The Lord Is In This Place

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." Genesis 28:16



The 28th chapter of Genesis describes a time in the life of Jacob when he found himself caught in the wilderness when the sun went down. The Bible says that "since the sun had set," he camped there for the night, using a stone for a pillow. Even for a man living in ancient times, this had to be an uncomfortable way to spend a night. He obviously hadn't come prepared for sleeping outside.

During the night he saw a vision of heaven opening up and angels going up and down a ladder that connected earth to heaven. The next morning "when he awoke from his sleep, he thought 'Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it.'"

We've all found ourselves in the same place at times in life. We're traveling along life's journey when the sun goes down and we find ourselves caught in the dark. It's not a place we want to be, but it's where we are and the only thing we can do is to make the best of a bad situation. We would prefer the comforts of home, but have to accept the fact that a rock is the only pillow we'll have for now.

What are we to do in those moments when we feel alone, in the dark, in the wilderness? The answer is to open our eyes and see the reality beyond our superficial circumstances. It was when Jacob woke up that he said, "Surely the Lord is in this place and I wasn't aware of it." Make no mistake about it, the Lord is with you wherever you are right now. In the darkness of your night, in the desolation of your wilderness, in the discomfort of your position, He is with you.

When Jacob saw that reality, suddenly his perspective on the situation changed. No longer was the stone pillow something to despise. Now, because he saw God in the situation, that hard place became a holy place. Verses 18-19 says, "He took the stone he had used for his pillow and stood it up as a memorial pillar and poured oil over it. He christened the place Bethel (God's House)."

The hardest places of our lives are holy places because we aren't alone. Maybe the greatest need in your life at this very moment isn't that your situation would change, but instead that you wake up. Open your eyes and see that "the Lord is in this place." You may not have been aware of it until now, but you can open your eyes and see. He is with you, working out the details of your life even when it makes no sense. The circumstances may seem hard, but you can know that the Holy Spirit covers your situation as surely as the oil covered the rock on which Jacob slept. You aren't alone. Trust Him. He is with you and will guide you along your journey at every step, even when you find yourself in the dark, sleeping in hard places.

You've Heard It Said . . .

Jesus was a radical man with a radical mission. In expressing the life and love of His Father, He didn't hesitate to turn the apple carts of theology and tradition upside down. This habit outraged the religious leaders of His day. In fact, it was ultimately those very people who "signed his death warrant."

Many a sermon has been preached about The Sermon On The Mount in Matthew chapter five. Most often we are told how those verses show us the way to live as citizens of the kingdom of God. The sermons often sound so lofty, so sweet, so sentimental that you can almost hear angelic harps playing in the background. But an honest look at that chapter casts the sermon in anything other than a light that would produce "warm-fuzzies" in those who would have heard it.

Jesus said some hard stuff that day; things that wouldn't have set well at all with those who thought they were all ready to be a part of the Kingdom they wanted Him to establish on the earth. There is one phrase that had to have shaken them to the core. Five times in the chapter, He said, "You have heard it said . . . but I say to you."

Having stated the traditional teaching, Jesus then went on to rip it apart by showing how religious platitudes aren't enough. He made it clear that the Kingdom He came to establish wouldn't walk along nicely and quietly beside the religious lifestyle they had carved out for themselves. In fact, to walk in step with Him would require a radical kind of response that religious people wouldn't understand at all. Their radical response would begin with an acknowledgment that what they had heard wasn't the whole truth... and a half-truth is a lie.

What things have you heard said that are out of step with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

You've heard it said that you should dedicate yourself to God and do your best if you want to be a good Christian, but He says unto you that you must deny yourself (see Matthew 16:24) and realize that if your best was enough His death would have been in vain. (see Galatians 2:21)

You've heard it said that you should constantly examine yourself to see if there is any sin in your life, but He says to you that when you understand the finished work of the cross and that you have been perfectly cleansed by His blood, you'll stop even thinking about sins. (See Hebrews 10:1-2)

You've heard it said that it is hard to live the Christian life and that it takes serious commitment to stand against the world, but He says that if you love Him you will keep His commandments and it won't even be a struggle. (See John 14:15 and 1 John 5:3)

You've heard it said that you need to change things about yourself if you really want to be a good Christian, but He says that it isn't possible for you to change yourself and that He will take care of any changes in you that need to be made. (See Philippians 1:6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:24)

You've heard a lot, but don't believe everything you hear. A grace revolution is underway. It will gain momentum as more and more Christians think for themselves and go back to what the Word of God says instead of believing everything they're told. Don't worry if Jesus turns over your religious applecart. They're rotten apples anyway and bad fruit never made anybody anything but sick.

