every one to gain entrance into Heaven. And my dear pastor friend, as well as music minister, seminary professor, denominational worker, church officer, youth or children's minister, and faithful deacon, that includes YOU! "Marvel not that I said unto you, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!"

Walking by Faith

"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."
Ephesians 4:11-12

The life of someone uniquely chosen to be used in gospel ministry can be extremely challenging. It has been well said that if you can do anything else and be satisfied, then do it, because God has probably not called you into the ministry. Not only is this lifestyle difficult for the one called, it's also difficult on the family. On many occasions I can remember trying to encourage our girls during less than pleasant times of how pleased I was by their positive attitudes. "I know that we march to the beat of a different drummer when compared to other families," I would say, "and I am so thankful that you never complain, fuss, or get angry about the pathway that God has chosen for us." They would always respond with a smile, but I always knew that deep down, the pain was still there. How did I know? Because within my own bruised heart the pain of rejection, gossip, slander, loneliness, and other ways carnal men had treated us, seemed to be an unwelcomed, perpetual guest.

Many years ago, a dear pastor friend, Jim Holcomb, told me this: "Charles, you are a prophet. And with this spiritual gift that God has entrusted unto you, your journey will not be easy. Those who are prophets are often lonely, despised, and mistreated. You know this, you've read their testimonies in scripture. And I've seen the prophet in you time and time again. I've prayed with you when your tears would flow like a river for the lost and backslidden, revealing your tender heart of love and compassion. But I've also seen you stand firm against the lying tongues of those who misunderstood and hated you, displaying a backbone of hardened steel. You're a prophet. Life and ministry won't be easy for you, but always remember this: God loves prophets!" His words were helpful then and remain helpful today. Yet the path of a prophet is still hard.

I'll never forget the words spoken to me by the late Bill Stafford in a Bible conference as he walked to the pulpit following my sermon: "My-my, Bro. Charles, what a message to the church. Amen! You know, son, I've been praying for you throughout my ministry. Yes sir, you are an answer to prayer. Amen! For years, YEARS, I've been praying that God would raise up someone that can make folks mad faster than I can. And you're that man! AMEN! Yes sir, that's the message this modern, apostate church needs to hear. They don't want to hear it, but they need to hear it. Praise God! You're style of preaching, mercy, it'll knock the shout out of 'em, brother. AMEN!" For those of you who knew Bro. Bill, you can hear his voice and see his face, as he tells me this with that big, wonderful smile. I was subsequently blessed to travel around the world with this precious servant of God working in affiliation with the International Congress of Revival. Those are memories that I will always cherish.

Ron Lynch, an evangelist friend from North Carolina, encouraged me years ago as I was entering into a season of itinerant ministry: "Charles, pastors need to hear you. They won't invite you to come to their churches until they hear you." This was long before the use of social media and internet sites made it so much easier to see and hear someone. But following a hard message I preached at a revival conference, where we were sharing the preaching responsibilities, he said: "Charles, I've been telling you that pastors need to hear you. But I'm telling you, man, if they hear that kind of message, they're not going to have you!" 

When I first began travelling back in 1997, my pastor at that time, the late Luther Price told me: "Bro. Charles, the best thing that could happen to your ministry is for you to wake up in the morning and be sixty years old. You are so young and well-dressed; you look like a Philadelphia lawyer walking into a service. Then your voice booms forth with hard messages that a backslidden pastor and a worldly church doesn't want to hear. No one expects a man like you to preach a message like that. Now if you were old like me, they might be more likely to have an open ear." Now that I am in my sixties, I can honestly say that those who have no desire to hear and head the word of God will reject the message and the messenger no matter his stage of life.

I've had people tell me that I should tone it down a bit; that I should back away from addressing prominent sins within the church; and that I should simply seek to be more agreeable, understanding, and gracious whenever I stand before a congregation with the word of God. Well, that might be good advice for someone else, but I'm not wired that way. When Billy Sunday was preaching across America in the early nineteen hundreds, the story is told of how his plain and powerful preaching was upsetting the more liberal minded churchmen and businessmen in a particular city. The committee overseeing the campaign finally decided that they must confront the evangelist about the complaints. In a tense meeting, they said: "Mr. Sunday, there are leading businessmen who have financed this campaign, as well as several of the local ministers, who are all becoming very disturbed by your preaching. They have asked us to speak with you, and to let you know that they believe that you are rubbing the cat the wrong way." Billy Sunday's quick reply was, "Then tell 'em to turn the cat around!" In that same fashion, Jesus said, "REPENT, OR YOU WILL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH!"

