This past Sunday was perhaps the most awesome day of ministry I’ve ever experienced. Like the old gospel song says, “Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.” It wasn’t great planning, great music, or great preaching that made the day great, it was our great God visiting us in a powerful way in response to a whole lot of concerted, passionate praying.
Last Wednesday, our prayer service, which normally consists of calling out some requests, a short pastoral prayer, and a long Bible study, turned into an extended session of a concert of praise. Multiple people were praying out loud for their lost friends and family and giving praise to God for His working in their lives. At the conclusion of our payer, I almost felt that teaching would be an interruption in what God was really doing, and perhaps it was.
Sunday began with an intense prayer circle, seven men gathered together a half hour before Sunday School. We prayed over our time and it was well worth it. Together we asked great things of God. Sunday School itself was right on target as we learned about “serving God with holiness.”
Then the worship hour came and we sang songs to honor the King with a particular emphasis on the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives. The message was all about the power of the Holy Spirit. I left out two illustrations that I later realized would have been detrimental to the point of the message. I felt an anointing more powerful than ever in my ministry. I had boldness to say things without regard to the approval of people.
The invitation came and God did an awesome work. The altar filled with people praying and weeping for the fullness of the Spirit, praying for lost loved ones and other needs. A young man and a young lady received Christ as Savior. The invitation went through three movements as things kept happening. Joy Ewalt, for whom we have been praying for healing from cancer came and testified that God had completely healed her from brain cancer. Tests show that her head is now clear and she gave all the glory to God and the credit to prayer.
We left later than ever before and people continued to attest to God’s working in their lives in a very powerful way. I left church feeling so small, so undeserving, and so grateful that God would allow me to experience such an event.
Sunday afternoon our Deacons gathered for a time of training and we exchanged testimonies of the godly men who have inspired us in the past. I recalled my grandfather’s strong convictions as a Deacon for over a half century of time and the other stalwart men who influenced me throughout my childhood. In the evening service I preached about “The Sanctity of the Womb” where God has performed some great miracles in the lives of John the Baptist, Jeremiah, Paul, and others.
We had prayer for young girls facing this difficult decision to choose life, for women who have had abortions to find the freeing forgiveness of God, and for America to turn a corner on the abortion issue and repent before God. We also had prayer for some couples currently struggling with infertility and for Loving Choices, a local pregnancy support center. We’re also currently praying for healing in the life of one of our Deacons, Nick Gann.
One thing I am continually remembering is that we cannot dwell on these now past events in the “remember that day…” sense. Instead we must look forward to the awesome things God can do every time we meet. There is no reason why each worship experience cannot grow in intensity so long as our hunger for God, our commitment to holiness, and the passion of our prayer grows as well.
May God continue to visit us in special ways in our individual lives and every time we meet together, and may He continue to raise up Spirit-filled, Bible-drilled, prayer-skilled warriors for Christ’s Kingdom!
Live peaceably with all men… Easier said than done. Everything in us wants to fly off the handle when we are inconvenienced or insulted. Paul’s words were nothing new, they had been modeled by Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Nonetheless, these words are revolutionary as far as human society is concerned. To seek peace, to refuse the right to get even, is one of the greatest accomplishments any person could ever make.
My Sunday began on the wrong foot. First, I’d gotten pulled over by a Deputy on Saturday night for speeding down an unpopulated street. I had church members in the car! My speed had crept up and I hadn’t even noticed. I also hadn’t noticed that I was gaining on the Officer, who kindly allowed me to pass him so that he could pull me over. Thankfully, he gave me a warning only. I mentioned to him that I was going from one house to another as part of a Sunday School class progressive dinner, but I managed to leave out the little detail that I am the Pastor of the church.
After a late Saturday night, I got up early and experienced printer problems before church on Sunday. Then the little issues began to trickle in. People were stressed. There was a little tension. A microphone was missing and we had a big musical for the morning and my mood was not terribly worshipful and contemplative. Then we prayed. Though our prayer circle got started twenty minutes late, my heart changed as we approached God’s throne. A little later the choir sang that “He alone is worthy.” I began to realize again what being at church was really all about - and it surely wasn’t about my trivial issues.