Celebrating The Greatest Gift I Have Been Given

The story is so integral to my life that practically everybody who has ever heard me speak knows it. I tell it everywhere I go because, after all these years, I still am overwhelmed with gratitude for what God did.

The year was 1970 and I was a sixteen year old boy. I had been depressed for months, in a way that only a melodramatic teen can really understand. The reason for my depression was that I felt alone. I had friends, many of them. But what I didn't have was what I wanted most -- a girlfriend.

I had prayed for God to send me a girl, but nothing had happened. Little did I know that a Sunday in August was about to change all that. I sat on the back row in the Sunday School class when a friend walked into the room. Behind her was a girl I had never seen but was glad to see now. In fact, since I hadn't seen her in sixteen years, I stared as if I were trying to make up for lost time.

She had a sweet, girl-next-door sort of look about her. When school started back that year, she soon was elected to be on the Homecoming Court in her high school. I understood why. She was beautiful. I, on the other hand, was a skinny kid with pimples who still used Wild Root Hair Cream on a doofus hair style. She would later say that she dated me because I was funny. Thank God for humor. I had a million of 'em and they served me well. A groovy girl and a doofus boy. I had to have something going for me.

She began to attend Sunday School and church every week. What I lacked in assets I made up for in confidence. Before long I was sitting with her in church every week. I wanted to date her, but the risk of asking her out was too great. What if she said no? And why would she say yes? With all my self-confidence, I had enough sense to know I was in over my head. She was out of my league.

As the Homecoming Dance at her high school approached, she began to hint for me to take her. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I just couldn't, for one simple reason. I couldn't dance. I had never danced. After all, that's what people did in hell (or at least those who were going there.) I had always understood that the reason premarital sex was wrong was because it might lead to dancing.

But she wasn't brought up like me. She came from a dancin' family. The heathens. Her parents would even dance at home with all manner of music blaring on the HiFi. At my house we were listening to the Statesmen Quartet. At her house, it was Tom Jones and other hedonists. Hovie Lister or Tom Jones. You do the math.

So it came to pass that the day of the dance arrived. Because she had waited so long for me to ask her to go and I didn't, she had been forced to call James Henderson, an old childhood friend, who drove a Corvette, to take her. I knew he was coming. I also knew I had nobody to blame but myself. I hated myself for my social ineptness. How had I reached this age and not know how to dance? Oh yeah, it was my godly church and parents. The jerks.

I drove past her house in my little 1966 Simca (Google that and look at an image. It's humiliating.) There was his Corvette. The jerk. I could imagine them laughing inside the house. I could imagine how she would look, all dressed up in her miniskirt. (Remember she came from a bunch of heathens.) I could imagine them going to the dance and her dancing with him instead of me.

One good thing came out of that drive-by. I made up my mind to ask her out on a date. So the next week I did. She said "yes" and my world was turned aright. We went to see Barbara Streisand in "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever." It was a terrible movie, but I didn't care. I was with her. Afterward, we went to Pizza Villa and had a large pizza. She was beautiful in the glimmering candlelight. Something inside me came alive on that very night that has never waned in all these years.

On the drive home, I was trying to work up the nerve to do two things. 1. Ask her to go out again next week 2. Kiss her goodnight. As we pulled into the driveway and stopped, she said, "I had a really good time." "You did?" I asked. "Me too!" So I took the plunge. "Want to go out again next week?" "Sure, that would be fun," she answered. I think I heard the Hallelujah Chorus then. If not, I'm sure I did five seconds later.

For three years I dated her. I never even went out one time with anybody else. Then on May 10,1973 (her birthday), I asked her to marry me. We had gone to a Statesmen Quartet "singin'" (I swear) and then I drove her over to a nearby lake where I asked her to be my wife. She said yes.

I had asked her parents permission to propose to her and they had, reluctantly, said yes. I had told them we would marry after I finished college. I had just finished my freshman year. But the more we thought about it, waiting that long didn't make sense. (Remember I was a good boy and the Bible says it's better to marry than to burn. Her heathen ways allowed her to wear miniskirts. Figure it out.)

So she went back to her parents and asked, "What if we get married a year from now?" (This was May, remember.) They didn't like it, but agreed. "That worked well," we thought. So back to her parents she went again, "What if we get married in December?" They weren't happy about that at all, but saw that we were bent on it so they agreed. A few weeks later, Melanie went back: "We want to get married in July." Is there something you need to tell me? her mother asked. There wasn't. We were both virgins on our wedding night. Still, I'm sure both sets of parents must have sighed a great sigh of relief four months after we were married.