An old gospel song used to say, "I've come too far to turn back now." Likewise, beloved friend, I'm not going to change in a vain attempt to win friends and influence people. I plan to preach it (and write it) the way I see it, and I see it through the lenses of eternal, scriptural truth. The Apostle Paul said that we "walk by faith, and not by sight." My plan is to keep on walking, and keep on telling, and keep on writing, and keep on serving, until I see HIM! Hallelujah, and Amen!

TORNADOES - TRANSGENDERISM - TRUMP - TRUTH

 

“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20

 

The words that you are about to read have been constantly swimming in my mind during the past few weeks. Each time that I sat down to write, there was a spiritual roadblock that seemed to prevent me from typing my thoughts. A fellow minister that I follow on social media posted the verse above and stated how that it is always wise to prayerfully consider what you desire to say, especially when you are emotionally charged. I heeded his wise counsel and continued praying how I might address what I am seeing, hearing, and feeling. I sincerely pray that you will read this with an open mind and a tender heart. And may God be glorified in and through His church.

• TORNADOES - So far this spring, we have been ravaged by tornado outbreaks. In my home state of Mississippi, extreme storms have decimated entire communities. The loss of homes, businesses, and other private property is unbelievable. Yet those losses pale in comparison to those who have lost family members, neighbors, and friends. And this great suffering is not limited to the Magnolia State. Places in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama, as well as in other states have also been hit savagely. The normalcy of life will never return for countless individuals and families as they seek to adjust to incredible devastation and tremendous personal loss. My heart breaks for them all as they seek to navigate strange pathways through unchartered waters.

• TRANSGENDERISM - It is emotionally difficult to even consider how evil can rise up once again in another mass shooting involving children. The video showing the shooter firing upon the glass doors to gain entrance in the elementary school operated by the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tenn., was horrific. Three adults and three nine-year-old children were killed before heroic teachers led their students out of the building. In a matter of a few minutes, the bravery of Nashville police officers was in plain view as their body cameras revealed their actions of rushing to encounter and eliminate the shooter. In a mad world that seems to be bowing down to all types of sexual perversion on a global scale, Tucker Carlson of Fox News seems to be the only media voice brave enough to call this a "deranged and demonic ideology." The dirt hasn't even settled on the graves of those killed by this mentally ill and spiritually dead woman and corporate America is fawning over another transgender person and making him the face of their latest marketing campaigns. Bud Light is paying a reprobate man, Dylan Mulvaney, who likes to pretend he's a six-year-old girl, huge sums of money so that his face is on a beer can, while Nike hired him to advertise their sports bras and women's leggings. I wish that was a joke, but it's not. We truly are living in a clown world. Not only do some folks need shock therapy, others need it also for embracing, applauding, supporting, and forcing this sinful nonsense into the norm of our culture. (And please don't get me started on the Drag Queen controversy!)

• TRUMP - I got up from the computer to prayer walk before typing this section. Do not seek to put me into some political camp. I am neither a devoted follower of Donald Trump, nor am I a never-Trumper. When he secured the Republican ticket and faced Hillary Clinton for the presidency in 2016, I prayerfully voted for him, as I soberly considered the alternative. With very little support from established politicians within his own party, he surprisingly set out to fulfill his campaign promises. Was he crude? Yes. Was he arrogant? Yes. Did he say and do things that could have been said and done in a much nicer way? Yes. But I didn't vote for him to be my pastor, I voted for him to be my President. His policies set our economy ablaze, with record low unemployment and energy independence reflected by extremely low fuel prices. His nominations to hold key judicial positions, including the Supreme Court, were constitutional jurists that we desperately needed, instead of rogue individuals desiring to legalize extreme political and social agendas via court rulings. His aim of reversing Roe v. Wade was eventually realized, ending the legal massacre of the unborn. Praise the Lord! (All of this success came crashing down, however, and you can read about that here: Pulpit Truth: COVID, Culture, and the Church) Now that he has publicly stated his intention to seek reelection in 2024, he has been indicted on charges concerning hush money being paid to a porn star, as well as a former Playboy playmate. Is he an embarrassment? In a lot of ways, YES! But he has already admitted that he paid these two women for their silence. So why is he facing these charges now when dope-smoking, whore-jumping, and international deal-making Hunter Biden walks around as free as a mangy, filthy dog? Why? Because our political processes, like our country as a whole, is going to Hell in a hand basket! That's why.

