Prayer: WHY Pray?

WHY?  But WHY?  Often this is the most confusing and heart-rending of all questions. Why?  Because it is very often unaswerable...and that's the rub!  Why represents our helplessness in the face of life in a fallen world, doesn't it?

The last question in our study begins with this word, Why?

Why does the Lord want to be invited into our "stuff?"

 Despite the dilemmas that this word often represents, there's no dilemma here.  And it's all because of one little word -- a beautiful, wonderful word!  And the same word is found in each of our three stories.  Let's take a look:

1.  The Boat Story Prayer

When the disciples realized who Jesus was, as He was ready to walk past, they received Him willingly into their boat.  Then the Bible says,

He got into the boat with them. Mark 6:51

And then, of course, He calmed the storm and took them to the shore.

2.  The Road to Emmaus

When Jesus was ready to keep on walking, the disciples urged Him, saying,

Stay with us...So He went in to stay with them. Luke 24:29

3.  Jesus Knocking

Jesus pointed out how miserable, poor, and naked the self-sufficient Laodician believers were.  But then He told them whoever opens the door to His knocking,

I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with ME. Rev 3:20

Did you see it? with!

Oh that wonderful word, with!**  How I love it!  What that little word says to my heart is that Jesus wants me to experience Him with me at all times, in every situation.

That makes me think of my mother-in-law, who is in a retirement community.  In recent years, she has had to move into increasing levels of care.  Despite the excellent care and the loving attitudes of the staff, the residents there are often lonely, truly needy, and pathetic* (in the truest sense of the word).

It's hard to go visit!  When we go, we can't help but see many searching, "hungry" eyes...looking for someone to just be with them!  And when I take my young grandsons there, many of the "seemingly dead-inside-people" come alive!

Friends, we are all, in reality, needy, weak, lonely, and pathetic*...but Jesus loves us anyway.  He wants to be with us in our stuff!  Are you experiencing the intimate with-ness of your Savior in your life and circumstances today?  Invite Him!  Urge (desire) Him!  Open to Him!  He's there!

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Further study and meditation:

Do you ever feel like the Lord is asleep in your boat?  He's in the situation, but He's silent.  You are playing the waiting game!

Take a look at another boat story in Mark 4:35-41.

Though you may be going through what feels like the "Dark Night of the Soul," find comfort...He's there and in control.  (And remember God's timing is perfect...as it was on the road to Emmaus!)

Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow, Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea, What matters beating wind and tossing billow If only we are in the boat with Thee?

Hold us quiet through the age-long minute While Thou art silent and the wind is shrill : Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, are in it; Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?” — Amy Carmichael

*pa·thet·ic/pəˈTHetik/  Adjective:  Arousing pity, esp. through vulnerability or sadness.  Miserably inadequate. Synonyms:  touching - piteous - moving - pitiful - pitiable

**for the 3 Greek words translated with see "Caught in the Web."  Each has varying degrees of closeness.

Prayer: WHAT blinds us to His Presence?

One day, I was checking my facebook newsfeed.  My eyes scrolled down to the latest post by our daughter-in-law Cortney, on her fb page Evan Has Landed.  This is what she wrote about our then 5 year old grandson:

Evan has been awake for 10 minutes and already has asked 30 questions. Yes I've been counting! The latest question, "do snakes have eyebrows?" no wonder my head explodes about 1:00 each day! Happy Monday!!

I had to laugh out loud knowing Evan.  So I shared it to my facebook.  My friend Barb commented, "So do they?" :)

Kids are full of questions...as every parent (and grandparent) knows.  Why is that?  It's because that by asking questions, children "learn life in this world!"

And I believe that as children of God, we can "learn life in the Spirit" by asking questions...yes, of God and His Word.*

So here's our next question in our Bible study on Prayer:

What blinds us to the Lord's presence in our lives?

 1.  The Boat Story (Matthew 14:22-33)

When the disciples were out in the midst of the sea, at the darkest part of the night, winds and waves crashing upon their little boat...they were scared stiff! (Matthew 26)  The Greek word here is tarasso, which means agitated, stirred up.  It's a picturesque word, reflective of the agitated and stirred up waves and wind surrounding them!

They were afraid and rightfully so!.  Fear is a perfectly normal, human emotion in the face of danger and dread.  I suspect that it may have been part of Jesus' own emotions in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before He died (Hebrews 5:7-9).

But as a result of the disciples' fear, they didn't recognize Him who was walking to them "on the chaos of their lives."   That is, not until He spoke, "It is I, do not be afraid!"

Then their tarasso fear turned to reverential awe, "Surely, You are the Son of God!"

2.  The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-30)

As the disciples were walking along, a Stranger approached them.  In verse 16, it says that the disciples' "eyes were prevented from recognizing Him."

Now I don't want to lose you here...please stay with me.  The verb "were prevented" is in the "passive voice,"  which simply means that they didn't do the action of preventing!  It wasn't their fault that they didn't recognize Him.  Someone else did that action of preventing.  Who do you suppose that Someone was?  You got it!  Our Father God!  Jesus Himself had said,

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me... John 6:44-45 ESV

Do you remember when they recognized the Stranger as their Lord Jesus Christ?  That's right, it was at the "breaking of the bread," reminiscent of the supper the night before He died.

 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. Luke 24:31 ESV

Our passive voice again...so Who do you suppose did the opening?  You got it again!   The Father opened their eyes at just the right moment.

It's so interesting to stop and think about how perfect God's timing was here.  Their burning hearts (as the Lord had shared the Scriptures with them on the way) then gave way to open eyes!

And these discouraged, confused, grieving Christ followers could then embrace the Resurrected Christ with a strong faith and tender hearts!

And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed...” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24:34-35 ESV

3.  Jesus Knocking (Rev 3:15-20)

This one is a no brainer.  The sad state of this group of believers was caused by their own pride and self-sufficiency.  They were wealthy and self-absorbed.  They didn't need anything, because they had it all!  And all of that blinded them to the Lord's presence in their midst.  They had themselves in view...not Jesus!

At the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,

Blessed are the poor in spirit,     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.... Blessed are the meek,     for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,     for they will be filled...  Blessed are the pure in heart,     for they will see God. Matthew 5:3-10 NIV

What about YOU and ME?

