The Sect

" 'But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.'...and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses, and from the Prophets from morning until evening. Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe." Acts 28:22-24

Paul's protection under the law was directly related to Rome's understanding of Religious Liberty, and The Jewish community's perception of The sect of Christianity as form of Judaism. Rome recognized the Jewish religion, and authorized the freedom for Jews to worship as their rules prescribed.

Judaism was not immune, nor opposed to the existence of different sects that operated under their politically approved banner. Paul had played on these differences when he pitted the Sadducees against the Pharisees. There were others like the Essenes who marched to the beat of a different drum, but they all worshiped the same God.

Roman authority didn't want to get in the middle of these religious civil wars. As long as their disagreements didn't violate the Pax Romana, they were left to sort it out among themselves.

The real danger for Paul would emerge when he clearly identified himself, and Christians as believers of The Lord Jesus Christ, as The Son of God. As long as Paul held Jesus up as just another rabbi, he was on safe soil. Paul clearly drew a line in the sand, and invited the leading Jews of Rome to step from darkness into The Light.

Paul preached to persuade, not to patronize. He didn't attempt to hide in the tall grass, by covering Jesus with culturally accepted camoflage and politically correct platitudes. Paul put Jesus right where He belonged. He moved Him out of a cradle, to a cross, from the tomb, preaching the Risen Christ as the Son of God, now seated at the right hand of The Father.

To most of the leading Jews, this was crazy talk, and went far beyond the limits of their grace to allow a sect to operate under their political protection from Rome. When Paul raised the flag of the Kingdom of God, he split the sheets with the Jews, and took on the appearance of a rebel to the Romans. It would cost him his life.

Note to self: Thank God Paul did. Read the Book of Romans. It outlines Paul's understanding of the power of God's grace to set people free from The Law, by having a Savior Who met every requirement of it. You can't. Jesus did. God's grace trumps The Law...EVERY TIME.

The coward's way out would have led Paul to apologize for the misunderstanding, and preach a false gospel laced with just enough Jewish religion and self-help psychology to appear positive and harmless. He didn't. Paul was no coward. He was a preacher of the Gospel of God's grace and the Kingdom of The Lord Jesus Christ.

Contemporary Christianity is drunk on a poisonous "Kinder than God Kool-Aid." Some of the more popular spokesperson's for this sewage may make a name for themselves, and make people feel good about themselves, but they rob them of the difference that only Jesus can make in their lives.

Jesus didn't die on the cross for people to have a good day, but to be made right with God, by receiving His grace through His Son. Rome had no problem with members of a Jewish sect honoring, and remembering the teachings of a crucified carpenter.

The problem would arise when Paul called for Jesus to be worshiped as The Son of God. As such, The Temple was to be replaced by the Risen Christ taking up residence, by The Spirit of God, in the hearts of those who believed in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Jesus appeared to be leading a sect, but He was actually offering people The Way.

Jesus is still the bone in the throat and the rock in the shoe for those who are in need of God's grace, but won't admit they need a Savior. Though it is shrinking, and the window of tolerance is closing, there is still room in this self-help obsessed world for Jesus as a way, just not The Way.

The Savior is not the leader of The Sect. Jesus is "The Way, The Truth and The Life." Jesus is not an available option to God's grace, but He is the essential provider of it.

The old gospel song asks the questions, and provides the only answer. "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Paul would have been willing to sing it loud, and sing it proud.

Paul invited The Jews to hear him, and prayed for the courage to persuade them to receive Jesus as their Savior. Some did, and some didn't. Not much has changed in the last 2,000 years. Christianity is not The Sect, and preachers still need the courage to proclaim Jesus as The Savior. Preachers of The Gospel will find the power to persuade others to believe in Jesus when they...TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Soldier

"Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him...and he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered." Acts 28:16-31

A prayerful person gains a powerful perspective, in the crises of life. Prayer has a way of transforming an irritation into an illustration, and turning a doormat into a welcome mat. Prayer leaves a prayerful person unhindered from physical chains, and persistent crises that often bind and blind a prayerless person from seeing what God is up to in the middle of their crisis.

Praying his way through each crisis, Paul chose to be a welcome mat, not a door mat. His prayerful response to the crises of life empowered him to seize each one of them as an opportunity to welcome people into his life who were open to meeting the Lord Jesus Christ.

Note to self: Be like Paul when you grow up. You will never be filled by, or live under the influence of The Spirit, by obsessing over your Whine List. Stop it!

Paul was chained to a Roman guard, and his freedom of movement was severely restricted for "two full years." Paul didn't whine through the unnerving experience. He mined it, and The Spirit refined it. The result is found in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and his perspective on the Armor of God.