• TRUTH - Jesus said, "If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32) Okay, do you agree with what Jesus said? Then let's think together for a moment. While all of this has been happening as of late, I've been on the road, driving primarily through rural communities and small towns. Now please read carefully, I cannot say what the heart condition and mindset is of many churches across our land, but I can report what I have seen with my own eyes. Whether through countless social media posts, or with colorful banners placed prominently in church yards, I can report that most of our attention, time, and energy has been focused lately upon having a quality Easter egg hunt! WHAT? Are you kidding me? Is this the best we can do when circumstances involving life and death are smothering us? Can we not see that we are living in perilous times and that the fabric and future of our once great nation is hanging in the balance? With the reality of what I have written above happening right now, could we not forgo the frivolous activities of our carnal schedules and start seeking the Lord, as so many young people did just a couple of months ago at Asbury University?

The prophet Isaiah said: "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, and He will abundantly pardon!" In the Book of Joel, we find these powerful words: "Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’" And in the New Testament, the Apostle James said: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

Pastor, what about it? Will you have the courage to stand up and say to your people enough is enough of our focus being upon temporal activities? I believe that it's high time that we put away our egg hunts, and harvest festivals, and Christmas parties complete with a few rounds of Dirty Santa games; and genuinely, humbly, and sincerely begin to SEEK THE LORD! But someone might say, "Wait a minute! There's nothing wrong with our church having food, fun, and fellowship." Oh, I agree, especially if you desire your church to become more of a social club than the living, breathing, empowered by the Holy Ghost body of Christ that changes the world!

Now, one last word. Please don't be so foolish as to think I pondered deeply about one particular church, perhaps your church, to write this message. If this is you, then you are like the mysterious subject of Carly Simon's fifty-year-old hit song; "You're So Vain." Do you remember the lyrics?

            You're so vain. 
            You probably think this song is about you.
            You're so vain (you're so vain)
            I'll bet you think this song is about you.
            Don't you? Don't you? Don't you?

Will you be so arrogant as to think this "song" is about you or your church? No, friend, this word from the Lord is rooted in a broken-hearted servant of Christ who is deeply concerned about the spiritual condition that is around him. This message was not based upon my observation of one particular congregation, but multitudes of congregations that are becoming too much like the church of the Laodiceans. God help us - WAKE UP CHURCH!

Being Still

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted 

among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Psalm 46:10

Psalm 46 is an incredible passage that speaks peace and confidence into a very troubling experience. There is no clear evidence that reveals the secondary author of this Psalm, but we certainly know the primary author is the Spirit of God. We could look at the life of David and realize that he could have been moved to write these verses, as he was very well acquainted with difficult circumstances in his life. Likewise, Moses could have been the human instrument to pen this testimony of faith rising victoriously over fear. I was moved several years ago to appreciate the possibility that perhaps Isaiah wrote this brief, yet powerful Psalm. Great men of the word like John Stott, Warren Wiersbe and John Phillips have researched and written that this testimony might be about the experience that King Hezekiah and Isaiah shared when the king of Assyria sent his army of 185,000 soldiers to surround, capture and destroy Jerusalem. This time of terror resulted in the Lord sending His angel to put to death this entire army in one fateful night. (For an in-depth look at the faithful life and gracious reign of Hezekiah, you can read 2 Kings 18-20 and 2 Chronicles 29-31) Beloved, there will be experiences in our lives that will remind us that we are helpless and powerless to overcome personal challenges in our own limited and frail strength. Just as Hezekiah poured out himself to the Lord in humility and sincerity as this invading and intimidating army came up against him and his people, we need to have the same mindset as we face challenges, problems, and events that upset us and overwhelm us.

For most of my adult life I have been a man of action. I take pleasure in having an agenda of what needs to be done and doing it. This attitude was placed into me at an early age. Growing up on a farm in the Mississippi Delta meant working from can to can't when precious days of ideal weather gave us a limited window of opportunity to accomplish needed tasks. Many vital activities on the farm could not be rolled over to another day. Whether it was planting, harvesting, or anything in between, we had to work long and hard to ensure agricultural success. Many of these developed attitudes followed me into the ministry. Whatever needed to be done for the glory of God in the body of Christ, I was willing to do it. I despised lackluster attempts at serving the Lord when a job needed to be done while the souls of men were at stake. Dead services, boring sermons, dull music, and pathetic prayers were to be avoided at all costs. As a pastor, I desired and demanded personal excellence in all that I tried to do, and I expected the same attitude from my church leaders. Anything less was unacceptable to me and would not be tolerated. More than once I boldly told people that if they wanted to attend a lifeless church where God never showed up, I would gladly name a few where they could go and be happy in the dead atmosphere of a godless vacuum. In that season of my life, I distinctly remember being approached by one of my church members who was very concerned for my physical, mental and emotional well-being. She was a pastor's daughter and had witnessed her dad suffer a debilitating breakdown that cost him his ministry, and nearly his life. She challenged me to keep a record of my ministry hours per week, and she promised to find out what I discovered at a later time. I assured her that I would fulfill her request, and to no surprise I discovered that I was logging an average of 100 hours per week in ministry. During that time I was preparing sermons and preaching numerous times a week; visiting our local shut-ins and members in area nursing homes; traveling to local hospitals in Booneville, Corinth, New Albany and Tupelo, as well as to those hospitalized in Jackson, Memphis, and Birmingham; maintaining evangelistic outreach in our church community; reaching out to those members who were not being faithful in attendance; and participating in preaching opportunities at other churches in the surrounding areas of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. It was during those days that I considered golfing or fishing pastors to be slackers. After all, how could a true man of God take a day off when the Devil was constantly on the prowl? When she finally asked me for a report, tears fell from her eyes as she silently turned and walked away after hearing my testimony. I readily admit that being still in that day for me, did not equate to having a greater, personal knowledge of the Person of God.