We often "strain at our own oars," thinking we have it in us to overcome our own dificulties and meet the demands of life.   Then we find out we don't!

We get scared...no, terrified at times!  We are blind to our ever-present (in fact, indwelling) Source for all of life...our Lord Christ!

It's then we can hear the Lord say to us,

It is I [I AM]!  Do not be afraid! Open the door to me... invite Me in...I've been here all the time!

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* a la inductive Bible study...in particular, Precept Upon Precept

Prayer: WHO is responsible for our Circumstances?

In my beginning ESOL class, I like to teach my students the basic question words early on in the school year.  These question words are important for us in order to get information.  And when we recognize them and use them correctly, we can have interesting conversations! Here they are...the 5W's & H:  Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?

Maybe you noticed (or not) that we used three of these key question words in our Bible study from Part 2:  Who? What? Why?

So let's have a conversation about the first question:

WHO is responsible for the circumstances we find ourselves in?

The short answer, GOD!  He has sovereign control of the universe.  Ultimately, if He doesn't ordain/allow it, it can't happen! (Deut 32:39)  But at times there can also be other "agents" involved.

That being said, let's go to our question in the context of our three stories:

1.  The Boat Story (Matthew 14:22)

Did you notice that in Matthew 14, it says that Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him?  (And ultimately they ended up out it the storm!)  The Greek word for made is literally the word compel.  He compelled them to get in the boat and go ahead of Him!

Now in my thinking, compel is a strong word.  So the disciples went into circumstances that were totally not of their choosing, but were absolutely God-ordained.

2.  The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-14)

In Luke 24, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus found themselves confused and discouraged.  Why?  Because of the arrest, trial, abuse, crucifixion, and burial of their Hero...their Messiah.  They hadn't yet gotten it about the resurrection and victory of the Lord.  So they were thrust into the midst of circumstances that Peter, filled with the Spirit, later declared on the day of Pentecost,

 Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. Acts 2:22-24 NASB

So here these Christ-followers were in the midst of circumstances that were God-ordained and yet sinful men were responsible!  Man did it, but God did it!  Jesus Himself said that it was "necessary." (Luke 24:26)

3.  Jesus Knocking (Rev 3:15-20)

In our last story, we see something totally different!  We see circumstances that were caused by these believers own self-sufficient, prideful choices and attitudes.  They thought they didn't need a thing...they had it all!  And Jesus told them that they did't know how bankrupt they really were!  So their circumstances were their own fault.  But guess what?  Jesus was there for them anyway...if they would just open the door!

Good News for us!

And that is good news for us!  No matter whether our circumstances are purely beyond our control and totally God-ordained...or caused by other sinful men...or because of our own stupid, prideful choices...guess what?  Jesus is there waiting to be invited in to our "boats"...to be urged to stay...to have our door opened to HIM!

What are your circumstances today?  Don't over-analyze it...open wide to Him!  HE loves you and wants to be wanted by YOU!

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More questions next time :)

PRAYER: a Big Question

questions

Do you often feel like there are more questions than answers when it comes to prayer?*  I do! To think that a sovereign, all-knowing and all-powerful God, Who...

...does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” Daniel 4:34 ESV

...would respond to our cries!  And not only that...He actually want us to cry out to Him and invite Him in!

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3 ESV

It's beyond comprehension!

I believe that's because prayer is one of God's mysteries.  I love this thought from David Roper in his wonderful book Teach Us to Number our Days,

The chief difference between orthodoxy and heresy is that orthodoxy is rooted in paradox and mystery, while heresy is usually rooted in clarity and precision.  (quoting St Irenaeus, 2nd century)

And it seems to me that becoming increasingly comfortable with mystery and paradox is a sign of growth in the Lord.  We are okay with GOD being GOD!

That being said, here are some thoughts, meditations, and Scriptures.  We will need to leave the remaining questions in the mind of God! :)

Now to the question that always comes to mind eventually: [Bonus Question from Part 2/ Now retitled PRAYER: urging...& opening... to better reflect the content].

Are there some things the Lord will NOT do unless asked?

The short answer is, "I don't know!"

But before you click out, let's reflect together:

seeking

Our persistent asking and seeking with good motives is important to God.  See  James 4:2 and Matthew 7:7-11.  It seems to make a difference to Him!

But there's also the issue of common grace. God just does good things for His creatures, and most especially His children, whether we ask or not. God is the giver of every good, and perfect gift...wherever those gifts may be found!   See James 1:17-18 and Matthew 5:45

In fact, God goes above and beyond what we ask or even think...abundantly beyond!  See Ephesians 3:20-21

On the other hand, we often feel that our prayers go unanswered.  That's when these Scriptures give great insight and comfort:

 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.  Deut 29:29

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.  Is 55:8

Even Jesus the Son didn't know some things...He only knew what the Father gave Him to know!  Talk about astounding!

...Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place...But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. Matthew 24:34-36 (see also John 5:19-23)

aslan & lucy

This inability for us to know what God knows about prayer...or anything else for that matter...reminds me of a conversation between Lucy and Aslan [the Jesus figure] in Prince Caspianby CS Lewis.

In Prince Caspian, sequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lucy is the child that is in tune with Aslan...his voice and calling.  She insists that she has seen him, though her siblings don't believe her.  As a result, they all decide to not to act on Lucy's insights...with disastrous results!

When Lucy finally meets up with Aslan, the dialogue goes something like this [my paraphrase]:

Lucy...I knew I saw you, but the others didn't believe me.

Aslan..Why should that have made a difference?

Lucy...Would all this NOT have happened if I would have come to you?

Aslan...We can't knowwhat would have happened.  But what WILL happen is another matter!

Lucy...Will you help?

Aslan...Of course! As will you!

We can't know what would have happened if we had prayed.  But what we do know is that God wants us to pray today...always...and somehow in His sovereign grace, HE puts it all together for HIS glory and OUR good (Romans 8:28-40)!

Then Jesus told his disciples...that they should always pray and not give up.  Luke 18:1-8

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* Keep in mind that we are talking primarily about prayers of petition.  There are many other forms of prayer:  worship, adoration, thanksgiving, confession, etc.  What they all have in common, including petition, is atotal focus on the Lord!