It is no great leap of faith to surmise that Paul's time chained to a Roman soldier improved his perspective on weapons and warriors. Being up close and personal, allowed Paul to examine the state of the art weaponry and have it explained by one of the greatest warriors of his day. It must have taken his understanding of the relationship between warrior and weapons to a whole new level.

Prayer provided the perspective Paul needed to receive, rather than resent the Roman soldier who was guarding him. The result was a relationship that gave Paul a great source of insight into the weapons of physical warfare. Paul, guided by The Spirit of God, turned his experience into essential insight into spiritual warfare.

A prayerful perspective turns a potential doormat into a powerful welcome mat, EVERY TIME. When Paul gathered the leading Jews of the city of Rome, he used his chains as means of communicating Jesus as "the hope of Israel."

"...for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel." v. 20

Perspective is an essential ingredient in hope. H.O.P.E. is Having Our Perspective Elevated. Prayer raises the perspective of a person, inclined to be a doormat. Prayer raises a prayerful person above the crisis of the moment, to see what God is up to in the middle of it.

Through prayer, doormats become welcome mats to those who are looking for a way to meet Jesus. When the next crisis comes, pray your way through it, and welcome people to the Kingdom. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Presence

"When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage." Acts 28: 15

It took a shipwreck to do it, but 100 days later Paul finally arrived in Rome. When the believers in Rome heard Paul was in town, they came to meet him. It had a powerful impact on his life.

The Bible doesn't record what the "brethren" said to Paul, when they met him in Rome. It just records that they came a good ways, and they were there. There is simply no substitute for the ministry of presence.

Over the past 40 years, I have conducted hundreds of funerals and weddings. Weddings are always preceded by counseling and rehearsals. The concept hasn't caught on for funerals. But I digress.

The Bride and The Groom usually arrive at the marriage counsel sessions with an increasing level of angst, at the growing details of THE WEDDING. At some point, I urge them to take a break from THE WEDDING, and focus on their marriage.

I have always tried to ratchet down the tension,and remind the couple that THE WEDDING and their marriage, though important, are not the same thing. I usually say to The Bride, "Don't get lost in the minutiae. People will remember two things about your wedding. They will recall they were there, and you were beautiful." To the groom, "Don't get annoyed by wedding plans. Just show up. You are going home with her after this is over." Everything else fades, from memory and significance.

Funerals always leave people with the question, "What do I say?" My counsel has often been, "You have said what needs to be said, by showing up." Less is more.

Being there is the key to encouragement in the lives of those in need of courage. Loneliness and isolation breed discouragement. Paul was not immune from the need to find fresh courage for the challenges in his life. Acts 28 is eloquent testimony to that need.

When Paul's long-delayed arrival to Rome took place, he was met by people who loved him, and identified with his condition. They weren't welcoming a conquering hero, but a prisoner of Roman justice. These nameless believers infused new courage into Paul, by showing up. The ministry of presence cannot be over-rated, and should never be under-valued.

Any preacher or pastor who has suffered with weekly bouts of encore anxiety, would do well to take a page out of Paul's prayer book. When Paul saw who showed up, he thanked God for them. Too often preachers look at empty chairs, and not the ones that are filled. When they do so, they fail to thank God for the people who showed up. This rarely leads to a message that encourages people to come back again.

This simple verse of Scripture may hold the key to the health of the local church. The people showed up, and the preacher thanked God. An encouraged preacher breathed the fresh air of Heaven. He took courage when he was met by people who heard Heaven call them to show up, when the preacher needed them the most.

Acts 28 gives a beautiful picture of the delicate balance that comes into the life of a church when preacher and people are exactly where God intends for them to be. Paul showed up in Rome. The people met him there. Prayers of gratitude were lifted up to God. Courage from Heaven filled Paul's heart. The result of Paul's infusion of courage has been his capacity to write letters that encouraged and edified the church then, and now.

Sunday is coming. Pray for your preacher. He needs your prayers, and you need the practice. Show up at church. Your preacher needs the courage to deliver what God has for him to say. You need to hear what he has to say. Don't just show up. Be prayed up. The ministry of presence and the ministry of prayer lead to powerful preaching and a powerful church. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Connection

"And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid hands on him and healed him. After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured. They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed." Acts 28: 8-10

Three of the lasting memories I have of two years in East Africa are my bouts with malaria. The first time I came down with malaria, I was discovered by another missionary, Eucled Moore.

When I had not been heard from for a couple of days, Eucled came by to check on me. When I heard him at the door, I couldn't get up and answer his call. Somehow he broke in, and found me in a pretty pitiful state.