It was not long after this encounter, that He began to open my eyes to some incredible truth. In John chapter six, Jesus was asked an important question: "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" His answer was unique: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." In other words, those around Christ wanted to know the secret, or the formula, for doing the work of God. The miracles of Jesus were capturing the attention of everyone. He was doing only what God could possibly do. Therefore, they sincerely wanted to know what they must do in order to perform or accomplish the work or activity of God. But Jesus did not give them a formula, nor share with them a secret. Rather, He told them the truth: FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD IS THE ONLY REQUIREMENT IN FULFILLING THE WORK OF GOD!

What does this mean? It means that only God can perform or accomplish the work or activity of God. It is absolutely ludicrous to assume that any humanistic endeavor, no matter how sincere, can accomplish the work of God. He showed me that I, in and of myself, would never be anything but an absolute failure in life and ministry. I cannot save anyone. I cannot change anyone. I cannot sanctify anyone. I cannot grow a church numerically, nor spiritually. I cannot create, manufacture, nor sustain a revival experience. I cannot do anything that has any eternal value. Only God can do these kinds of things, and Jesus did them because He was God, and He can do them now because He is still God today! Our focus and responsibility, therefore, is to trust and obey His voice, because He is the one who will accomplish the work of God through His people as we yield ourselves to Him! Now do me a favor, re-read the previous paragraph, and this one as well, then go somewhere and shout HALLELUJAH!

The Lord also reminded me of the dilemma of the early church when a dispute arose over some of the members being neglected. Instead of doubling and tripling their efforts to minister to everyone, the pastors instituted the deacon body to come along side and assist them. They said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." Imagine this scenario, the church is multiplying, and a dispute arises that threatens the harmony and unity of the body of Christ. Yet in the midst of this upsetting reality, they recognize that being still in His presence must be their priority in order to rightly divide and teach the word of God. And what was the result? God began doing only what He can do. "Then the word of God spread, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith."

I share this testimony to help you understand how God taught me of the importance of being still. Think about it, the great Apostle Paul accomplished more by being still than on his missionary journeys. What do I mean by this? It was after he was arrested and imprisoned that God used him to write most of the New Testament. His "prison epistles" are still being used today to grow churches and transform lives, long after Paul's death in Rome. It was the beloved disciple John who was banished to the Isle of Patmos as an aged warrior of the Gospel. Yet in this horrible environment, separated from family and friends, this man was being still in the presence of God. And what was the result? "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants-things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near." Yes, beloved, being still for John increased his knowledge and experience of God, and the result for us was the Book of Revelation. Another example would be the rugged Galilean and former fisherman, Peter. It was this outspoken, impetuous man who would be filled with the Holy Spirit to provide key leadership for the early church. And it was this man who would also be imprisoned in Rome before his execution that allowed him to be still and experience the inspiration of God in writing his two epistles. Though Peter's physical voice has been silent for centuries, his spiritual voice will reverberate throughout eternity as a human author of God's holy word.

In the book of Ephesians, the Bible says, "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." The word redeem comes from the Greek word 'exagorazo' and has the root meaning of purchasing, buying or investing. Because the word for time can also be translated as season, this phrase conveys the idea of investing wisely to make the most of every opportunity, or taking advantage of opportunities that are given since they may never be available again. Someone helped me tremendously quite a few years ago by teaching me that we are human beings, not human doings. The emphasis of spiritual development, therefore, should be on our inner relationship to Christ, and not upon our outward activity for Christ. Failure to understand this was the reason the church at Ephesus was rebuked in Revelation 2:1-5. Their focus was so riveted on their faithful performance of certain Christian duties, they failed to spend quality time at the feet of Jesus. The testimony of Martha in Luke 10:38-42 is very similar, as she did not realize that her greatest need was maintaining intimacy with Jesus. And like Martha and the Ephesian believers, I also have to be constantly reminded of this principle, for I easily get caught up seeking to check the boxes of my spiritual to-do list rather than redeeming precious time in His presence.

