Wow! 2020 is half-way done. I remember back in March, wondering if we would every get through this year. Funny how time doesn't stop for anything, not even a pandemic. It just keeps rolling along and we just keep getting older and older! This year has been a bit on the crazy side though. Just goes to show that even the best laid plans...and now here we are! July is soon to be over. School may or may not begin again. But August is coming nonetheless. 

In the middle of all of this, as we grasp for wisdom and knowledge, hoping that time will stand still as we sort out everything going on in our minds, we hope that something would happen to bring a sense of unity through all the chaos. At least I have. Isn't it fun how we prayed that God would shake things up and bring about revival! We prayed that He does whatever He needs to so that we come back to Him, see souls saved and our hearts renewed. And now we pray that peace would come! God, hasn't it been enough already?!  

Now I have been praying that something would present itself, that collectively we could get behind. Not necessarily the world, but rather the church. Doesn't that thought excite you?! The idea that something would bring the church back to unity and working harder than ever, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand. Obviously, masks are not this unifying force! Sorry that I went there. Maybe I'm not. Either way, this time that we are living in is very polarizing to say the least. 

As I was on this prayer journey, asking and begging for an end to the madness, the Holy Spirit dropped a thought into my heart. A thought that is so simple, but convicting and haunting. I've prayed for something or someone to unify the church again and His gentle Spirit spoke to my heart and asked this question: "When did I stop being enough?" 

Can we pause and take a breath for a second? A moment to re-group our thoughts, perhaps? 

When did Jesus stop being enough for the church to unify around? Is He not enough for us to set aside our differences and remember why we were placed here? To share the gospel to a world that is DESPERATELY in need of Him. I'm meddling. Forgive me. D.A. Carson, in his book Love in Hard Places says this better than I can. 

I suspect that one of the reasons why there are so many exhortations in the New Testament for Christians to love other Christians is because this is not an easy thing to do. Many fellow Christians will appear to be, at least initially or to the immature, “little enemies.” To put the matter differently, if Christians love Christians, it is not exactly the same thing as what Jesus has in mind when he speaks rather dismissively of tax collectors loving tax collectors and pagans loving pagans. What he means in these latter cases is that most people have their own little circle of “in” people, their own list of compatible people, their friends. Christian love…must go beyond that to include people outside the group. The objects of our love must include those who are not “in”: it must include enemies.
Ideally, however, the church itself is not made up of natural “friends.” It is made up of natural enemies. What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs, or anything of the sort. Christians come together, not because they form a natural collocation, but because they have been saved by Jesus Christ and owe him a common allegiance. In the light of this common allegiance, in light of the fact that they have all been loved by Jesus himself, they commit themselves to doing what he says – and he commands them to love one another. In this light, they are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus’ sake.

So what now? I would only ask this one thing. Love as Christ loved. Show grace as He showed grace. "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

The last few nights my 4-year old daughter has woken up around 4am to go to the bathroom. Lucky me! I get out of bed, groggy, ready to get back under the covers. After putting my daughter back to bed, I try to get myself back to sleep, but can't. For the last several mornings, I have wrestled with what is going on in our world. I have laid in bed wondering, what should I say? What should I do? How can I help? How can my voice help make a difference? I have prayed and then prayed some more.

To be honest, there are a lot of great thoughts out there and I don't want to just add to the noise. I teach my kids, students and other leaders to respond and not to react. I teach them to weigh out decisions and to count the cost of the action. Whatever I say or do, I want to be proud of ten years from now. I want my kids to look at me and be proud of the man that I am and the one I am becoming.

Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for everything. A time to be silent and a time to speak. I have pondered things in my heart and now believe it is time to speak up. I don't think we always need to have the perfect thing to say for each situation that we face, but I do believe we always need to be wrestling for the right thing to say. What I say here may not be perfect and will likely have flaws. I am flawed for I am human. But I am willing to have a conversation. I am willing to listen. I am willing to look and not turn away. I am willing. I want to listen. I want to learn. I want to love.

Black lives make a difference.

I am white. I didn't have a choice in this matter and neither did anyone else from any other race or ethnicity. We tend to judge like this was up to us somehow. It wasn't.

Racism is wrong. It is being magnified in our culture now. I believe that this is the case so we can see it more clearly and fix it.