As a seasoned missionary, Eucled knew immediately what I had. His first words were, "Malaria, you feel like you're going to have to die to get better." I had been down for three days with raging fever, and body-shaking, bone-aching waves of chills. The accompanying dysentery was epic. I was dehydrated, hallucinating, and disoriented. All in all, another day in paradise. Thanks for stopping by, Eucled. You saved my life. Seriously, thanks.

When Paul walked into the home of Publius, he probably found his father suffering from malaria. The symptoms sound very similar. In the first century, the world was a long way from finding a cure for this horrible disease, and yet, as "it happened", God had a plan. It began with prayer. His plans always do.

"Paul went in to see him, and after he had prayed, he laid hands on him and healed him." v. 8

Before John Maxwell was a well-known leadership spokesperson, he pastored a church in California. In 1985, I attended a small conference in Arizona, where he spoke a few times to a group of about 30 pastors. He introduced to us his concept of leadership, as coins in our pockets. To summarize, a pastor has a certain amount of coins when he assumes the position at a church, and must spend them wisely. More coins are added, as confidence grows in a pastor's leadership ability. For instance, if a pastor goes to see a person in the hospital, they get a coin. If they pray for the person, they receive another coin. If the person they pray for gets well, they get A LOT of coins. You get the picture. There is a great deal of truth to this. But I digress.

Paul had already proven his leadership ability to the Roman Centurion, by guiding the shipwrecked passengers to the right beach. He had also survived a deadly bite from a viper. This caught the attention of the islanders. When he prayed for the father of Publius, and then he was healed, the people responded with respect and resources. Paul had some coins in his pocket, and was was about to invest them.

Paul went to see a very sick man, but before he laid his hands on him, he prayed. Praying people have a connection with the healing hand of The Spirit of the Risen Christ.

Healing and praying may not walk hand in hand, but they are close enough to be considered as inseparable. In God's plan, praying precedes healing, and healing follows praying. Praying is about connecting with The Source of healing, The Spirit of The Risen Christ.

Note to self: Never detour from consistent companionship with The Spirit of The Risen Christ. This is an arrogance that leads to believing the hand that touches is The Hand who heals. All healing is divine. Don't be confused. By praying, you are an instrument in the hand of God, not the healing hand of God. There is a big difference.

Praying pastors set the bar for praying churches. Believing prayer doesn't always result in a person being physically healed, but it is essential to the spiritual health of every believer. Praying without believing, is like breathing, without inhaling. It is simply not life-giving or death-defying.

Paul began by praying, and believing God is able to heal. He put himself in God's hands to be an instrument of healing, but his believing was not based on his ability to heal. It rested on God's ability. Prayer is the means by which a praying person offers their availability to God, not their ability.

The result of one man being healed, from a crippling disease, released great respect and generous resources from the people of Malta. There is simply nothing like answered prayer, to transform people existing on the beach of the Dead Sea, into rivers of living water.

Praying invites an invasion of Heaven into an impossible crisis, or an intimidating set of circumstances. How? Believing prayer focuses on connecting Heaven and earth.

Believing prayer makes a difference. It won't always make a name for the person doing the praying, but it will always move Heaven to earth. Don't take my word for it. Others have said this before.

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." - Jesus (Matthew 6:10)

"Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask. - Billy Graham

Believing prayer is the means by which God intends to turn the impossible into the HIMpossible. It is based upon an abandonment of arrogance or belief in one's own ability. It is strengthened by an expansion of dependence on the availability of God. Invite Heaven to invade the impossible. Come what may...TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Adventure

"When they had been brought safely through,...The natives showed us extraordinary kindness." Acts 28:1-2

The greatest level of fear is reached somewhere between the mad dash that takes a person through the crisis, and to
the safe landing. This kind of a roller-coaster experience is not so much a test of faith, as it is a revelation of character. Words flow easily and readily from a heart filled with either fear or faith. Believing prayer will express them both, at one time or another.

Praying people learn to embrace the crisis, and listen to the voice of God in the midst of it. Prayerless people try to shout down the crisis, and control it by the sheer force of their own will power. Praying through a crisis is uplifting. Talking it to death only breathes new life into it. It is exhausting.

When my wife Dana was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2008, she immediately called it her "Great Adventure." I had a different perspective on the devastating news. While Dana embraced it, and saw God in it, I resented it, and missed His comforting Presence. It's a man thing.

The longer the crisis lasted, the harder it was to get through it with a sense of God's hand upon us. His hand started feeling like His thumb driving us into the ground in defeat, not His gentle touch, walking us down the path to a victory.