In closing, please allow me to ask us some serious questions: Are you and I redeeming the time by making the most of every opportunity and practicing the lost art of being still in the presence of God? Are we taking advantage of solitary seasons of life by investing quality time praying, fasting, reading, meditating, and worshiping? And if you are a pastor or serving in some kind of teaching capacity in your local church, I pray that you will understand that you cannot do the work of God, only He can perform His work. May He graciously and wonderfully empower us to do both the impossible and the eternal as we learn to be still, and truly know that He is God. Amen.

The Final Fifteen

"Stir up the gift of God which is in you."

"You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

"Study to show yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

"Flee youthful lusts; and pursue righteousness." 

"Preach the word!" 

"Be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

All of the scripture verses quoted above can be found in 2 Timothy, which was Paul's final epistle that God inspired him to write before his Roman execution. It is also, of course, the last of what we call the Pastoral Epistles that Paul wrote, as he was seeking to encourage and admonish Timothy to remain faithful to God's calling into the ministry.

Many believers profess that an annual self-inspection, or spiritual inventory, is a valuable tool for growing in grace. I suppose that such an activity can have some merit, as long as it is not used to evaluate our lives in comparison to others, which can lead us into a sense of either spiritual pride or personal despair. It can also be dangerous to invest too much time in looking backward into the past, as Paul himself said, "One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

As someone who spends an incredible amount of time on the highway, I realize that it is a good habit to constantly glance into my rear-view mirrors to remain aware of what is happening around me. Gazing into my mirrors, instead of glancing, however, would be extremely foolish unless I was backing up at that particular moment. I do not want my eyes locked in a stare at any of my mirrors while I'm traveling forward at highway speeds. That type of activity could be both dangerous and deadly for me and for you!

Hitting a so-called personal milestone a few years caused me to become more acutely aware of the value of each day. At the same time, as I surveyed the spiritual landscape surrounding me, I began to realize that I might be running out of time to experience a radical move of God in our land. Beloved friend, I sincerely believe that we are in the twilight hours of the church accomplishing her assignment before the soon coming rapture, and I understand that I am much closer to the finish line of my life's journey as well. In light of this truth, please read along with me as I glance back a bit and then gaze ahead.

THE FIRST FIFTEEN: When God saved me in 1983, and called me into the gospel ministry in 1988, I had no idea what I would experience. Tammy and I followed His leadership as best as we knew how. We bumbled along like spiritual toddlers, I'm sure, but He was always faithful. As I developed and grew through seminary training and pastoral experience, God opened doors for preaching and ministry that could only be explained by His divine favor. There was a time that I kept meticulous records of where I was traveling and the messages that I preached while in those different places. As I compiled a growing list of countries, states, cities, towns, and churches that I visited, those records eventually became a source of unholy and unhealthy pride. I inwardly glowed over the miles that I traveled on the road and in the air to fulfill my ministry assignments and thought it to be quite impressive that I was leading revival, prayer, and church growth conferences, especially in light of the fact that I had never completed my seminary degree. The Lord opened my eyes to this utter foolishness and wickedness in 2005, after I had vainly attempted to impress a congregation in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area. I was standing before them one night, and according to my detailed information, I was about to preach my 5,000th Bible message to an audience of listening ears. Not long after I returned home from that Oklahoma meeting and still under conviction about my arrogance, I burned all of those meticulous records, the revival and conference marketing posters and fliers that I had retained, the many newspaper clippings concerning the events that I had been involved in and collected from various cities, as well as all of my saved copies of monthly and quarterly ministry newsletters that I had written and mailed to thousands of recipients. I saw these things as evidence of my horrible pride, and God hates pride.

THE MIDDLE FIFTEEN: As we moved further into the beginning years of this new millennium, opportunities began to decrease for many of us involved in itinerant ministry. Churches in America were rapidly changing, as they were either suspending or simply eliminating services that required attendance beyond the Sunday morning commitment. Revival meetings with hard preaching to call the church to brokenness and humility were looked upon as useless relics of the past. "Methods must always be changing" was the newest cliche overheard in all of the denominational conferences, and there seemed to be no room for dinosaurs like me in the ministry plans of modern, progressive churches.  Invitations to continue overseas ministry was ongoing, but without viable work at home, these opportunities had to be declined. It was during this time that I was serving as a trustee of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and learning a great deal about church planting becoming the greatest spiritual weapon to impact lostness in a community. It was through the influence of the IMB that Tammy and I believed God would have us start a non-traditional church to reach out to the Mississippi State University campus. God was gracious to allow us to begin DayStar Church and develop relationships with numerous students, as well as other residents in Starkville. This season of life eventually demanded that I become what is known as a bivocational minister. I was blessed to serve as a chaplain for a local hospice company, followed by a three-year stint working in the transit system at MSU, giving me even greater access to meet and befriend students. I soon began driving charter buses to provide for my family financially, and it was during these years that circumstances changed drastically for us, and my eyes were taken off of Jesus. I tried to maintain my ministry by going through all of the motions, but I can tell you from personal experience, that won't work. I realized that something had to change, and with another church launching in Starkville with our same vision and thriving, it was time to face the harsh reality that I was a failure in my current assignment and walk away from our church planting experience.