"If you want that splendid power in prayer, you must remain in loving, living, lasting, conscious, practical, abiding union with the Lord Jesus Christ." C. H. Spurgeon 

More Q & A next time...see you then!

PRAYER: urging...and opening...

Since our last post, have you been inviting Jesus into YOUR boat...whatever that may be right now? Immediately after realizing that Jesus wanted to be invited into MY boat (my everything), two other familiar Scripture passages came to mind.

I was thankful for this, because I had had the fleeting fear that I might have been too metaphorical with the "boat story."  But the Holy Spirit confirmed His rhema with these passages:

The first was the story of the two grieving disciples on the road to Emmaus on Resurrection Day.  They were discussing the events of the previous days, when a Stranger began walking with them.  This Stranger began explaining from the Scriptures why the Christ had to "suffer these things and enter into His glory."  Let's pick up the story right there...

… And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”  Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther.  But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.  When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:25- 30

There it was again!  He acted as if He were going on UNTIL they urged Him to stay.  Does that amaze you as it does me?

Then this second passage came to mind:  the letter to the lukewarm church at Laodicea.  This church was so self-sufficient!  They thought they were "all it" and had everything they needed.  But Jesus told them basically, "You don't know how needy and bankrupt you really are!"

Let's read:

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:  ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.  So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.  ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Rev 3:14-22

There it is again..."I'm standing here knocking on your life...and I won't come in UNLESS (if) you open the door (a.k.a. boat).  If you open to me, invite me in, I will come in.  Then we can have intimate fellowship together!"

I know...we usually use this as a salvation verse.  But it isn't primarily that, because it's to the CHURCH at Laodicea...that means believers too!

So then this simple truth dawned upon me:

No matter how old you are in the Lord, Jesus wants to be wanted by YOU!

Now that really blows my mind!  Does it yours?  The Sovereign God, our Lord Christ, wants to be wanted!

Next time, I'll tell you what happened when I began sharing this story.  But in the meantime,...

Invite Him into YOUR boat, dear brothers and sisters! Urge Him to stay! Open the door!

Why? Because the Lord wants us to experience His presence in our life situations: our emotional upheavals, our wounds, disappointments, the lies we’ve believed, our joy & sorrows…everything!  Then we can know that He is truly adequate for everything we may face in this life.

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For Bible students:

Here are some questions* to explore:

Look at each of the three passages: the Boat story (Matthew 14:22-33); the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-30); and the letter to the church at Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22). [Try to answer the questions right from the texts of Scripture]

1.  Who was responsible for the circumstances in each Scripture passage?

2.  What/Who blinded the believers to the Lord’s presence &/or identity in each passage?

3.  What is the purpose or reason (Why?) for the Lord’s desire to enter into each situation with His people? [You might want to use the composite text from part 1 or Mark 6:51 for the boat story]

Bonus thought question:  Are there some things the Lord will NOT do unless asked?

Take a look at these scriptures: James 4:2 Matthew 7:7-11 Deut 29:29 Is 55:8

What other Scriptures come to mind as you meditate on this question?

*Thoughts and "answers" in a future post :)

PRAYER: inviting Jesus into my "Boat"

Jesus loves invitations!  He's the Divine Host, constantly inviting us to come to Him. But Jesus also loves to be invited!  He's the perfect, Divine Guest, always responding to our sincere invitations.  Inviting the Lord, I believe, is at the heart of the mysterious spiritual exercise we call "prayer"...in particular, petition and supplication.

I'd like to share with you a situation that happened in my life that forever changed the way I look at prayer.

It was late summer 1997.  I was preparing for a new school year with my new bunch of preschoolers at Xenia Christian.  I also was going to meetings and doing home visits as a home school coordinator with the Dayton Christian Home School Program (my other part-time job).  As any teacher knows, mid-August can get pretty hairy!

At the same time, my then 70+ year old mom was visiting from NJ.  Before she was ready to return home, we received a call from my sister Nancy.  She informed us that her husband Ed, who had been battling cancer, suddenly and surprisingly took a turn for the worse.  He was now on life support, but there was little if any hope.

So Nancy and Ed's best friend had to make a terrible decision...if & when to terminate life support.  They chose to stop support at the end of the week.  So I knew that meant a trip to NJ for a funeral.

Now I was totally stressed!  In the midst of everything else that was going on!  Now a flight back east!  I'm ashamed to admit this...but the thing that was stressing me the most by then was the thought of a plane flight!

I know, shame on me...my poor sister!  And here I am freaking out about getting on a plane!

But you see, my previous experiences on planes weren't exactly pleasant...in fact, they were horrifying!  Plus, as a mom, I had developed fears I never had as a single, young adult (can you moms relate?)

I begged and pleaded with my husband to drive me to NJ...but he insisted (and stood his ground), "There's no Time!  You've got to fly!"

So on my way to a home school coordinators meeting that day, I agonized!  But eventually I resigned myself to the fact that when I got home, I'd have to find an economical flight a few days hence (yeah, right)!

All of a sudden, in the midst of my churning thoughts, the still small Voice broke through: Jesus walks with us on the chaos of our lives!

I recognized this as a quote from Oswald Chambers devotional that I had been reading for years.  Somehow I knew this was significant, a rhemafrom the Lord.  So I decided to find that familiar story when I got home from the meeting.  I knew that there would be a message from the Lord tucked away in that Scripture.

When I got home, I pulled out my Harmony of the Gospels.*  And as usual, I was not disappointed!  Something I read there absolutely shocked me!  I had never noticed it before...as familiar as this story was and as much of a "Bible scholar" as I deemed myself to be! I began to read the familiar story of Jesus walking on the water toward His terrified, struggling disciples.

And when it was evening, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and He was alone on the land.  And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.

Wait a minute!  What does that mean...He intended to pass by them? I had never noticed that before...why would He do that?  God doesn't play games!  Why would He walk past?  And would He REALLY...seeing His terrified , struggling disciples?  Wasn't that why He was walking out to them in the first place? Or was it?

I decided to read on...the answer must be there somewhere:

But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were frightened.  But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid...”** They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat…

There it was...the Lord Jesus, always the Perfect Gentleman, was waiting to be invited.  (Later I did a word study on this word willing.  It means a "volitional choice"...not just "Well, whatever...")