Prayer does not always lead to a quick fix or an immediate end to a crisis. Still, it God's way, for Christ followers to sense His Spirit's Presence in the middle of it. Full of fear? Pray. Empty of faith? Pray. Either way. Pray. Delaying praying leads to straying. Don't miss the adventure.

My friend, Paul Burleson, reminded me today of a great G.K. Chesterton quote on having the right perspective in the middle of an adventure. Thanks, Paul.

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G.K. Chesterton

When the Apostle Paul and his shipmates crash-landed on the shores of Malta, they were met with a welcome mat from "the natives" of the island. Luke describe their reception as being marked by "extraordinary kindness." v. 2

Some crises last longer than others. They don't make sense, and are not easily embraced. Though Paul and his companions were well-received, don't be deceived. Being kicked to the curb does not always end in being picked up by a Cadillac. Those who offer prayer formulas that always provide positive results don't sell many books in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Syria, or anywhere else martyrs are dying for their faith today.

Note to self: Prayer flows from a heart filled with fear or faith. Don't fake it til you make it. Pour out the fear in your heart to God, until He fills Your heart with the faith to see Him in the middle of your crisis. Give Him time, and take your eyes of your watch. This may take a while. If someone has the nerve to tell you to "get over it" resist the urge to pray that God will take the crisis from you and give it to them.

During the past five years, Dana has been through toxic chemo sessions, experienced the loss of all her hair, the removal of both breasts, and a host of other side effects that come with the battle against this evil disease. Cancer is no respecter of persons, and it hits hard, great and small, rich and poor.

Through it all my wife chose to be a victor, and never a victim. I have had a front row seat to this fight. Believe me when I say, it has given me a whole new appreciation for the phrase, "Fight Like a Girl." What I once used as a playground put down to a school yard bully carries a new meaning for me today. Fight like a girl, indeed.

I have seen courage up close and personal. I have heard Dana praise God, during the darkest night of her soul, and through the hardest fight for her life. The five years on our way between through it and to it, God has landed us both on some unexpected beaches. Often "the natives" have shown us "extraordinary kindness." Sometimes they have been village idiots.

The point: It simply doesn't matter how restless the natives are, as long as God is in control, we are at peace. The "Great Adventure" continues. Thank you for praying with us every step along the way. See you at the beach party. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Landing

"And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land." Acts 27: 44b

Luke's account of Paul's storm-battered voyage, and shipwrecked landing is filled with all the drama and the trauma that language can convey. Reading it is like hearing an eye-witness news TV commentator. Luke had a front row seat to all the action, and his words convey the passion of one who had survived it, not just someone who had heard about it.

"Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn." - C. S. Lewis

The same word is used to describe the centurion's attempt to protect Paul, as the word used for the safe landing of 276 passengers on the beach. In each case "safely" refers to the experience of being preserved, or the intention to preserve through danger, or to save, to rescue, to cure.

"Safely through" and "safely to" carry a subtle yet profound difference in meaning from the words escape, exit or egress. The clarification is in the preposition. Paul was not taken out of the danger, but he was guided through it.

Note to self: Too many of your prayers are lifted up with the expectation of an escape artist. They are void of the passion of a warrior. Stop looking for a three day pass to avoid the conflict. At least stop digging a more comfortable foxhole. Seek strength for the battle, and victory in it. Don't just face the crisis. With God's grace, go through it.

Luke appeared to be along for the ride. The good doctor was a companion to Paul, not a prisoner guilty of a crime. Any danger he faced was brought about by the guilt of association. He was with Paul, so he had to go through the same storms. It just doesn't seem fair. Life isn't.

Anyone who has ever walked with a spouse, a family member, a friend, or a church through one of the storms of life, knows the terror that accompanies every trial, every tear and every triumph. Those who share the danger are not immune from the pain that often accompanies the crisis.

I recall my father, speaking these words over Dana and myself, at our wedding 37 years ago... "every trial, every tear and every triumph." The reference was to the power of the grace of God to see a couple through the storms of life. Thanks Dad. I was listening. You were right. Where God guides, He provides His grace for the journey.

Praying through a crisis may not end it, but it leads a person safely through it. When Paul and Luke gathered with the survivors of the shipwreck, they stuck the landing. They used their survival as a catalyst for revival on Malta.

Too often the crises of life are seen as inconvenient obstacles to get over. At times they appear as disconnected dangers to get through. In truth they are opportunities to be seized.

Prayer takes hold of a crisis and places it in the hands of God, and gives His Spirit the elbow room to make sense out of it. Prayer encourages those who are in a crisis not to lose heart in the middle of it, but to walk with Jesus through it.