Sometimes things need to get messy before they can get better. My wife Amond has several Rubik's cubes. My brother-in-law showed her how to solve them a few years ago. Every once in a while she will get one out and solve it. She doesn't want to forget the steps and the order. As I watch, I am fascinated by the process. As she gets close to solving it, there is a moment where the cube seems perfect. With the exception of one or two squares, it looks finished and complete. Then she does the unthinkable: she messes it up! Before the cube can actually be perfect, it has to be moved, turned and twisted. In reality, it is closer to perfect when it looks a mess, than when it looks almost complete.

This is our world. Broken, hurting, lost and hopeless. For many years it looked "complete." Similar to being a kid and having your mom tell you to clean your room. You put things anywhere you can as fast as you can! You've seen it played out before. Your mom walks into the room to check on things and heads over to the closet. You try to stop her from opening the door, but it's too late. Toys and games come crashing down. The room had the appearance of being clean but in reality it wasn't. As is the Rubiks cube. As is our nation.

We can't hide from reality any longer. It is being recorded for all to see. It is time to speak, but please wrestle with your motives before you speak. It is time to act, but please wrestle with your motives before you act. We are to represent Christ in all that we do. This isn't about making a name. This isn't about politics. This is about sharing Christ to a broken world. This is about righting wrongs. This is about coming together in Unity.

We should strive to be bridges in this world. To bring together rather than tear apart. There should be an understanding of each person, each side and each situation. Unity doesn't mean mean agreement on everything. The word that the dictionary continually references when defining unity is 'whole.' It even goes as far as to reference it as a 'complex whole.' We are created in the image of God and said to be the body of Christ. We have to have differences for this body to make sense and to operate in the way it was designed. A bridge must be built so that we can be whole. Let's build a bridge! It likely starts with an apology, so let me say:

If I have ever offended anyone of color for any reason, I am sorry

If I have not listened or refused to learn, I am sorry.

To those who have lost loved ones unjustly, I am sorry.

If my lens gets in the way, I am sorry.

My heart is to see everything through the lens of the gospel. The gospel is Jesus. Before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one. Together, let's pray, seek and desire a change. Together, let's work through differences to bring true unity to this nation. Together, let's realize that things might need to get messy before they can get better. Let's believe and pray that all of this is working together for something beautiful on the other side.

Mother's Day is right around the corner. This will be a unique Mother's Day, such as many of us have not seen before. There may be a lot of you that won't be able to see your mother on Mother's Day for the first time this year. Other's may be dealing with loss of a mother. I wanted to share a few thoughts for all of you, wherever you may be and in whatever situation you may find yourself in this year.

Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the Are You My Mother? one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." I'm sure you have read it before. One of Dr. Seuss' great books that my family has enjoyed. A mother bird leaves an unhatched chick in the nest to go get food. The chick hatches before her mother comes back. The little chick goes on a journey to find out "who is my mother?" She sees a cat, dog, cow, horse and many others. None of them her mother. As she approaches each of them, she asks this very important question, "Are you my mother?" My youngest loves this book as did my older two when they were younger. When you finally arrive to the chicks mother, there is a sigh of relief, that the book is now over! 

Long before Dr. Seuss penned the words, "Are you my mother?" Jesus did! He asked an almost  identical question. In Matthew 12:48 it states, "Jesus replied, 'Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?'" There is a lot we could dive into here, but the first thing that I notice is how much this may have hurt Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is looking for Him, the disciples reach out to Him, and this is His response! It causes me to pause and think. As should everything Jesus says or does. If He doesn't bother you on occasion, even on this sacred Mother's Day, you may not be doing Christianity right. 

Listen to what Simeon, in Luke 2 tells Mary when Jesus is getting dedicated at the temple. "He said to Mary, the baby's mother, 'This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.'"

What was that?! I wonder if Mary pondered this in her heart, as she is well known for doing on many occasions? I wonder if Mary asked herself if she made the right choice? And I really want to start randomly singing, "Mary, Did You Know?" now! Finally, I wonder if Mary, at the end of this all, His death and His resurrection, thought that it was worth it?