So I imagined that His struggling disciples, recognizing WHO Jesus was and WHAT He could DO, were more than willing...even desperate...to invite Him into their boat!

And of course, I knew what happened next:

And He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were greatly astonished. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”**

...and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. [Composite Text: Mk 6: 47 - 51;  John 6 : 21; Mt 14 : 32 - 33]

Jesus can do that kind of thing because certainly He is God's Son -- the Sovereign, Almighty God in the flesh!

So you may have guessed what happened.  That's right, I began to invite Him into MY boat...every aspect of this situation -- into the purchase of the plane ticket, into the plane:  cockpit, cabin, under the wings, in the engine (Hey! I was desperate!!!).

Then when we were "in flight," it's as if I could SEE the Lord walking up and down the aisle...ministering to the other passengers too!  The Perfect Pilot as well as the Perfect Flight Attendant!

So I arrived at Newark airport without an ounce of anxiety, thanks to my Amazing Traveling Companion.  When I shared the story and my experience with my sister, she invited the Lord into HER boat as a young widow with legal and financial needs.  Immediately, the Lord sent her a lawyer friend to begin to answer some of those very concrete issues for her...gratis!  We were in awe!

When I arrived home, I was "basking in the glow of it all!"  I asked the Lord, "What just happened?  What does it all mean?"  Then the simple truth dawned upon me...

Jesus wants me to invite Him into “my boat” -- my specific life situation, whatever that may be.

Next time we'll look at two other Scripture passages that came to mind.  But right now, I'd like to ask you, dear friend. 

What is the boat you are in right now?   Is it an unhealthy body, emotional upheaval, financial needs, unemployment, the dailiness of raising children, spiritual struggles, anxiety attacks, shame, wayward children, confusion, facing a scarey situation like a plane ride or speaking in public, _______________(you fill in the blank)?

Whatever it may be, invite the Lord into YOUR boat, and watch what HE can do....because He is certainly God's Son!

Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow, Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea, What matters beating wind and tossing billow If only we are in the boat with Thee?

Hold us quiet through the age-long minute While Thou art silent and the wind is shrill : Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, are in it; Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?" — Amy Carmichael

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*The Harmony is a wonderful book where you can see at a glance all 4 gospels in chronological order.  It's a great way to get all the details of a story, because each of the gospels is side-by-side with the others in columns.

**This is where Peter steps out of the boat.  I left it out for the sake of clarity and brevity.

Read the rest of this PRAYER series

"Carried Along"...

I've never been a dare devil!  When I was a teenager, I do remember going on the roller coaster at Palisades Park.  But said coaster was nothing compared to what exists today.  Even on those momentous birthdays (like 40, 50, 60), I never even considered para-sailing, sky diving, zip lining, scuba diving, etc.  I guess you would say that I play it safe.  But I know I miss out!

Recently two of my friends were shocked that, at my age, I didn't know how to swim.  In my defense, I never had opportunity to learn as a child...and even more than that, some bratty kid at a community pool had held my head underwater for what seemed like an eternity.  So to this day, I have a hard time yielding myself to water, to just float and be "carried along"...even on a raft or inner tube.

Another area I have difficulty with is dance.  My secret desire is to be able to dance my heart out.  But aside from dancing with my toddler grandsons, I just can't abandon myself to dance...except maybe in private.  My daughter recently posted on facebook:

I’m so stiff. In dance at University of Dayton I remember the instructor saying that true dancing came after learning the steps and just letting it flow. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to do that in dance or life.

My niece is a dancer, and I so admire and envy her. She at a young age learned to abandon herself to the dance and "just let it flow."

But even though physically I have a very difficult time letting myself be "carried along,"  there is one area where I am learning and growing in this kind of abandonment.  And that is in my relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.

For much of my Christian walk, I've been stiff and unyielding, not on purpose, but mostly out of ignorance.  I've  thought I was supposed to live a godly life, minister to others, etc. with God's help...which He would give if I prayed correctly etc.  But now I know that as I abandon myself to "His dance," so to speak, HE will carry me along in the flow of HIS purpose and pleasure.

I've been doing some writing lately to finish a book project.  A spiritual mentor of mine said that he was praying for me that I would be "carried along" by the Holy Spirit as I write.  Here is the verse he shared:

...men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21b ESV

The cool thing is that this word in the Greek is the same one used in Acts 27.  This passage is the account of Paul being taken as a prisoner to Rome.  As the ship carrying him and others encountered a severe storm, the sailors knew not to fight it but rather yield to the wind.  They allowed the ship to be driven along without their control:

...and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along. ...fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. Acts 27:15,17 NASB.

What a great metaphor for life in the Spirit...not resisting but letting ourselves be carried along in His empowering stream.

This also makes me think of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus:

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:7-8 ESV

The movement of the Spirit is a powerful thing...amazing, beyond comprehension...a mystery.  And those who yield to His flow experience "skill beyond their skill," "words beyond their words," "love beyond their love," "fullness beyond their fullness."

So what does it take?  Jumping into the "Ocean that is God," yielding to His indwelling life, and letting His Spirit carry you along for His purpose and pleasure.

Holy Spirit, living Breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Bring the presence of the risen Lord
To renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your Word to come alive in me;
Give me faith for what I cannot see;
Give me passion for Your purity.
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

Holy Spirit, come abide within;
May Your joy be seen in all I do-
Love enough to cover ev'ry sin
In each thought and deed and attitude,
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my striving into works of grace.
Breath of God, show Christ in all I do.

Holy Spirit, from creation's birth,
Giving life to all that God has made,
Show your power once again on earth;
Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways.
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise.
Lead us on the road of sacrifice
That in unity the face of Christ
Will be clear for all the world to see.

You might also like:  Resurrection Dance...let it flow!

Arrested by the Resurrected Christ: a Love Story!

Last fall in my adult writing/language class, I met a sweet sister in the Lord, Lisa Williams.  All of us, teachers and students alike, fell in love with Lisa because of her kind, loving, gentle ways.  But it wasn't long before we learned that Lisa was walking through a deep valley.  She had lost her husband Ernie, the love of her life, barely a year before she started classes with us. I don't know much about her dear husband Ernie.   But from what Lisa has shared, we could tell he was another brother who had been "arrested by the Risen Christ."  When he had encountered the living Christ, his life was never the same again.

