Sometimes God Speaks Through Old Photos

Like I said before, I’ve been going through some of my old photos, and I came across a few from the Oklahoma River drag boat races. We were asked to be the official photographers for them back in 2007. These three shots really stood out.

The first photo shows a drag boat launching with the front end out of the water—raw power on full display. The second captures a huge rooster tail behind it, but there’s something else: flames coming out of the right side of the engine. The third photo shows the boat dead in the water, starting to sink, with the driver climbing out of the cockpit.

I remembered these photos well—they were some of my favorites from that day. As I sat looking at them again, I started thinking, this feels like Peter in the Bible. I know, it might sound odd—but hear me out.

Matthew 14:27-32 (ESV)
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Peter steps out of the boat, full of faith, heading straight for Jesus. But then he notices the wind and waves—he panics, and down he goes. That drag boat reminded me of Peter. It launched strong, but somewhere along the way, something broke. It lost power, started to sink, and the driver had to bail.

But just like Jesus reached out and grabbed Peter, He does the same for us. When life gets crazy, when we lose focus, when our “faith gasket” blows—Jesus is still there. Ready to grab hold of us. We just need to turn our eyes back on Him.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or sinking lately, remember: He hasn't gone anywhere. Just look up. He's already reaching out.

“The Cry Unheard”

It was back in 2009, on the southern edge of Bricktown in Oklahoma City. I remember the cold—sharp, dry, and lingering in the wind. I had my camera with me, just walking, when I noticed a man sitting alone in the distance.

He was tucked between weathered stones and a chain-link fence, surrounded by a few belongings—a worn bag, a plastic sack, and a half-finished can of Pringles. He didn’t see me. We didn’t speak. I stood quietly, lifted my camera, and took the photo.

And for reasons I didn’t fully understand at the time, this image stayed with me.

Even now, all these years later, it lingers in my mind. I think it’s because I can still hear him crying out in the silence. Not with words or movement—just in the stillness of his presence. Something about the way he sat, the slump of his shoulders, the look in his eyes, even from a distance… it said everything.

I never knew his name. To me, he remains unknown. But what I saw in that moment was unmistakable: a human being who had fallen through the cracks of the world’s attention.

And the verse that later came to mind has haunted me ever since:

“Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.”
— Proverbs 21:13 (ESV)

He wasn’t shouting, yet his need echoed louder than any siren. The world around him hurried past, busy with its own burdens. But I had stopped. And though he never knew I was there, I believe I was meant to see him.

That day taught me something about presence—about the responsibility we carry to truly see the people the world tends to overlook. The cry of the poor isn’t always loud. Often, it's silent, sitting cross-legged against a cold stone wall, waiting for someone to listen.

I don’t know what happened to him after that day. But I still hear him.

And I’m still listening.

From Where I Stand

 This is a completely fictional story. His name is Jerry but that's all I know about him.
A fictional story from Jerry's perspective

"From Where I Stand" 
By Jerry

Every morning, I come to the same spot—Northside, I-240 Service Road and Western Ave. Doesn’t matter the weather. Cold, rain, heat—I’m here. Not because I want to be. Because this is what I’ve got. My name’s Jerry. I used to wear the uniform—Air Force. Now I wear this old jacket, holding a cardboard sign asking for help.

People see the sign before they see me. “HOMELESS. PLEASE HELP.” Some look away like I’m invisible. Some roll their windows down, hand me a dollar or a burger. Others just nod, like they’re ashamed to admit they see me. I get it. I used to be them.

I wasn’t always like this. I had a home, a wife once, and a son I was proud of. He tells people I’m homeless—says it like it’s a label, like it explains me. Maybe it’s easier that way. Easier than saying his dad fell apart after the war. That he drinks too much, sleeps under overpasses, and forgets things he doesn’t want to remember.

But I still believe. I don’t go to church, not anymore, but I remember the Bible. Especially one part that sticks with me—Matthew 25:
“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…”
I think about those words a lot while I’m out here. Makes me wonder if maybe, just maybe, God hasn’t given up on me yet.

One morning a lady stopped. She had a soft smile, handed me a paper bag. Hot coffee, fresh sandwich. She didn’t flinch when our eyes met. She just said, “God bless you, sir.”