By the end of the evening, God had moved in a very special way and I was reminded again to “let it roll.” Most of the issues we attack really aren’t worth our effort. If our reactions to others are not mixed with a healthy dose of compassion and understanding, they are rarely beneficial to us or to them.
Something special happened last night. In my exhaustion (late night, long morning, no afternoon nap…), God anointed me in a special way for the message. Everything flowed from the text in Romans 12:17-21. The message was a simple one about forgiving people, especially people outside the family of God. There was an extra dose of boldness, clarity of thought, and eloquence. The words just seemed to be there when I needed them. When it was all over, several people said it was a particularly impactful message. Glory to God alone!
My task this week is to live what I’ve preached… to let the little things roll and get the big picture - that He alone is worthy! God is so good and His people are such a wonderful family. May my heart and yours be praising and thankful to the Holy Giver of Heaven!
But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord…” -Jonah 1:3
A devoted Sunday School teacher once taught her class the story of Jonah being swallowed by the whale after running from God. She added all the flare and drama she could muster, then she proceeded to ask them what the moral of the story was. One little boy spoke up, “You can’t keep a good man down.”
Jonah is introduced to us as a man on the run. I believe that there are too many Christians today who identify with Jonah early in the story. They are running, they are trying to escape the calling of God and the presence of God. Jonah fought the inner battle over surrendering to God’s will, as well as a personal battle with racism toward the Ninevites. Ultimately God won out, of course, but we will never know the blessings Jonah missed while he was running.
In our lives, we’ll never know the blessings we’ve missed when we’ve wasted time running from God’s purpose. Whether we are allowing a distraction to keep us from the Father, or we are willfully rebelling against His will for our lives, we miss out on so much.
What is God calling you to do today? It may be difficult, but there is a blessing in the journey for those who will attempt the difficult. Give in and go for God today!
What a great day! We saw our highest Sunday School attendance since April and enjoyed a wonderful day with Bro. Grady Higgs. The morning message was especially impactful to me personally. There are times when the Pastor needs to hear some bold preaching and it was “high time” for me as Bro. Grady expounded Romans 13:11-14. I was moved to consider my own shortcomings in the evangelistic arena. So often we think we’re doing okay until God’s Word points out just how much more room for growth we actually have.
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Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” –Jeremiah 6:16
This weekend, my family and I are traveling to our hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky to see family. This may be our last trip to the bluegrass state until the holidays, so we’re going to squeeze all we can out of this quick jaunt. One great privilege for me, beyond seeing my loved ones, will be the privilege of preaching in the pulpit of the church in which I grew up, Clear Fork Baptist Church in Rockfield, Kentucky.
Clear Fork is not only an old-fashioned, Bible-believing assembly of people, the building itself is set in a picturesque place. Beyond many square miles of cow pastures, attendees top one last hill where the church is nestled in the valley beneath. It’s the end of the road unless you live in one of the few farmhouses down the gravel road behind the building. Clear Fork’s original structure was built in 1833. Since then, the building has been bricked, remodeled, has seen multiple additions of multi-story Sunday School space and a separate Fellowship Hall across the road with an addition of its own, as well as a two-story parsonage.
For me, my earliest memories of reading the Bible, learning from spiritual heroes, and asking questions about the ministry came at this sacred place. I owe so much of my own value system to those who came before me at Clear Fork. My grandfather especially comes to my mind. Jesse Cox was a Deacon at Clear Fork for 52 years. He was the chairman of every major building project during that span. He was also the Browning community’s fire chief, a farmer, the community store owner for a time, served in the Philippines in World War II and worked for Holley Carburetor for forty years. His leathery face and tough exterior gave way to a sweet and gentle smile when grandkids and great-grandkids were around.
My grandfather fell victim to lung cancer in December 2002, but he died my hero. I even had the privilege of sharing in his funeral service. On this Memorial Day weekend, who is your hero? Who do you remember? For whom can you give thanks to God today?