Taking magnifies the crisis, and terrifies those closest to it. Praying magnifies God, and minimizes the crisis. Prayer edifies the followers of Christ, when they hear the name of Jesus being called upon in the middle of a crisis. The same name terrifies the enemies of Christ.

Prayer will see you through, whatever God's Spirit brings to you. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Preservation

" 'Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.' Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat. All of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food. All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy six persons." Acts 27:35-37

Luke's account of the voyage, the storm and eventual shipwreck gives a detailed recording of the events as the prolonged crisis appeared to be spinning out of control.

In the midst of the chaos and fear, Paul is the calmest man on the ship. Persistent prayer, through a prolonged crisis, has the power to turn a victim into a victor.

"Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation." v. 34

SIDE NOTE WARNING: The end of the "Holiday Season" is fast merging into "Flu Season." If Facebook posts are to be trusted, flu bugs are swarming, and Nyquil, Baptist Bourbon, is flowing. After observing all the postings of sugar laced food, adult beverages, and the mountains of calories being ravenously consumed, over the past month, it shouldn't surprise anyone that immune systems have been overloaded and exposed to disease. This only happens every year. I wonder if food was ever returned to a source of preservation, and not a form of gratification, if the result would be health restoration. But I digress. I warned you.

Paul seized the crisis as an opportunity for importunity. He reminded all of the 276 people on the ship that God was the source of their provision and preservation.

"Having said this, he took the bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat." v. 35

Gratitude towards God in the face of the ineptitude of man has a way of encouraging one and all that there is hope. Prayer reminds people that the best is yet to come, by taking their eyes off of the crisis and back towards the face of God. Prayer removes the crisis from man's hands and places the crisis in God's hands, even when the worst is staring them in the face.

"All of them were encouraged and they themselves took food." v. 36

Prayer may be the greatest untapped source for encouragement the world has ever known. Prayer infuses courage into the hearts of people that need the courage to fight for their lives, and to see God in the middle of any crisis.

Faced with Stage 2 B Breast Cancer, Dana and I met for the first time with her oncologist. He said something remarkably encouraging to us. With his rich, Columbia, South American accent, this wonderful scientist and gifted doctor said, "We are going to fight this with prayer." When he said this, he held up his thumb. We looked at each other, and nodded. We had found the right man to lead us through this fight.

The good doctor went on to add, "Then we will add, Positive People, Healthy Nutrition, Consistent Exercise, and Proven Science." For the past five years, we have both often remarked on the perfect timing of God to bring this one man into the middle of our crisis to give us hope in the darkest hours of it.

Prayer was not new to us, but God knew we needed someone else to remind us to take it to a new level. Think about it. It is impossible to make a fist without a thumb.

Remove the thumb and a fist becomes a slap. There may be impact, but the power of the punch is lost. The result is just not the same. A slap has the ability to annoy, but not the power to destroy. Don't slap at a crisis. Pray through it.

Note to self: Anytime, and anywhere you appear to be entering the fight of your life, don't forget the thumb. Satan loves to lie to you, and tell you, "It's over!" Prayer punches him in the throat. Make a fist. Hit back.

"All of them were encouraged." v. 36

This word used for "encouraged" does not describe a logo-wear blanket thrown across the legs of a chilled spectator in the stands. This is the passion, the fire in the belly of the gladiator who is about to enter the arena. The roar of the crowd is in his ears, and the boiling rage towards his opponent is pent up in his heart. With sword and shield in hand, he is armored up and ready to be released for the contest. Prayer releases the call of the wild, not the call of the mild.

Good cheer, indeed. This kind of courage is not a pep rally thrill. It is the surge that infuses the warrior with the urge to kill. Prayer encourages most when it focuses on the life and death struggle, and reminds the prayer warrior that he is not alone. The struggle is not against inconvenient circumstances or flesh and blood. The battle is against an ancient foe. Don't take my word for it.

"A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle." Martin Luther

Prayerless preachers who stand in the pulpit appear to be what they are not, warriors. They are guilty of stolen valor. They wear a uniform, but never show up for the fight. Prayer gets a grip on The Sword of the Lord, and runs to the battle line to stand next to The Champion. Prayer reminds the warrior that the battle is won, not his to lose. Take courage. Knees down! Thumbs up! TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Advice

"Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will e no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.' Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on a certain island." Acts 27:21b-26

Paul was not above giving into the temptation to use a few of the most satisfying words in any language, "I told you so." Yet, he did not linger over them. There was still the pressing matter of being in the same boat with a ship of fools.