I swallowed hard, felt that lump in my throat I hate admitting to. I nodded and whispered, “He already has.”

You see, from where I stand, you learn something: People don’t have to fix you to be kind to you. And sometimes, the smallest gesture feels like a miracle.

I’m Jerry. I’m homeless. But I’m still here. Still hoping. Still human.

Church on Fire

Is your church on fire? 
If your answer is yes, that’s great—you don’t need to read any further. 
If your answer is no, then you need to ask yourself why.

                            “The preacher just doesn’t have what it takes.”
“The people in the church are just dead.”
“My church is in a bad location!”

All of those answers are wrong.

Catching your church on fire starts with you! You are the match the Holy Spirit can use to start a revival.

======================
Here are some quotes from A.W. Tozer:

"Go to church once a week and nobody pays attention. Worship God seven days a week and you become strange!"

"We must never rest until everything inside us worships God."

"The church can have light only as it is full of the Spirit, and it can be full only as the members that compose it are filled individually."

"Worshipers never leave church... we carry our sanctuary with us wherever we go."
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If we would truly do this—humble ourselves before the Lord and surrender to the Holy Spirit—we would be the match He can use to ignite revival.

And if your preacher really doesn’t have what it takes, the people in your church are truly dead, and you're in a bad location—none of that will matter. Because you will carry revival with you simply by living in the presence of the Lord continually.

Upset with the church?

There are a lot of people out there who have gotten upset with the church and believe that churches are just full of hypocrites. They would be right in thinking this—at least to some extent. Many say the pastor has hurt them or done them wrong, and that others in the church have wronged them as well. They are probably right—this does happen. 

I understand why some people feel this way and just want to quit church altogether. That’s why we need to remember that we are all sinners and have all fallen short of the glory of God.

As the great theologian Groucho Marx once said, “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.” If we stop and think about it, we can see how true this statement is. We are all worthless sinners who deserve no mercy—we deserve death. This is where Christ comes in.

For God So Loved the World – John 3:16 (ESV):
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

We are imperfect people, made perfect only by what Christ did on the cross—redeemed and washed in His blood. Yes, there are toxic and unhealthy churches out there, but don’t give up. There are also many good, Bible-believing churches. Find one that will help you grow—and where you can help others grow as well. I'm not talking about growing in numbers.

Now, I’m not talking about "church hopping" just because something small happened that you didn’t like. If your church is biblically based, you should try to stay and work things out. But if, for some reason, you truly can’t resolve the issues, don’t just give up—find a good, biblically based church and commit to it.

I’ve recently done this. We left a church we had attended for about three years. I’m not saying it’s a bad church; we just had issues we couldn’t resolve. I could have just dropped out and stopped going to church altogether, but that wouldn’t have been good for me. We found a church where I feel like I fit in much better. I know we have some differences and don’t agree on everything, but the differences are small. After talking to the pastor, everything feels right.

It would be a very boring world if we all agreed on everything. After having lunch with the pastor on Thursday, we decided to join that church. Here’s the message I sent to the pastor on Friday:
----------------------------- ------------------- ------------------------- -------------------- -----------------------

From the great theologian Groucho Marx: “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.” Lol.

The funny thing about that statement is that it's true—we are imperfect people, only made perfect by what Christ did on the cross, being redeemed and washed in His blood.

With that being said, Cindy and I would like to become members of Agape Life Fellowship, Agape Life Community Church, or... Back Row Baptist Church. I’m so confused!

We understand there’s a lot going on right now, and if you feel it’s not the right time or that we need to hold off a little bit, that’s totally fine—we understand. But it does look like you’re stuck with us, whether we’re members or not. Sorry about that!

My 95 Theses

Introduction: Why Luther Got Me Thinking 

With all the recent news about the new Pope, it got me thinking. Martin Luther saw how corrupt the Catholic Church had become, so he wrote his 95 Theses and famously nailed them to the door of the Castle Church (All Saints' Church) in Wittenberg, Germany. That public act became the spark of the Protestant Reformation.

As I reflect on my own journey, Luther’s story resonates with me—not because I think I’m Luther, but because I, too, have come to a place where I feel the need to explain why I’ve had to make a difficult stand.