Lisa & Ernie

So listen in as Lisa shares about this precious brother...and rejoice in the "multi-faceted" ways the Lord shows forth His glory by birthing children into His kingdom.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself; is not puffed up; Does not behave rudely; does not seek its own; is not provoked, thinks no evil... 1 Corinthians 13: 4,5

If I were going to describe my wonderful, awesome husband to you, and I am, I would have to say that this scripture in Corinthians would describe him, his heart,  and how he lived his life. When thinking of this scripture, I am also reminded of another scripture In James chapter 1: 17th verse, which says that "every good and perfect gift comes down from the father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."   And that is what my husband, the love of my life, was -- a precious and valuable gift that was given to me.

My husband was the most patient and kind man I have ever known, always preferring someone else over himself.  He was also very genuine and charming. It's no wonder why he quickly won my heart.  But most of all, he loved and served Jesus, which drew us quickly together in a common bond, which quickly grew and flourished and became a deep love also for each other.   Ernie did not come to know the Lord till he was a teenager.  One night in a theater, he had gone with a youth group to see a movie called Time To Run, a Billy Graham gospel film.   After the movie, they had an altar call, and he went forward and prayed to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, which changed him forever.

This was a true act of the Holy Spirit that day, drawing him.   He didn't have a lot of trust in the ministers who were at the church he was attending.   He had had many of them make promises to him after his dad had passed away at the young age of 13, promising him they would come spend time with him, but they never did.

Shortly after that, he was baptized and later he began to be used in the gifts, particularly the prophetic gifts, which worked so well with his very social personality.   He loved people and enjoyed interacting with them.  He loved to share the word with others and to discuss it.  He led many to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

After Ernie and I met and then married in September of 1982, we served together in our church in many different areas, like visitation, children's church, and many different out reaches.  For 30 wonderful years, I had the pure joy of walking side by side with him, serving God with him and loving this truly awesome man, whom I love with ever fiber of my being.  Often when I pray, I thank the Lord and express to him saying,

"Lord,  you must really love me to have given him to me as my husband, to love and cherish.  He has brought so much love into my life!"

On October 24th 2012, Ernie went home to be with the Lord.  It was the most difficult day of my life.  My heart felt shattered and broken into.  I felt I could not go on without him.  Though my heart was broken, I know one day I will be with him again in heaven, where we will be together for all of eternity.

Lisa & Ernie's wedding

It's hard to walk alone Without your love and your embrace My life has become an empty place It's hard to walk alone

It's hard to wake each day And know you won't be in it To walk with me and talk things through Just like we always used to do Oh, it's so hard to walk alone

It's hard to take each step That leads from where we were So much in love for sure It's hard to walk alone

I wish I had you still You meant the world to me Your love was my greatest blessing And there will never be another like you

I pray the Lord will see me through And heal my grieving heart Until that day when we never again will part It's so hard to walk alone

By Lisa Williams

Pray for our dear sister as she grabs hold of the Lover of her soul who has promised,

For your Maker is your husband,    the Lord of hosts is his name... Isaiah 54:5

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows    is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 68:5

[youtuber youtube='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7uKp8IRSQw&feature=share']

Arrested by the Risen Christ: Sammy's Story

Sammy

In January of this year, I met a brother in the Lord through my blog.  His name is Sammy, and he and his family live in Nairobi, Kenya.   This dear brother reminds me of what the Lord says in the letter of James:

...has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? James 2:5 ESV

Sammy is truly rich in faith!  I have come to love this brother in the Lord and his sweet wife and children.  And I think you will too as you read of his heart for God and his testimony of faith and growth in Christ.

So no matter what "Christian tradition" you are a part of, please open your heart as you read his story in his own words.  You will be blessed.

Kenya, africa

I received Christ as a young boy at  my teen age. Both my parents have been Christians since i knew them and had been strict with our upbringing in God fearing ways. I was born from a major  slums in Nairobi where life is very harsh and  as a 2nd born in a family of 9 kids . 6 boys and 3 girls.  It was mandatory for us all to attend church. We attended a nearby Baptist church. So in my childhood years, i followed God because of  my parents'  imposed discipline not from my own will. Hence i stayed in the church doing the "good works".  As a teen of about 15 years old,  I would volunteer coming to church early than anyone else,  arranging and dusting the wooden pews and placing the hymnals at the intended places. I would do this again after the church service and go home. All this while i never really wanted to receive Christ because i knew i was just alright with God. I sure did act as a saved person and many knew that i was. i in fact accompanied other believers in the  to door witnessing but deep inside me i knew though i was doing all these things, there was a vacuum in my heart. A soft spoken voice would always say in me: "Sammy though you are doing good things, you need to receive him in your heart and confess with your tongue then you will be free. You need your name in the book of Life"

One Sunday morning, as i attended to my normal duties of wiping the pews, pastor entered the church and finding me alone, gazed at what i was doing. He stood there for some couple of minutes not saying a word but just looking. He then called me to him and lovingly, placing his hand on my shoulders said this words which i remember very vividly as if it were said yesterday: "Sammy, you do well every Sunday to do God's work, but it will be good for you, to give your life to Jesus" .  He said nothing else.This words were hot into my heart. I felt great sorrow in my heart and was grieved inside me. i had lost most of the valuable time trying to please God by works. I never knew that pastor had known that i wasn't saved all this while so i felt betrayed inside me. On that day, a visiting pastor who came later confirmed what the Spirit was saying to me since morning. He preached from the book of Ephesians 2: 8-10: Grace through faith not works. I was norvous at the Alter call for  i feared what people would say and think about me especially them that knew i was a brother in the Lord with them all this while.Non the less  the Spirit of God gave me boldness to responding to the call of Jesus.   For the first time, in honesty and truth through faith, i received the Lord through the power of that word: Grace not works!!

Now i was down to it with the ministry without any fear. I volunteered teaching the Sunday school class and taught the teens class for many years. Later I was elevated to being the Sunday school supritendant. I joined the church choir on the bass line.The church youth also chose me to be  their chairperson and so i arranged for  rallies, seminar meetings, prayer sessions, youth camps and vigil nights of prayer. In short, ministry was building up. God's favor was upon me.I had an urge within me that told me I need Him more in my life. I desired to be filled by His mighty power of the Holy Spirit. I desired what the pentecostal brethren had in them whenever they would visit our church there was something different. We rarely met for prayer as Baptists save for Sunday service. Growth was slow and retarded among the brethren here. Non the less i pursued on .