THE FINAL FIFTEEN: Well, here I am several years removed from those past events, yet still desiring to be used of God for His kingdom purposes. Pastors have reached out to me occasionally to preach for them, which is always a blessing, and I am currently serving the Bethel Baptist Church in Columbus, Mississippi while they are without a pastor. Some ministers have wanted to submit my name to churches looking for a pastor in their areas of service, but we have never believed God would have us move at this stage of life due to ongoing family responsibilities here at home. I look upon my future as "The Final Fifteen" while realizing that I personally may not have fifteen more years of life as I know it. But think about it, none of us may have fifteen more years, as the rapture of the church could take place tonight, or death for any one of us may occur before sunrise! Yet however, and wherever, God delights in using us, Tammy and I are praying that He will be glorified as we run our last laps in the race of faith. As we continue to pray and serve in this current ministry opportunity, I ponder upon those verses listed above, as well as this beautiful passage from Psalm 71:17-18:

"O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come!"

18

COVID, Culture, and the Church

"In the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

2 Timothy 3:1-5

The past few years have been unlike anything that I have seen in my lifetime. Only those who have put their heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich would describe our current events as normal. Never would I have imagined, and I have a large imagination, seeing what is taking place politically, morally, philosophically, culturally, and scientifically on both a national and a global scale. You may not agree with my assessments, but please read this article with an open mind. Why? Because I thoroughly believe that we are living in the last days leading up to the rapture of the church and the subsequent return of our Lord.

COVID... 

The China Virus (COVID-19 for the politically correct) swept upon us in early 2020 and created international panic, chaos, and fear. Some have declared that it actually began spreading in the latter months of 2019, but remained undetected by those agencies that monitor, track, and warn about potentially deadly diseases. An unlikely source was first blamed: infected bats from a wet market in Wuhan, China. Whispers then began to rise up about a research lab in that same city that conducts what is known as gain of function experiments. This research involves taking known pathogens, "super-charging" them to discover how deadly they can become, and then what must be done to eradicate and destroy them should they ever naturally mutate to such a dangerous level. Experts initially tried to stop any and all information concerning a potential lab leak, then laughed at the prospect of the lab being the source of COVID as the ridiculous ramblings of small minded individuals who are possessed with innumerable conspiracy theories.

In some earlier writings, I confessed that the entire scenario, to me personally, had the smell of a dead rat. It is no secret that the Chinese Communist Party had a severe hatred for then President Donald Trump. His America first agenda did not help them in their quest for greater financial and global power. In fact, his America first agenda was not very popular with our professional politicians, Washington bureaucrats, and everyone else in the DC swamp who enjoyed lavish lifestyles at the expense of American taxpayers and massive money moved internationally and put in secret bank accounts. (By the way, wouldn't it be interesting to know how much money the Washington elites and powerful investors made from their insider trading into pharmaceutical companies as all of this COVID drama unfolded?)

So, what could be done by the CCP, in conjunction with those in Washington who hated our President, to insure the removal of Mr. Trump in the midst of the greatest and strongest economic renewal that our country has ever experienced? Why not create a situation that would shut down our country and communities, kill our record setting economy, spread panic through the liberal bias of the mainstream media, and escalate a incalculable measure of fear and confusion by allowing the inept CDC to flip flop their guidelines on a continual basis. And to make sure a transition in power was complete, let's ILLEGALLY VIOLATE election laws by allowing state governors to change how ballots would be cast (in the name of public safety of course) when only the legislative bodies of those state governments have the constitutional authority to adjust election procedures! Well, it worked. Am I saying this dangerous and deadly virus was intentionally released as an orchestrated plan to alter the direction of our nation? Yes. And as someone who does not swim deeply in the waters of political activism told me, they believe that the Chinese government exposed select citizens to the virus and then flew them to places around the world to insure sickness, death, and panic would occur on a global scale, solidifying the effectiveness of their sinister plan.