So that brings me to this date -- July 28. My Dad had always asked me not to marry until I was at least nineteen. So I turned nineteen on July 7 and married her three weeks later.

It was thirty-five years ago today that I married Melanie. Four children and three grandchildren later, here we are. What a time we have had. It has been awesome.

Melanie married a pastor. For almost 21 years we walked together in that role. Then since 1994, we've walked the path of "a traveling preacher." Through ministry trips, we've seen the world together - the Great Wall of China, Japanese temples, Big Ben,the Taj Majal, the fjords of Norway, wild animals on an African safari . . . the list goes on.

We've also known the hard times. Like most people, we've shed tears over disappointments, health issues, children, money, death. Normal stuff. But we've laughed a lot too. (I "married up" so I'm glad she still appreciates my humor.)

Melanie is the kind of wife any man would be thrilled to have. She is beautiful in every way. I realize that marrying the only girl I ever dated at 19 years old and being deeply in love all these years is rare. I would call it a fairy-tale, but those aren't real and this is. It's a God-thing. There's no other explanation.

So today, July 28 -- thirty-five years later I want to wish my wife a Happy Anniversary and express my love to her publicly. (Those of you who have read my blog from the beginning know I warned you that there would be personal things here too.)

Melanie, you really are the most precious gift I've been given in this world. Thank you for choosing every day for 35 years to share your life with me. I love you and plan to spend the rest of my life showing you that.

Wanna dance?

Our song when we were dating:

My New Favorite Christian Artist

Dave Bilbrough has been widely known as a Christian recording artist in the U.K. for many years. His music has been played around the world for decades. I met Dave and his wife, Pat, a few years ago when we ministered together in England. I knew then we are kindred spirits. They were with us again at the "Radical Freedom Conference" in London last week.

As I've come to know them and to know Dave's music better, I have come to realize that Dave's music may be more in line with what I teach than anybody I know. When I heard him sing the following song at the conference last week, I knew it perfectly expressed my heart's desire for the grace revolution. An Army of Ordinary People expresses perfectly what I believe God is doing to promote the grace revolution that is underway. I asked Dave's permission to use this song as a "theme song" for the Grace Walk Groups ministry that the Lord has begun. Listen to this song and I hope you'll find it expresses the prayer of your heart as it does mine.


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An Army of Ordinary People

An army of ordinary people,
A kingdom where love is the key,
A city alive to the nations,
Heirs to the promise are we.

A people whose life is in Jesus,
A nation together we stand,
Only through grace are we worthy,
Inheritors of the land.

(Chorus)
A new day is dawning,
A new age to come,
When the children of the promise,
Shall flow together as one.

A truth long neglected,
But the time has now come,
When the children of promise,
Shall flow together as one.


A people without recognition,
But with them the destiny sealed,
Called to a heavenly vision,
And this purpose shall be fulfilled.

Come let us stand strong together,
Abandon ourselves to the King,
And His love shall be ours forever,
This victory song we shall sing!

(Chorus)
A new day is dawning,
A new age to come,
When the children of promise,
Shall flow together as one.

A truth long neglected,
But the time has now come,
When the children of promise,
Shall flow together as one!

The children of promise shall flow
together as one!

Home From England

Melanie and I arrived home on Monday night. We are finally beginning to feel like we're adjusting to the time difference. Our time in England, as always, was a great experience.

Teaching the Radical Freedom Conference with Paul Walsh and being on radio together was enjoyable. Then after ministry time ended, Paul and Haley were over the top hosts in showing us a good time in their country.

The videos below are short clips of our time after the conference. Next year the conference topic will be Radical Love and will be held in Atlanta on March 27-28. Then we will do it again in England in July. I hope you'll plan to attend one or the other, or both!

I'm trying to catch up on things that have piled up while I was gone, but I will try to be more consistent about posting regular blogs now that I'm home.

Around London



The English Countryside

Back in London

We just got back to London after spending a few days in the Lake District, a national park area in northern England. The pictures above were taken during the past few days while we were there.

We stayed in a 150 year old hotel in Grassmere, right beside the cottage where William Wordsworth wrote his poetry. A highlight of the time there was the day we spent in Keswick, where the Keswick Movement began. If you aren't familiar with the Keswick Movement, google it and read about how God used many during those days to share the message that we now so passionately share.