At this point, Dr. Phil's classic two-part question comes to mind. It is always a healthy reminder to any man interested in winning an argument. "Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?" Good questions.

Cong. Bob McEwen often says, "The Founders got it right, and in the right order. 'Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' Liberty and happiness are of precious little value without life."

Paul may have given the right advice, but he was in the same boat with those who ignored it. He was tossed by the same waves, and being driven off course by the same wind. His life was still in jeopardy, no matter how right he had been.

Note to self: Being proved right among people who are in the wrong only gives short-term satisfaction. The impact of their decisions may have proven you right, but it is a bitter pill to swallow when the consequences of their choices are still impacting your life. It is like patting yourself on the back while someone else is still hitting you in the face.

Paul may have enjoyed a brief moment of reinforcement, but he quickly shifted his emphasis towards encouragement. This is always a great way to tap down the arrogance that comes with being right. It avoids generating resentment that is often caused by being proved wrong.

Christians who are proven right do little to create hunger and thirst for righteousness in people, by serving crow and force-feeding it to those who are already gagging on their own errors in judgment. Stop serving this slop.

Paul's advice may have been right, but his efforts at damage control in the middle of the crisis is where the application of God's direction, protection and correction would be felt the most. Paul was the man of the hour, and the Roman Centurion could tell time. He knew a leader in a crisis when he saw one, and he wisely followed Paul's counsel.

Paul received a visit from an angel of the Lord in the middle of the shipwreck. This encounter reminded him of two things. He belonged to God, and he was a servant of God. Paul drew courage from both, and passed it on to those around him. Good to know.

Paul's fear was put to flight by his faith. "I believe GOD," trumps" I fear THIS!"... EVERY TIME.

It is tempting to say,

"I don't believe this!"
"I don't deserve this!"
"I don't like this!"
"I don't accept this!"
"I won't put up with this!" and so on.

What is T.H.I.S.? It is The Hurt I Suffer.

Paul didn't deserve what was happening to him. He was in the middle of it, anyway. Life is a gift from God, but He has a way of wrapping it up in some very scary paper, with a ribbon all tied up in knots.

Happiness is rarely the initial response generated by a surprise package marked "Special Delivery" and "COD." Often a gift from Heaven can make a person's life feel like a living hell. Looks can be deceiving, and feelings come and go. What's a person to do?

Believe God. Paul did. You can too. Praying is believing. Fearing is doubting. Don't delay. Pray. It's never too late, and rarely too early.

Prayer has a way of taking fear and transforming it into faith. One of God's great gift to His children is the offer of intimate conversation with Him in the middle of an intense, intimidating, and immediate crisis. Prayer feeds courage. Prayerlessness feeds discouragement. Order off the right menu.

Note to self #2: Prayer does not require eloquence from you, just dependence on God. Don't wait til you feel like praying to put your fear in God's hands. Holding onto fear will never turn it into faith. Let go of T.H.I.S.

Suffering is inevitable, but fear is disposable. When rough water tries to sink your boat, throw fear overboard.

One of Paul's greatest assets was his capacity to remind himself that he was expendable. Too many preachers think they are indispensable, when in truth they are like a hand in a pail of water. While their hand is in the bucket they stir things up, but when their hand is removed the water settles down. It doesn't matter if a preacher pulls his hand out of the pail or if he kicks the bucket, the next word out of the congregation's mouth will simply be, "Next!"

Note to self #3: Get over yourself. Die to self. Paul did. You can too. Daily.

Encouragement can be infused into ay crisis du jour, by praying through it, not by talking about it. Prayer reminds the prayer warrior that he belongs to God, and serves Him without any claim to survival. Revival is a term that refers to new life being given to something or some one that has died. Praying for survival without longing for revival feeds the delusion that we are indispensable, when in fact we are expendable.

There is great encouragement and freedom that comes with the release of fear. By praying to and believing in God, fear is jettisoned, and frees the prayer warrior from the crucible of the disposable. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Importunity

"From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyrprus because the winds were contrary." Acts 27:4

This simple statement reveals the climate in which the character of Paul and the content of his message would be best revealed to his captors, companions and crew. From the moment Paul left Caesarea, and sailed towards Rome, his voyage would be met with hardship, delay, destruction, and ultimately, safe delivery.

"When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia, and Pamphylia,...When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the protection of Crete, off Salomne, and with difficulty sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens..." v. 7-8

These head winds were just beginning to take their toll on the progress of the voyage that would take Paul to Rome. It was not only marked by relentless delays, but real danger.

"When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous,...Paul begin to admonish them...'I perceive that the voyage will be met with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.'" v. 9-10

Words mean things. If not properly understood, they may sound very similar, but carry two completely different meanings.