One Friday,while holding a vigil night at  an invited  Church, and while deep in prayer, pouring myself to the Lord, i felt the power of God come to me like a mighty wind.  For the first time i uttered words that i knew them not in any language glorifying God. I was filled with the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26 became real to me that night and I prayed with much groanings in my inner man. My Christian life took another turn. This had not been taught in church for it is not even part of the doctrine of the Baptist church. We had been taught that you don't have to be filled by any power of God since you came to Him by his power. Which is correct but denies the fact of daily inward filling of God's presence.  In short, after this experience, many youth members whom i led were filled too of the power of the Holy Spirit and submitted themselves more in prayer and loving God than before. There was a dramatic change in the way we worshipped God In Church. People in church who thirsted for rightiousness started to experience new life in the kingdom. There was joy and much grace despite the poverty situation of the people. However, this did not go well with the elders and pastor.I never had favor with them no more. So on one side we wanted to love the elders and respect them in a Godly way but on the other hand we worshiped in fear of what they would say if God moved mightly. People would be desperate for God at this time. Hungry and thirsty for His word. Worship was intesified in the power of the Holy Spirit and the love for the Lord was so great amongst brethren.. Several of us went out to evangelise in open air meetings in villages and streets and God moved mightly confirming His word in salvation and healing.God moved with us wherever we went or were invited to share the gospel of Jesus.On one occasion we were banned from visiting baptist churches for we had turned things the pentecostal way they said.It was not welcome to pastor for one to be excited for the gospel and surely we never understood him. Many brethren were scattered to other churches. I had personally to move later .

I have since learnt the secret of seeking the Lord with the whole of my heart, mind and strength and knowing Him intimately on a very personal level.He has revealed to me many things in the Spirit through his word.Always telling me that i don't belong to this world but to the kingdom. There is  cry in my heart for many are getting lost in worldly ways.Many are forgotten by the church today and are unreached through the message of repentance unto God.It is a pity that religion instead of Christ who sets us free in all things takes center stage in the body of Christ today.While it is a good thing to be prospered and healed, it serves nothing if souls are not changing into the likeness of Christ.God is speaking to me about reaching out to families because many are without Christ and the family unity is the start of sincere love for God. I  know one day God will enable me build a prayer center home. A place where members of the family will have prayer retreats seeking answers to God instead of running to fun fares. I know God is faithful in all things. He Has been taking me through a process of growth in the inner man that i may be of use to Him as a living sacrifice in the call.  There has been a lot of prunning going through this process. Sometimes it has been hard and painful going through it in this life and my family is affected too. But God knows all things.

Lydia & children

Sammy's children

Sammy's childen

Sammy's son

Sammy niece

I Saw a Tree by the Riverside...

Back in the late 1970's, my husband John was a junior high youth pastor at McLean Bible Church in McLean, VA.  During that time, the junior high kids turned us on to Evie Tornquist's uplifting music.  Often when "our kids" would meet at our house, the Evie albums would come out of their covers (yes, they were LP's in those days). Our son Jeremy was a toddler at that time.  So before our Bible studies would begin, he would entertain all of us by dancing to "Step Into the Sunshine" or another of Evie's upbeat songs.  And even during our at-home times together, Jeremy and I would dance and sing along with Evie's simple, yet spiritual music.

A few years ago, I tried to find what had been my favorite Evie song, but to no avail, until...

My friend Kitty just "randomly" shared that she had been looking for a song about trees and found one by "someone named Evie."  Eureka!  My song!

So here it is...simply titled, "The Tree Song."  But first why I like it...

This song makes me think of Psalm 1 and how I long for my precious son and darling daughter, along with their spouses and their children, to grow like the sturdy tree that sinks its roots deep...deep into our Lord God and His holy Word.  And I also long for this for my amazing grandsons.

So with a prayer to that end...and the Psalm...and the treasure of a song!  Thank you, Evie...and thank you, my friend Kitty!

Psalm 1 NLT

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.

For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

Tree Song by Evie Tornquist

I saw a tree by a riverside One day as I walked along Straight as an arrow and pointing to the sky Growing tall and strong How do you grow so tall and strong? I said to the riverside tree This is the song that my tree friend sang to me.

I've got roots growing down to the water I've got leaves growing up to the sunshine And the fruit that I bear is a sign of life in me I am shade from the hot summer sun-down I am nest for the birds of the heaven I'm becoming what the Lord of trees has meant me to be A strong young tree.

I saw a tree in the city streets Where buildings block the sun Green and lovely I could see It gave joy to everyone How do you grow in the city streets? I said to the downtown tree This is the song that my tree friend sang to me.

I've got roots growing down to the water I've got leaves growing up to the sunshine And the fruit that I bear is a sign of life in me I am shade from the hot summer sun-down I am nest for the birds of the heaven I'm becoming what the Lord of trees has meant me to be A strong young tree.

Take a look at my new Bible study/devotional book -- The With-ness of our God: Relationship in Every Dimension

Choose your FACE...Change your DAY

Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart. Proverbs 27:19

I love 4 year olds...they understand so much!  A few years ago, I told my then 4 year old grandson Evan that we choose our attitude.  And he got it!

I didn’t always think that was true, but the older I get the more I believe our choosing has a lot to do with it. And if we are children of God, the living, indwelling Christ empowers us to have an appropriate attitude for the situation.

I experienced this simple truth with another 4 year old when I was teaching preschool many years ago.

It was getting toward the end of the school year...maybe April or early May.  I was reflecting on the precious group of "free spirits" entrusted to my care that year.  The Lord had done some amazing spiritual work in the lives of those five four-year-old's and in my own life as their teacher.

But I was somewhat distressed, feeling that I hadn't quite "reached" one little boy.  I felt that way because he usually looked stressed.  And he often had a negative expression on his face...what might be called a "NO" face.  Somewhat resigned to the fact that "you can't win them all," I just kept on doing what we were doing.