I think in some way this is similar to what all mother's go through. There isn't a mother on earth now that is the mom to the Son of God. And I am not a mother, so I don't know how much I am allowed to speak to this, but hear me out. As I watch my wife raise our three kids, I see the great love she has for them. I watch her pour hours into their schooling. She makes meals, cleans rooms, bathes and dresses them. She has changed countless diapers and been there for them while they were sick. There is something so special about this mother's love. 

Then, one day, they decide that they can grow up. We did not give them permission to do so, but they do it anyway! They grow up and they move out. And it hurts. I am thankful that we have not had to experience this yet with our kids, but we know it is coming. I turned 18 and went to college 8+ hours away from home. I came back for a summer, moved away again in November and never came back. We visit my parents often, but it had to be hard for my mom.

Even though our kids aren't going to a cross, there can still be a sword to pierce your soul. Jesus, by no means, was disrespecting His Mother in this passage. He was always sharing a greater truth that I want to journey to in just a moment. I'm allowed to think that this statement still stung. She knew what was required, but that doesn't mean it was easy. 

In the next few verses Jesus states that his disciples and those around Him were His brothers and His mother. Jesus says that anyone who does the will of the Father in Heaven is His brother and His mother. If we allow the truth of this passage to get in us, it can be of great comfort to those who have ears to hear. 

Your mother may not be with you today, but you still have a mother in the family of Christ. Mothers, you may be struggling with the loss of a loved son or daughter (physically or spiritually lost to you), but you have sons and daughters in His kingdom. No, it doesn't take away the sting. But it does give you hope. Hope that we can enjoy this life with the people God has given us. We are allowed enjoy the blessings in spite of the hurt and pain. Jesus is giving us permission to smile and laugh again. To embrace those who can be our Mothers, our brothers, our sons and our daughters and cherish the moments we have. 

And one day...we will gather together where there are no more tears. No more crying. No more sorrow. Where death has completely lost its sting! Until then, celebrate this Mothers Day with rejoicing and a peace in your heart that can only come through Christ, who loves you deeply!

​Happy Mother's Day! 
​

"I see a plague coming on the world, and the bars, churches and government will shut down. The plague will hit New York City and shake it like it has never been shaken. The plague is going to force prayerless believers into radical prayer and into their Bibles, and repentance will be the cry from them and of God in the pulpit. And out of it will come a third Great Awakening that will sweep America and the world."
- David Wilkerson, 1986

The last few days I have seen this prophetic word posted on social media. Apparently, it is not a factual quote, but I can see why it spread so quickly! David Wilkerson did share some amazing messages, founded Teen Challenge, wrote the Cross and the Switchblade, and shared many prophetic words that still ring true in our lives. Just because this is not necessarily true, does not mean that God didn't know exactly what would take place in our lives and nation at this point in history.

Sometimes it seems unreal that anything could be predicted or forecasted before it happens. Not even our weather in Memphis can be predicted accurately a few days in advance! We serve a God who knows the future. In fact, He holds the future! Take a glance throughout scripture and you will see prophecy after prophecy fulfilled in the coming of Christ. Nothing takes God by surprise.

What we are going through today is not making God wring His hands in worry. This is one of my favorite attributes of David Wilkerson, his faith in God. He had an incredible trust in the God that he served.

A few years ago I read his biography that Gary Wilkerson, his son, wrote in 2014. If you ever have a chance to pick it up, I would highly suggest it. It takes you on the incredible journey of the Cross and the Switchblade and so much more. If anything stood out to me about David Wilkerson, it was his prayer life. The actions that he took, leaving his rural church in Pennsylvania to a courtroom in New York, would not have happened without prayer. The boldness that he had in confronting members of gangs, living out of his car for weeks at a time, and potentially laying down his life, does not happen without an intimate relationship with God.

The only way to trust God is to know Him. The only way to know Him is to spend time with Him. We don't have a trust issue as much as we have an intimacy issue. If anything sticks out to me about David Wilkerson's life, it is that prayer is of the utmost importance in our lives. There is a passage in his biography that says this, "Yet something profound was indeed happening in (David's) prayer life. He no longer prayed only in the afternoons; he now prayed late at night, when his family was asleep. He had stopped watching late-night movies out of conviction, to avail himself to God, and that's when the change began tohappen."