Note to self: Importunity and opportunity are not the same thing. Learn the difference.

The Greeks understood opportunity as a fleeting moment that must be seized, or it will pass by, never to return. Importunity on the other hand was the capacity to face enduring, relentless, winds of adversity, and by sailing against them, arrive at the correct port with cargo and crew intact.

The Roman Centurion listened to the professionals, and looked at the calendar. He went with his gut feeling, took a vote, and with the first first opportunity to set sail, seized the day. Like many people, the soldier was accustomed to calling the shots. People who are seldom right, keep making the same wrong choices because they are never in doubt about their infallibility.

"But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul...the majority reached a decision to put out to sea...when a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing..." v. 12-13

Investors are encouraged to seize opportunity, the moment it presents itself. Platitudes persist. They warn that opportunity will pass you by. He who hesitates is lost. This may be true about opportunity, but importunity is a result of enduring long-winded resistance, not encountering fleet-footed opportunities.

Intercessors are challenged to embrace importunity, no matter how long relentless head winds last. The pay off for one is an increase in capital. The result of the other is the development of character. Importunity trumps opportunity every time. Persistent prayer develops reliance on God. Prayerlessness prioritizes self-reliance. Prayer cultivates the former and crucifies the latter.

Jesus described importunity as the persistent prayer, or the shameless audacity to continue making a relentless request to a friend. He honored importunity. So should we.

"I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth." Luke 11:8 KJV

Paul's voyage to Rome would provide him with many opportunities to sail into the wind, nautically and spiritually. He would be forced by necessity to pray for God's direction, protection, and correction.

Before Paul arrived safely at his port of destination, he would find himself in many crisis-driven situations caused by the prayerless decisions made by others. It simply didn't matter who was making the waves. The consequences of prayerless decisions impacted Paul when they hit his beach.
Ain't it the truth.

Reading about Paul's shipwreck is not for the faint of heart. The dangers were real. The losses were real. Sometimes, I read the last chapter of a book to find out how the story ends. In Paul's case, the cargo was lost, the ship was destroyed, but no lives were lost, and the mission continued.

"And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land." v. 44

Eventually Paul would be beheaded, but on this day, he appeared to be the only one who was keeping his head. Prayer has a way of placing the crisis where it belongs, in the hands of Almighty God, and leaving the results up to Him. People of prayer are always candidates for a Ph.D* available only to those who are enrolled in the University of Adversity. *Pray Hard! Daily! TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Anniversary

"Come magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together." Psalms 34:3

Dana and I were married on January 1, 1977. It was an eventful day on so many levels. For the weak at heart, you may want to stop reading now.

We had a rehearsal at the church on New Year's Eve and it was followed by a dinner for our wedding party at the home of friends in Fort Worth. We were looking forward to the big day, a night at the bridal suite at the brand new hotel at the DFW airport, and then a road trip to beautiful Ruidoso, New Mexico for our honeymoon.

It had been a hectic week before the wedding. The lady that was going to bake the wedding cake was involved in a car accident, and broke her arm. The florist didn't have the floral arrangements ready, and this required a last minute trip to wholesale vendor and taking on the task of decorating the church ourselves. Still, we were good to go.

The rehearsal went smoothly enough, and the dinner at the Taylor's was a gracious evening filled with good food, family and friends. When Dana and I said goodnight, we thought the worst was behind us. We were wrong.

When I arrived to decorate the church the next morning around 9AM, I was met by our Executive Pastor, and the words, "The church flooded!" I laughed, and said, "Very funny, Charlie, I don't need any more challenges." He wasn't kidding.

The beautiful, blue Texas sky, and the brisk winter air didn't tell the whole tale. After we left the rehearsal, Dana had left her wedding dress in the Bride's Dressing Room of the church, for safe keeping. That night the temperature had dropped and the copper pipe in that very room burst. It flooded the room, and the water flowed from there, soaking the brand new carpet in the worship center, and collecting in a six inch pool at the foot of the stage. Charlie was right. The church flooded."

My future mother-in-law discovered Dana's dress floating in the water, in the Bride's Room. The scream that came from that room was something that made my knees buckle. I turned around and didn't look back. My father-in-law was an insurance claims adjustor. He called Blackmon-Mooring, and Charlie called the fire department. I got on the phone and called the men of the church and said something like, "All hands on deck!" They came. What took place from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM still rates, in my estimation, as one of the finest hours of the church. I'm not kidding.

For the uninformed, January 1st used to be BOWL DAY. I mean one day, with no VCR, DISH or recording system available, the biggest college football venue was experienced. If you weren't in front of the TV, you missed it.