Now we have an administration in power that's killing our economy, despises our Christian heritage of biblical morality, illegally opens our southern border, demands strict adherence to worthless vaccines and mask mandates, gives weapons of war to the Taliban, and funnels billions of dollars into a Ukrainian government, that just happens to have multiple business dealings with the Biden family, in their struggle against a Russian invasion.

Culture...

"This is not a riot," says the CNN reporter standing in an area of a city with multiple minority owned businesses on fire, "it's a mostly peaceful protest against white supremacy."

"These are not looters!" says an observer watching hundreds of masked individuals breaking into jewelry, electronic, and high-end clothing stores on Rodeo Drive outside of Los Angeles. "This is the result of systemic racism that causes people of color to be unable to put bread on the table," says an activist as she watches someone put multiple boxes of merchandise in the trunk of an expensive Lexus sedan and then drive away toward the darkness of Beverly Hills.

Statues and monuments have been defaced and destroyed. Private property and municipal buildings have been attacked, looted, and burned. Business owners and police officers have been assaulted. Busy highways and even multiple blocks of downtown cities have been occupied by groups of deranged individuals. In the name of equity, diversity, and inclusion, the land of the free and the home of the brave now promotes drag queen story time at the library. We allow sexual perverts and predators to teach in our schools. We place morally defiled and depraved individuals into powerful political offices. And now we have world renowned hospitals leading the way in providing dangerous drugs and life altering surgery to little children who are having a difficult time understanding the difference in being a boy or a girl! As a country boy might say, "What in tarnation is going on?"

Gone are the innocent days of my childhood, which remind me more and more of Mayberry, North Carolina than our current cultural reality. I do not remember any episode of the Andy Griffith Show where Miss Crump was asking the children about their preferred pronouns while promoting transgenderism. They had Earnest T. Bass come to school in one episode, but they never had a Corporal Klinger type character show up to indoctrinate the classroom in perversion. And if you are not familiar with the television show, MASH, Klinger was a man that wore women's clothing in hopes of getting a Section Eight discharge, which meant that he would go home based upon his incurable INSANITY. Yes, only a few short years ago when a man claimed to be women, he was not applauded, promoted, and lifted to a celebrity status, he was quietly placed into a mental institution.

The Bible says, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20) And the scriptures also teach: "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!" (Matthew 18:6-7)

The Church...

As COVID and culture continue to infect and influence us, where is the body of Christ? Well, for quite a while we were nonexistent. Believing that we should walk according to Romans 13:1-3, we suspended services in 2020 for the good of our communities and to set a biblical example. I briefly supported this action until I began to notice that abortion clinics, liquor stores, gas stations, along with other "essential" businesses remained open. I also noticed that many family owned stores were not allowed to reopen because of safety concerns, while the large and powerful box stores served customers on a daily basis. Like John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in southern California, I believed enough was enough, and that it was time for the church to obey God rather than man. "Forsake not the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)

Sadly, however, this was not the mindset of many church leaders, and congregations that were struggling before COVID, never reopened. It is truly a sad day when a spiritual light, no matter how dim it might have been, is forever extinguished. Other churches reopened, but it was simply a return to religious expressions of traditional habits. Rather than taking the opportunity to cry out to God for a mighty moving of His Spirit to usher in powerful revival and personal renewal, multiple congregations settled comfortably back into their padded pews of boring Christianity. Today, I know of some fundamental churches that are seeking to become bright lights shining in and beyond their communities. Yet the sad reality is that they are being met by powerful forces of demonic resistance that do not want revived men and women of faith to rise up against their kingdom of darkness. Beloved, the Devil has been working hard behind the scenes of both the advancement of COVID and our cultural decline, and he desires nothing more than to see weak and lethargic churches meeting together without the power and presence of God. A famous preacher once said, "The Devil is not fighting our churches, he's joining them." Well, to be honest, in some congregations he's neither fighting nor joining, he's running them!

As I said in the opening paragraph, I believe that we are getting so very close to the rapture of the true church and the eventual return of the Lord. Beloved, time is running out! That is why I often insert the phrase, WAKE UP CHURCH, in my devotional thoughts and online posts. Now is not the time to be sleepy eyed and unconcerned members of Christ's church. It's time to come alive in His word, be filled with His Spirit, and implement His purpose for you as an individual. And this should be the desire, as well, of the entire fellowship of believers, the church, in every community across this land and around the world. Let's "seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon!" (Isaiah 55:6-7) Hallelujah; Amen! 

IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?

 

And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” Genesis 18:13-14

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" What a great question. In times of personal crisis, national confusion, and societal chaos, you and I might be tempted to believe that problems of today are too much for our God to handle. Beloved friend, cast that kind of thinking as far away from your mind as possible, as nothing is too hard for the Lord. Let's think about it...