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Martin Luther’s 95 Theses in Context

Martin Luther did not publicly criticize the Church extensively before writing the 95 Theses in 1517. That document marked his first major public protest. Here’s some background:

• Pre-1517 Concerns: Luther had growing concerns about Church practices, especially the sale of indulgences.
• Academic Reflection: As a theology professor at the University of Wittenberg, his lectures between 1513–1517 reveal his evolving views on grace, faith, and salvation.
• Private Wrestling: His critique of Church doctrine began as an internal, academic process, deeply rooted in Scripture and Augustine’s writings.

Though he had been wrestling with these ideas for years, the publication of the 95 Theses in October 1517 marked the beginning of his public break with Church authorities.

Thesis 1: "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent' (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."

This first thesis will come into play later in my story.

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My Personal "95th Thesis"

This is probably where I’ll start upsetting people again. That’s not my intention. Most of the people who would be offended by this likely aren’t reading my posts anymore anyway.

On January  2025, I left the church I had been attending for about three years. I’ve attended Assembly of God (AG) churches all my life. I know what the AG believes. However, over time I came to realize that I don’t agree with all of their doctrines. That had never been an issue—until recently.

I’d been meeting regularly with my pastor, sharing some of my theological concerns. At first, those conversations seemed respectful and open. Later, during a church membership drive, the pastor asked if I would be joining. After some discussion, I felt more at ease and agreed.

But things changed when I started posting about my beliefs on Facebook. I never spoke negatively about the AG denomination or attacked its teachings. My goal was simply to explain what I believe and why.

Still, the response was swift and intense. What followed was a season of conflict and disappointment.

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I Didn't Nail It to the Door... But I Did Post It on Facebook

January 14, 2025

I made a hard decision that saddens me and my wife, we'll be looking for another church to attend. This is not a spur of the moment decision; this is something that's been happening for over a year that has come to a head over the past four to five months. I have been talking to the pastor about some of the issues I have.  

A few issues I've had are:   

1. The use of the message Bible from the pulpit. The message Bible is not a faithful translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek text. It's not even a good paraphrase; it is more like commentary from one person.

2. Women preachers, I believe the bible is quite clear on women preachers.

3. The altar calls at the end of the service feel like more of just say the magic words and become a Christian. Repent is a verb it is action and the people we are leading to the Lord need to count the cost and understand that they must die to self and pick up their cross and follow Christ. Becoming a Christian is not just saying some magic words. I believe that is one reason we have people continuing to raise their hands and say they want to be saved repeatedly; they don't realize the cost. I believe there are a lot of people in the pews of many churches that believe they are Christians but are not, they believe that just saying the magic words is all they must do. They do not truly realize they must die to self, pick up the cross and follow Christ completely.

4. If you do not speak in tongues, you are not spirit filled. When you are saved you are filled with the Holy Spirit. You may not be manifesting some of the gifts of the spirit. But speaking in tongues is just one of the lower gifts of the spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:29-31 (ESV)

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

I realize some of these can be considered secondary issues but when the preacher hits these issues fairly hard every Sunday, it feels like he either wants me to change my beliefs or maybe he wants me to go somewhere else.

There are some other reasons too that I will not go into here.

Leaving this church has been a hard decision. Cindy and I do love the pastor and his wife which has made this so hard. I have told the pastor not to let me or anyone else try to push him out of what God has laid on his heart to say. I told him if God is leading him this way, then either God wants me to reexamine my beliefs or God is wanting me to leave and find somewhere else. Well, I have in all seriousness reexamined myself and have become more resolved in my beliefs now more than ever. So, with great heartache Cindy and I will be looking for another church. We are not urging or telling anyone else that they need to leave this church, this is my decision for us.

The reason I'm posting this so any of my Facebook friends that I go to church with can hear my reasons straight from me and not from secondhand information. 

**NOTE: I am writing this after my meeting with the Pastor to inform him of our decision to leave the church. The meeting did not go well. He admitted to understanding why I might think his sermons were directed at me. Essentially, this was due to my Facebook posts expressing my beliefs, as he views Facebook as being equivalent to his pulpit.

This serves as a reminder to be cautious about what you post on Facebook, especially if your views do not align with AG doctrine or the pastor's beliefs—you might find yourself in a similar situation.