One day, the children were washing their hands two by two.  Little Johnny (not his real name) was not acting properly toward the child at the sink with him.  So of course, I reprimanded him.  He glared at me with his "NO " face, obviously not happy!

I said, "Johnny, don't give me that face!  Give me a gentle face!"  Immediately, Johnny changed his face...and peace came over him!  I was amazed!

Then just about an hour later, we were lining up by the door to go home.  At the end of each class day, I would stand at the door and face the children, waiting until they formed a line in front of me.  Then we would proceed down the hall and out to the waiting moms.  I looked at Johnny who, at that point, had the usual, somewhat negative, expression on his face.  When he made eye contact with me, he must have remembered our little interchange at the sink.  He immediately relaxed his expression and smiled.

Later I asked the Lord about it.  "Lord, what just happened?"  He led me to an incredible Scripture I had never noticed before:

A man's wisdom illumines his face and causes his stern face to change. Ecclesiastes 8:1b  NASB

Days later, Johnny's mom came up to me and said, "Jan, you changed Johnny's life!"  She had seen a new peace in her child.  And I praised God, knowing it wasn't me who made the change, but the Holy Spirit working in one little boy's life by enabling him to "change his face."

Not long ago, this very thread ran through discussion with a group of friends.  One woman said she wanted to be more gentle, so the Lord led her to start closing doors and cabinets quietly.  Another person wanted to not respond to mistakes in anger and frustration, so he began to speak out a gentle answer and found that it turned away his own wrath. (Proverbs 15:1)

After my husband's heart attack, John and I went to his cardiac rehab class called, "The Emotional Side of Heart Disease."

This was an excellent class about managing stress...especially the stresses associated with having just suffered a heart attack.  We both looked at each other when Patty, the rehab nurse, read an excerpt from an article called, "Laughter Really is the Best Medicine."

Move joyfully.  If you wake up in a bad mood, act like you're in a good mood, and your body can actually 'fake out' your own brain.  It's called 'fake it till you make it.'  When the copier breaks down in the office, instead of hitting it, try twirling while you tell people the copier isn't working.  Trust me, when you do this, it's impossible to feel stressed.  By substituting playful gestures for angry ones, your brain often short-circuits your own stress.

I'm not so sure I can see my engineer husband twirling at the copier, but this principle seems to be at the heart of the way the body and mind work together.

But the even better news for us believers is that we have the mind of Christ, and so we can choose to submit our body to Him and His indwelling life. We can "chose our face" and expect that His empowering, indwelling, resurrection Life will live through us...as us, all to the glory of His Name!

So dear brothers and sisters, "chose your face"...and change the way you live your human life in this world...to the glory of God...one day at a time!

...we have the mind of Christ. 1Cor 2:16b

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Phil 2:5-8

It's all about LOVE...always IS!

I was reading in my devotions the other day...actually looking for something else...when the Holy Spirit arrested me right here:

open door

...a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries... Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men [spiritual adults], be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:9, 13-14 ESV

Let all that you do be done in love.  Sounds so easy, but NOT!

In fact, Paul's words in verse 9 kinda nail it on the head, don't they:

...there are many adversaries...

That's right!  Enemies, opposition, struggles!  All against loving...why?

Because it's all about love.  It always is!

love

And the love Paul is talking about is GOD'S LOVE...not our touchy-feely kind that comes and goes.  It 's unconditional, sacrificial, others-oriented.  And that's not only hard, but impossible apart from God Himself.

So what are the adversaries that we typically struggle with?

Try these for a starter:

• fear...it's risky to love! We may be rejected!

• comparison...with its companions: jealousy, competition, pride (if we think we're better) or self-rejection (if we feel inferior)

• unforgiveness...it eats away at our souls and begins to leak out on all our other relationships (See Matthew 18:21-35, especially verse 34)

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are totally loved and accepted by our Father God.  So we can pass this God-Love on to others.  We can love with HIS love.

How?  By letting the Living, Loving, Indwelling Christ love through us today.

But, you might say, that's all well and good, but I am not particularly feeling loved myself today.  Maybe the place to start is by letting yourself be loved by the Father.  He's always loving you, searching you out, whether you feel it or not!  Bask in the Father's love...and then don't hold back!   Let it flow out...or as I like to say, let it rip!

Because...

...it's all about love.  It always is!

love, heart, candles

Love Will Find A Way Steve Green

Love will find a wayTo follow where you runLove will cover youAnd shield you from the sunThis will all be doneJust to heal you, to heal youLove will lift the veilYou try to hide behindLove will kiss your tearsAnd turn them into wineThis will all be doneTo reveal you, reveal you

REFRAINLove will take your shameLove will lift your headLove will take the blowThat was meant for you instead

Love will take your shameLove will lift your headLove will take the blowThat was meant for you instead

Love will never leaveNo matter what you sayLove will look beyondYour brokenness todayThis will all be doneJust to name you,This will all be doneTo reclaim you, reclaim you

REFRAIN

Love will find a wayTo follow when you run

10,000 Reasons...

worship 2

O my soul, I can't get past this worship song! Yesterday at church, 10,000 Reasons transported me to the Throne!  I pictured all of us children of God here in Dayton, Ohio, along with brothers and sisters around the world, worshiping our God together!  Not only that...brothers and sisters, not in our chronology, but in HIS eternity, worshiping around the Throne along with the angels of heaven!  More than 10,000 reasons to praise HIM!

Join in...and add your worship for One who is Worthy!

​10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

[Chorus] Bless the Lord, O my soul O my soul Worship His holy name Sing like never before O my soul I'll worship Your holy name The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning It's time to sing Your song again Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me Let me be singing when the evening comes

worship/ sunrise

[Chorus]

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger Your name is great, and Your heart is kind For all Your goodness I will keep on singing Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

[Chorus]

And on that day when my strength is failing The end draws near and my time has come Still my soul will sing Your praise unending Ten thousand years and then forevermore

[Chorus x2]

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name Lord, I'll worship Your holy name Sing like never before O my soul I'll worship Your holy name Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name I'll worship Your holy name

Nelson Mandela Remembered with Gratitude

Nelson Mandela

I "met" Nelson Mandela in an unlikely way...and it changed my life forever! At the time, I was struggling with the pressure to keep others in my life okay.    I felt like I needed to shrink back from what God was doing in and through my life so as to not cause them problems or so they didn’t think I was showing off.