Firemen, adjustors, and 50+ men worked all day to squeeze water out of the wall-to-wall burnt orange carpet, and pump it out of the church. Stay with me, remember this was the Seventies. Fortunately it wasn't shag, just something called Autumn Rust. It stayed until 1992, with just a faint aroma of mildew. But I digress.

Using huge, long-handled squeegees and pushing them down the aisles of the church hundreds of times, forced most of the water towards the altar area. From there it could be suctioned pumped out into the street. It was a long day, but about a half-hour before the wedding, the fire chief said it was damp, not dry, but close enough. He took the squeegee out of my hand and said, "Son, you've got a wedding to go to. Go get ready. We'll finish up." I went to pack, grab my tux, and get back to the church in time for the next challenge.

All day long, the blue sky had been turning gray. In Texas this is called a "Blue Norther." From somewhere north of Canada, an ice storm came barreling into the DFW area, just as people were making their way to the wedding.

Some guests had accidents along the way, and others ended up in ditches. The young people of the church who had promised to really deco my car were thwarted by the sheets of ice pounding down on them and covering my car with almost an inch of protective ice. I admit to standing at the window, watching them suffer, and laughing at them. Nothing personal. Still warms my heart.

Well, Dana had not been told about any of this. Her first sign of a problem came when she felt the squishy feel of the carpet under her feet as she walked down the aisle. I remember two things at that point. She was beautiful and I was there. It had taken me two years of selling from both sides of the desk to get her to see this as God's plan for her life. I was relieved she showed up. Between my Dad, Dr. Swank, Rev. Charlie Gilmer, Ron Harris, and Dr. Curtis Vaughan the knot must have been tied pretty well. It has lasted 37 years.

Not to belabor the point, but that night during the wedding reception there was a fire in fellowship hall. The firemen returned for cake and punch. I asked the Fire Chief to stick around and be my best man. As we headed out the door to the brand new Marina Hotel at the DFW airport, we were not aware the airport had been shut down.

When we arrived in the lobby of the ONLY hotel anywhere near the runways, it looked like a scene out of the Fall of Saigon. Angry people were packed in the lobby, and holding up $100 bills shouting at the desk clerks, offering to rent a couch for the night.

Dana and I looked at each other and waded into the fray. When we got to the desk, we were told our room had been given away. I explained that a pre-paid room can't be given away, but it can be upgraded. It took some clarification to change the clerks mind and our accommodations, but there was room for us at the inn. We were so exhausted, we decided to eat breakfast. Neither one of us had eaten all day.

The next day we slid and skated over icy roads all the way to New Mexico, only to be hit with a snowstorm when we arrived in Ruidoso. We left town ahead of another storm, and arrived in Forth Worth, unannounced and hid out, and set up our one bedroom apartment.

Looking back at that series of events, leaves me exhausted. I remember wondering if God's hand was on us. It felt more like we were under His thumb. Still, 37 years later, I sometimes wonder the same thing. Can I get a witness?

In June 1980 Dana and I surrendered ourselves to apply Psalms 34:3 with a new level of intensity. Since then we have prayed our way through crises marked by economic downturns, real estate booms and busts, cancer, chemo, chaotic churches, and child rearing.

Talking always seemed to prolong the crisis du jour, but praying together has proved to be the best way to provide God's perspective in the middle of it. Praying doesn't always end a crisis. It just gives courage for it, and develops character in it.

Recently, I watched "It's a Wonderful Life" with my family. The George Bailey character is sitting at a bar, covering his mouth to disguise his despairing prayer, "I'm at the end of my rope." Crises always have a way of driving prayerless people to pray. Unfortunately, for most people, once their crisis ends, so does their praying.

My favorite line in the movie is the statement made by George Bailey, after he gets punched in the mouth, shortly after he tells God he is at the end of his rope. He says, "That's what I get for praying." Been there. Often. You too?

Note to self: When you come to the end of your rope, STOP MAKING ROPE. Start praying.

Making rope can tie a person, a marriage or a nation up in knots. Man-made solutions are a poor substitute for Christ-centered living. Praying together magnifies God, and exalts Him in the middle of the crisis. Prayer makes much of God. Talk makes much of the crisis. Which one do you want more than the other?

Talking is a form of self-medication, and it leads to an addiction to the sound of one's own voice. Praying improves one's vision and hearing all at the same time. Prayer provides night vision to see what God is up to in the darkest moments of our lives. Prayer also tunes our ears to hear God's voice to receive His direction, protection and correction. No matter what the crisis may be, and no matter when it hits...TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!...TWO-GETHER.