Prayer is what will change our lives. Prayer is the agent of change in our nation. Prayer is what delivers people. Prayer is what will cure the sick. Prayer is what causes God to bend down and listen. Prayer.

Even at that, it is still not for our benefit only. This whole thing is wrapped up in a Great Commission to go and tell others that they as well, can know God intimately. I cannot wait for the church to come back together in worship to God. More than anything, I miss worshipping with other believers. But this can't be only for ourselves. We cannot bury this hope, truth and life in the ground. The purpose in coming together is to then go out. David Wilkerson said this, "We're Christians who seek Pentecost only for ourselves. Can that really be Pentecost?"

I am praying and believing alongside so many believers for a Third Great Awakening in our nation and around the world. I want to see God move in a new and powerful way. I want Him to revive our hearts, bring prodigals home, and see sinner's come to repentance. The question remains, are we willing to do what it takes for this to happen? Are we willing to pray and seek His face? Are we willing to humble ourselves and love our neighbors?

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)

David Wilkerson said, "send me." I am saying, "send me." Will you?

It's that time of year again! My red truck is now orange because of the amount of pollen falling from the trees. According to a Newsweek article in 2019, Memphis is the 4th worst city in America for spring allergies. That is a comforting thought, isn't it? Especially for someone like me, who has dealt with allergies his whole life! Runny nose, itchy nose, sneezing and much more. Add this to what we are dealing with in the world today with Covid-19, and you are set up for a mess. If I sniff or cough at all, will everyone think that I am infected?!

To help offset this problem in my own life, I decided to cut down a few trees in my backyard. For perspective, the largest one I was going to cut down is around 6-8 inches in diameter. Before I was full-time at First Assembly Memphis, I worked for a company contracted by the electric company. We worked out of bucket trucks with climbing gear to cut trees away from power lines. Not a very safe line of work to say the least. When God calls you to ministry, you do ministry and whatever else you can to pay the bills! There is no such thing as a part-time pastor.

With the help of my very trusting wife, we cut down every small tree that we intended. The only thing left was a rather large vine hanging from one of the trees. Being the safe person that I am, I got out my ladder, thinking I could reach it from there! I could reach, so now to pull it down! I didn’t want it to fall and hurt anyone outside later. As I pulled, I heard a crack. At the same time, I heard my wife tell me to stop pulling! I didn't. Little did I know, the tree that this vine was attached to was dead. Really dead! I pulled half of the tree down with the vine.

Somehow, in God's sovereignty and grace, the tree missed me, missed the window to our house and barely hit our gutter. There is no damage to our roof! My kids were not around, and my wife was far away. We both stood there for a moment, shocked at what had just happened. Here we were, hoping to get a few trees down before they budded out and dropped pollen. Now, we have half of a dead tree in our yard! What a mess it made. You never know what a day or activity may bring about in your life.

1 Peter 5:8 is very familiar to most of us. Here is how the New International Reader's Version puts it:

"Control yourselves. Be on guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow."

I wonder how often spiritually we do this. We see something hanging out in front of us. Perhaps it is like the forbidden fruit on the tree in the garden. Or sometimes it can be like the carrot hanging in front of the donkey. We say things like:

"It's completely harmless."
"What bad could come of this."
"I can stop anytime I want."

Our yard was completely clean before I took down this large, dead branch from our tree. We had worked hard up to this point. Everything was done in an orderly fashion. We cleaned as we cut, and things were looking good. This is the way it can be with our lives before everything comes crashing down. Sometimes, it is not even of our own doing (mine obviously was!). Pastor Lindberg has referenced Ephesians 5:17 frequently during this time in our country. "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is." I really like the verses that precede it as well:

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. "

Be careful. All it takes is to say one hurtful thing, and you may have a mess in your yard that you did not want or need. All it takes is one act of disobedience and the consequence, again, may be a big mess in your yard. There is always forgiveness for these mistakes, but there are still consequences. There are some consequences that will not simply go away because you repent. Trust may have to be built again. Love may need to be restored in a relationship.

During this time, and at all times for that matter, I urge you to live at peace, if possible. Control your tongue as the book of James says. Watch what you say and do. Be gracious and kind. Be full of the fruits of the Spirit. They should be ripe and ready to be picked. Let's have clean yards in our lives!