This was at a time when our son was a student at University of Dayton.  Jeremy was being inducted into an honor society, and there was, of course, a ceremony with speeches etc.  I was happy to be there but somewhat dreading having to sit through long speeches.

Wow! Was I surprised!  God in His grace used the short, but pointed, speech of the college chaplain to speak to my heart.  I don’t remember what he said, but I do remember two quotes he used which changed my life that very day.  One of those quotes was that of Nelson Mandela.

And that is when I met Mandela.  And I've loved him and his legacy ever since.

Here is what I heard that day.  May the Lord use it to set you free also, my friend.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?Actually, who are you not to be?You are a child of God.Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.There’s nothing enlightened about shrinkingso that other people won’t feel insecure around you.We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us…And as we let our own light shine,we give other people permission to do the same.As we are liberated from our own fear,our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela 1994 Inaugural Speech

Rest in peace with your Lord, dear brother Mandela!

To read more and see the other quote, click here:  The Green-Eyed Monster and other Fruit Killers

Do you have a quote of Mandela's that has meant a lot to you?  Please share it in the comments.  Here's one that my friend Stephanie Curtis posted on facebook:

 "As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew that if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison." Nelson Mandela

That was for This: Marisa's Story

Marisa & Brian Moore

This is my young, beautiful, godly friend Marisa.   She is a sweet, gentle soul who loves the Lord, His Word, and her family.

I met Marisa in a Moms' Bible study/prayer group I was with several years ago.  And I fell in love with her!

Apex moms group

Marisa is a hard-worker.  She has four children ranging in ages from 8 months to 8 years.  Just take a look at her delightful little cherubs:

Mail Attachment

Don't you just feel like grabbing them right off the screen to hug their adorable little necks?  Yet, as all moms know, those four precious kiddos, especially at those ages, would be a handful for any young mom.  But not only that, Marisa is homeschooling!

Let's just say, she's busy...and, I would image, tired!

Oh, to have a break!

Wait!  It's Saturday night and that means CHURCH! Ah, church, with its peaceful, uplifting hour or two of praise & worship and its nurturing from the Word. Surely, Marisa will have that much needed break as well!

But one such Saturday evening church service, the Holy Spirit had other plans for Marisa.  And she shared it in a comment on a previous blog post.  These are her words:

...I can find myself striving and striving some more to be what I think I should be, but it is ultimately Him in me that brings about any good.

And He is SO good to enable us to act upon the prompters He places upon our hearts.

One Saturday evening I had a distinct urge that I should go volunteer in the church nursery even though I hadn’t signed up for that particular date.

When I told the hall coordinator I could serve she started crying.

Her husband’s unbelieving parents had come to the service that evening and my offer allowed her husband to be free to sit with his parents during the sermon.

Does that amaze you, as it does me?  Here this young mom, who so deserved that much needed break, in a very real sense, died to her own self-interest.  Why would she do that?   In order that life could be offered to someone else.  She may not have even been thinking along those lines.  However, she followed, what I like to call, the Lord's Holy Nudge,* rather than her own self-interests and legitimate need for a time apart from kids.

She found to be true what Paul had written centuries ago,

[We are]...always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. 2 Corinthians 4:10-12 NASB

Only eternity will tell what "life" might have been birthed as a result of Marisa's responding to the Spirit's Holy Nudge.*

What about you and me, my friend?  Are we following those inner promptings?  They may not be our imagination, but rather the Spirit's call to die to our own convenience, comfort, interests, so that the Lord's life can be birthed in another.

If we do, we can experience, in and through our lives, the outpouring of the indwelling life of Christ:

• the outflowing streams of living water (John 7:37-39),

• the fruit...more fruit...much fruit (John 15),

• all to the glory of God, for His purpose and pleasure (Acts 13:36a).  Amen!

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 NASB

fruitful vine

*More about the Holy Nudge in our next post.

That was for This: Living the "Not I but Christ" Life

I've been thinking a lot lately about how God works within us...through circumstances, people, thoughts, events, to prepare us for what's ahead.  Maybe that's what Paul meant when he wrote,

...God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 NLT

sun & clouds

If that's true (and I believe it is), we can't take credit for anything...not even our praying and asking, not even our thoughts and desires.  Let me illustrate.

Early last month, I had just returned from a three week vacation, when I had to jump right into the beginning of school with its teachers' meetings, preps, and first week of class.  Then just as those preps and meetings were happening, I started getting sick.  To make a long story short, three weeks later my health finally began to turn the corner.  Needless to say, I was weak, under a pile of cleaning and laundry, when the Lord put a bizarre prayer in my heart,

Lord, make me spontaneously hospitable!

Now, why would I pray that?  I know that prayer didn't originate with me.  God Himself "set me up"!  In the course of my illness and recovery, someone had stopped by unexpectedly.  Later, I realized that I hadn't been as welcoming as I could have been.  Thus, my prayer!

They say you should watch what you pray for.  But my Bible says that it's the Holy Spirit that prays in and through us (Romans 8:26-29).

So you know what happened?  That's right!  Within days of that God-initiated and God-answered prayer, I got a phone call...right in the middle of my work week...with my house a wreck and with empty cupboards because of having been sick so long.  The phone call was a request for overnight lodging from my cousin for the following night.

"Well, of course!  We would be happy to have you!"

hospitality

God Himself had made me more than willing.  He enabled me to quickly pull my house together and even have nutritious food ready:  chicken rice soup and vanilla cake with berries.  And best of all,  my husband John and I had a delightful visit with my cousin that evening as we listened to his adventures from his travels out West.

When all was said and done, I realized THAT WAS FOR THIS!  That prayer was for this overnight visit...giving me the desire and the ability to "pull it off."

I have many other stories of that was for this.  And maybe some of those will be for future blogs.  But for now, let me give you some Scriptures.  And then as you reflect on your own life, maybe you would like to share one of your that was for this situations.  You can do so in the comment section.  I would love to hear your stories as you give glory to the One Who is always working within us both to will and to do (Philippians 2:12-13).

 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is [united] with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV

But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.John 3:21 ESV

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20 KJV

For from Him[as the Source] and through Him [as the Means] and to Him[as the Goal] are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36 NASB

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