It was a joy when I actually stood behind the pulpit at St Johns Church where F.B. Meyer, Andrew Murray, Alexander Scroggy, John Darby, Jesse Penn-Lewis, Austin Sparks and many other early proponents of "the exchanged life" (the grace walk) taught. It was very meaningful to be there where these great saints of God of the past once stood.

Paul and Haley have been great hosts during our time here. We will return to the U.S. on Monday having had a tremendous time here in England.

Update on the Radical Freedom Conference

We finished teaching the Radical Freedom Conference yesterday here in London. We had a good attendance and the crowd was very receptive to our message. We had six countries represented in the meetings.

It was a joy for me to teach again with my friend, Paul Walsh and to have Dave Bilbrough lead us in worship. Dave is, without a doubt, the most grace oriented worship leader I know. I hope to serve together with him in many more meetings in the days ahead.You'll certainly be hearing more about him from me. In fact, I intend to use a song he wrote as our theme song for "the grace revolution." I'll share more with you on that later.

This will be my last blog for a few days. It has been impossible for me to access the Internet on my own computer since I've been here. I had hoped to post some video footage, but haven't been able to do it. Tomorrow we will go five hours to the north and will be there until the weekend. I won't have access to the Internet at all while there.

I'll get back online with my blog as soon as possible. It could be early next week before that happens.

Thanks to those who have prayed for these meetings.

To those of you who are Grace Walk Group leaders, I appreciate what you're doing. I've received email from several of you and am encouraged to hear how your group meetings are going. I'll be back online with you on our private leader's blog next week.

Blessings to each of you. Cheers, mates from jolly old England!

Radical Freedom Conference

Last night we had the first session of the "Radical Freedom Conference" I taught from Galatians 1 on "A Radical Difference" and Paul Anderson-Walsh taught on "A Radical Life." There was a good group of responsive participants at the conference.

Dave Billbrough is leading worship in the conference this week. Dave has been a renowned recording artist here in the U.K. for many years. Last night he debuted his new album "People of Promise." There is no other word for his ministry than "awesome." I found myself moved to tears several times as he ministered through his music. Melanie and I first met he and his wife, Pat, several years ago when we were here. We immediately knew they were kindred spirits. We will have dinner with them tonight in town.

It's Saturday afternoon here now. Paul and Haley had to go to a wedding ceremony today. Before meeting the Billbrough's for dinner, Melanie and I will take "the tube" (subway) into town where we are going to see The Lion King in the west end theatre district. We love plays and have seen at least one every time we come to London.

The conference continues tomorrow. Please pray for us as we share the liberating truth of grace and freedom.

Report from London

It's Friday afternoon here in London. We are getting ready to leave for the "Radical Freedom Conference" to be held this evening and on Sunday. I've done a short video but don't have access to the Internet through my own computer. Once I can get online with my laptop and upload it from my MAC. I'll post it.

Yesterday we were recovering from jetlag. Paul Walsh, Dave Bilbrough and I did a radio interview together early yesterday. Then Paul and I met Haley and Melanie in town for lunch.

We are still trying to recoup from jetlag, but are looking forward to the conference tonight.

Check back here and I'll post video as soon as I can.

Getting Ready To Travel

I hope you and your family had a great holiday weekend. We are in Atlanta and spent the fourth with our family. There were fifteen of us here together. I thank God for my family. They are the greatest joy of my life. The picture here is of Melanie and me with our four children. It's the first picture we've had taken of our "original" family in years. I shaved the beard off yesterday. I had let it grow while I was away writing last week. Melanie liked it, but I think it makes me look like a wino, so it's gone.

I'm working now to finish everything I need to do before we leave for England on Tuesday. Yesterday I recorded the final two of the "Grace In The Old Testament" teachings from Habakkuk. I only have four more books in the OT to complete and I will have finished teaching from every book in the OT in this series. I've really enjoyed teaching this material and have learned a lot about God's grace as I've studied and taught it each month.

We head for London on Tuesday, where we will be with our dear friends, Paul and Haley Anderson-Walsh. Paul and I will teach the Radical Freedom Conference there that we taught together here this past July. We're looking forward to it. We enjoy being with our friends and London is our favorite city in the world. So this will be great.

I plan to work on the 101 Lies Taught In Church Every Sunday manuscript on the long flight there and back. My plan is to try to have that finished no later than by the end of September. Since I've already done all the videos on the subject, it's not like starting from scratch in writing it.

I realize that I haven't been posting on this blog every day as I normally do. That's because of the busy schedule I've had lately. I do hope to post here regularly while I'm in England so check back often.