Pastor, we still care about you, and I forgive you. However, I strongly believe you need to reflect and repent for targeting a member of your congregation simply because their beliefs differ from AG doctrine or your personal views.

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A Call to Repentance and Reconciliation

I’m not sure, but I think the phrase “reflect and repent for targeting a member” may be what upset 
people most. That brings me back to Luther’s first thesis:

"When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent,' He willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."

I believe every believer should have a heart of repentance. I wasn’t trying to say the Pastor is a bad person or that he’s living in sin.

I still hold out hope that one day soon we can reconcile and be friends again. Cindy and I continue to pray for him and for the church—that God’s will be done.

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Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever faced a similar crossroads in your faith journey or church life, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or message me directly.

Let’s continue to speak the truth in love, always seeking grace and repentance in all we do.

Humble Yourself Under His Mighty Hand

Inspired by 1 Peter 5:6–11 and Habakkuk
When trials rise and shadows fall,
and answers echo, silent, small—
we seek His will, we strive to stand,
yet falter still beneath His plan.

We walk the path with heart made true,
yet wonder why the skies aren't blue.
Forsaken? No—though all may flee,
His mighty hand still covers me.

So, bow the soul, release control,
let self-will yield, let ego roll.
True lowliness is not despair—
it is the place where God draws near.

For in surrender, strength is born,
and from our burdens, peace is torn.
Cast every care, each anxious sigh,
upon the One who hears your cry.

Be watchful now, with sober mind—
the enemy lurks, fierce and unkind.
A lion roars, to steal your peace,
but stand in faith—his grip will cease.

You’re not alone—throughout the earth,
God’s children groan and prove their worth.
Though suffering comes for just a while,
God meets us in the trial with style.

The God of grace, so rich, so wise,
will lift your soul, will make you rise.
He’ll strengthen, settle, hold, restore—
confirm your place forevermore.

So, trust His love, resist the night,
and walk in humble, holy light.
To Him belongs all power and reign—
through every joy, through every pain.

Amen. 

******** ****** ******** ******** 
Humble yourselves: With the believer, 5013 /tapeinóō ("show humility, true lowliness") happens by being fully dependent on the Lord – dismissing reliance upon self (self-government) and emptying carnal ego. This exalts the Lord as our all-in-all and prompts the gift of His fullness in us.

1 Peter 5:6-11 (ESV)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

New series the Testament

Has anyone heard about Testament, a new series from Angel Studios? 

Series Synopsis 
The Book of Acts explosively reimagined in an alternate-modern era. A resurrection sparks a movement that turns the world upside down, spreading hope amid chaos. As the followers risk everything to preach the good news, the Temple races to silence them before the oppressive Imperium regime retaliates. But public miracles, unburied secrets, and fractured loyalties force both sides to confront the true cost of their choices. 
Release Date June 8, 2025

As you may know, I am not a fan of The Chosen or The House of David, so I probably won't be a fan of Testament either. Maybe I'm just an old fart who doesn’t like anything new—lol. There are just too many ways in which this secular world we live in can skew the Word of God, even slightly, and shift it toward a more humanistic approach. I just don't like it when people start taking the Word of God and changing it. The Bible warns us about this.

I would have preferred a story about how the gospel of Christ can change modern people's lives today and help them face current challenges, rather than going back and rewriting what has already happened. What the Bible records as having happened, happened exactly when and how God intended it. We don't need to mess around with the timing of the events.
Like I said, I’m probably just an old fart stuck in my ways.
Anyway, here’s a link to a couple of previews from the show—let me know what you think.

https://youtu.be/-dnfxQKCDWM?si=65ClPfaz6gMQIP10

https://youtu.be/Oi1yjXalR90?si=T1xvGXirwcg2OIAW

https://youtu.be/i3_V3K9Cfys?si=NkRj1by758bW8YKS

Becoming Radicalized for Christ

 Does God revolve around you?

 2 Timothy 2:20-21 (ESV)
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

Does God revolve around you, or do you revolve around God? Think about that.
Are we so caught up with ourselves, we think everything revolves around us?
We think that God is just about us, and we forget His righteousness, His holiness.
We are here to praise Him and to give Him glory. We are to throw ourselves down at His feet.
We must cleanse ourselves in His righteousness, giving up our dishonorable self and be a vessel for His Holy use, ready for every good work.