Abraham had already begun his great faith journey, whereby he was called a friend of God. He began this walk of faith at the age of seventy-five as revealed in Genesis 12:1-4. Here is man who had passed the prime of life being told that his offspring would become a great nation. When the Lord appeared to him in Genesis 15 some ten years later, he and his wife still had no children. Yet the plan and promise of God had not changed with the changing circumstances of natural aging. By the time you reach our focus text in Genesis 18, another fifteen years had passed. He was now ninety-nine years of age, and she was ninety. Surely the promise of God would prove null and void considering their ages, as she had long lost the ability to conceive and bare children. No wonder she laughed at the prospect of God's promise becoming an actual reality for them. But, here's that hard, pressing question: "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

Now you might be wondering what this has to do with the photograph of an aging vehicle. Let me explain. In 2001, Tammy and I encountered the Lord's leadership to trust Him in providing us a home to call our very own. This was a very daunting proposition for us, and at times I nearly baled out of following His leadership when I could not see how we could make our financial ends meet while operating a faith ministry. The following year, as we were praying earnestly about trusting Him for our Faith House, it became apparent that we needed new transportation. As is our habit, we partnered together in prayer for the Lord to lead and direct us concerning this need. God worked as only He could in making our paths cross with a car dealer who sought to minister to ministers. We had come to the understanding that we were to look for and purchase a Chevrolet Trailblazer with a third row seat and room to seat seven passengers. When we arrived at the lot to meet this gentleman, he had only one of the Trailblazer extended versions available, and it was brought in from another dealership at the request of a potential buyer. We gave it a test drive, sat down with him to talk about pricing and financing, and told him that we would let him know of any decision that we made should that vehicle still be available at a later date. Even with a very generous discounted price and an extremely low interest rate, we knew the payments would be just over $500 per month. To us, sending that amount to GMAC every month for five years seemed utterly impossible. But, is anything too hard for the Lord?

We knew that we would be returning to his area of Mississippi in a couple of weeks, so we prayed that if we were to trust God for that SUV, that one, not another one, then it would be on this man's lot when we returned. When we arrived on August 20, 2002, that same Trailblazer was still sitting on the lot at Ackerman Chevrolet, and we left that afternoon with the very first brand new vehicle that we had ever purchased in our years of marriage. We put the first 100,000 miles on it in three and a half years, and it hit 200,000 sometime in 2010. It's now been a part of our family and ministry for eighteen years. It doesn't get used as much as it once did, but this morning the odometer reached 368,000 miles. By the grace of God, we never missed a payment. By the grace of God, everything still works on it. And by the grace of God, it even survived being Laurie's beach buggy for a couple of years when she lived in Pensacola (but that's another story, LOL!).

Friend, why do I share this with you? Because it's so very easy to be overwhelmed by current circumstances of life and lose sight of the faithfulness of God. Not only was He faithful to us in the purchase and financial obligation of the Trailblazer, but He maintained our vision for our Faith House as well. Have you ever heard the old cliché: "Where God guides, He provides"? Well, IT'S TRUE! Before we bought this vehicle, we were living debt free in my hometown of the Mississippi Delta, paying $200 a month rent to the Duncan Baptist Church to live in their parsonage, which was a very nice, three bedroom/two bath, ranch style, brick home. But now we had entered into a financial obligation to General Motors while preparing to undertake the responsibility of relocating and building our new home. We agonized in prayer over all of this, and moved forward in obedience. When we completed our Faith House in 2004, we had a $950 monthly note on a thirty year mortgage, as well as the Trailblazer payments, and neither of us had what is considered to be gainful employment with a guaranteed income. How we even qualified for extremely low interest loans is another testimony of God's grace working in our lives. When the Trailblazer was paid off, home interest rates were on a lowering trend, so we refinanced to a fifteen year mortgage with a $1,200 monthly obligation to hasten our payoff. And as only our gracious God could do, He worked to have our goal of once again living debt free a reality, as we just paid off our Faith House mortgage six years early. Thank you JESUS!!

The journey has not been easy, and many questions circling our lives remain unanswered. Yet through it all, God has been faithful. When we step outside and see the Trailblazer, it constantly reminds us that God can make a way, when there seems to be no way. Amen! In fact, there are three other automobiles parked outside of our home, and the Trailblazer is the only one that we paid for. All of the others were given to us! The Lord makes sure that I remember this whenever I want to camp out in a place of despair and wonder how He can possibly supply our many needs. NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR THE LORD!

Abraham's wife, Sarah, was going to soon learn this great principle. In Genesis 21:1-3, the Bible says: "And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac." Is anything too hard for the Lord?