Day 1 - Intense Treatment - Prayer of Identity

Creating God of Peace,

    You've searched me and know me, Lord.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.  There's no place I can go, no place I make my bed, no place so dark you cannot find me and shine Light on me.  You brought forth the innermost center of my moral sensitivity and emotions - that which you test and examine when you search.   You knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you.  I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

    Your thoughts of me are vast and precious.  If only you, God, would slay the wicked who are bloodthirsty and have evil intent, who rebel against you.  Search me and know my heart.  Test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Examine me, see the integrity of my devotion, and keep me true.  Lead me in the Way everlasting. 

    I used to be dead in my transgressions and sins when I followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  I used to gratify the cravings of my flesh and follow its desires and thoughts.  I was deserving of wrath.  BUT because of your great love and rich mercy for me, I was made alive in Christ, even when I was dead in transgressions.  It is God's grace that has saved me.  I am raised up and seated with Christ Jesus in the heavenly realms so that he can show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to me in Jesus.  It is by grace through faith I have been saved.  This is the gift of God - not by works - so that I cannot boast.  I am God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God prepared in advance for me to do.   I was separate from Christ, without hope, and without God - far away.  But now I have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  

    Jesus is my peace. His purpose was to create in himself one humanity.  He came and preached peace to all.  I have access to the Father by the Spirit.  I am not a foreigner or stranger, but a citizen - a member of his household, which is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets with Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone.  In him I am a part of a holy temple to the Lord, who is being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.   

    I rejoice always.  I pray continually, I give thanks in [not "for"] all circumstances.  I do not quench the Spirit.  I do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test them.  I hold on to what is good and reject what is evil.  

    May the God of peace sanctify me through and through.  May my whole spirit, soul , and body be kept blameless until the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ.  I am called by the faithful One who will do all he promise and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is with me.  

    I declare that my whole spirit, soul, and body will be sanctified, in Jesus's name!  AMEN!

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 

You have searched me, Lord,

    and you know me.

2 

You know when I sit and when I rise;

    you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 

You discern my going out and my lying down;

    you are familiar with all my ways.

4 

Before a word is on my tongue

    you, Lord, know it completely.

5 

You hem me in behind and before,

    and you lay your hand upon me.

6 

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

    too lofty for me to attain.

7 

Where can I go from your Spirit?

    Where can I flee from your presence?

8 

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

    if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 

even there your hand will guide me,

    your right hand will hold me fast.

11 

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

    and the light become night around me,”

12 

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

    the night will shine like the day,

    for darkness is as light to you.

13 

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

15 

My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

16 

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be.

17 

How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!

    How vast is the sum of them!

18 

Were I to count them,

    they would outnumber the grains of sand—

    when I awake, I am still with you.

19 

If only you, God, would slay the wicked!

    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!

20 

They speak of you with evil intent;

    your adversaries misuse your name.

21 

Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,

    and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?

22 

I have nothing but hatred for them;

    I count them my enemies.

23 

Search me, God, and know my heart;

    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 

See if there is any offensive way in me,

    and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139 NIV)

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.  (Ephesians 2 NIV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-28 NIV) 

Idea from:  https://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=25704 

Some notes from:   NIV Study Bible (c) Zondervan, 2011

February 18, 2021 Prayer - Praying for Pastors

Shepherding God,

Thank you that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Thank you that you are the Good Shepherd who gave up his life for us on the Cross so we could know eternal life in you.  Thank you that you know those who are yours and they know and recognize you.  Thank you for the many men and women you have put into places of leadership in your Church.  Thank you for all those you have appointed with your Grace to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.  We pray that by the power of Holy Spirit they would be able to fulfill their calling to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry so the Body of Christ is enlarged and built up.  We pray that each of them would have hearts that are set on You.  May their relationships with spouses be pure and godly.  May they be sensible, well-behaved, self-disciplined, hospitable, not lovers of money, patient, kind, generous, and gentle.  May their hearts be set on guiding their households and their local churches with wisdom and dignity, bringing up physical and spiritual children to worship with devotion and purity.  Protect them from falling into pride or greed or ay other sin that would damage and disgrace their testimony.  We pray for those in Church leadership who are struggling with fear, sin, discouragement (even despair) and/or overwhelming circumstances.  We pray for Holy Spirit to pour out upon them the grace, strength, courage, wisdom and discernment they need.  We know that your weapons of warfare include your divine power to demolish strongholds, arguments, and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.  So, we pray in the name of Jesus that you would break the power of every wicked stronghold, burden or scar in their lives.  Take every thought and action captive to you, and help them to come out of the darkness into the fullness of your love.   Give them encouragement, peace, and joy as they go about the ministry work you have set before them.  We pray that the blessings of divine grace and supernatural peace that flow from God our wonderful Father, and our Messiah, the Lord Jesus, be upon their lives and ministries, in Jesus's name.  Amen and Amen. 

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39 NIV)

"I am the Good Shepherd who lays down my life as a sacrifice for the sheep....I alone am the Good Shepherd, and I know those whose hearts are mine, for they recognize me and know me, just as my Father knows my heart and I know my Father’s heart."  (John 10:11, 14-15 TPT)

"And he has appointed some with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists, and some with grace to be pastors, and some with grace to be teachers. And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-12 TPT)

"If any of you aspires to be an overseer in the church; you have set your heart toward a noble ambition, for the word is true! Yet an elder needs to be one who is without blame before others. He should be one whose heart is for his wife alone and not another woman. He should be recognized as one who is sensible, and well-behaved, and living a disciplined life. He should be a “spiritual shepherd” who has the gift of teaching, and is known for his hospitality. He cannot be a drunkard, or someone who lashes out at others, or argumentative, or someone who simply craves more money, but instead, recognized by his gentleness.

His heart should be set on guiding his household with wisdom and dignity; bringing up his children to worship with devotion and purity. For if he’s unable to properly lead his own household well, how could he properly lead God’s household?  He should not be a new disciple who would be vulnerable to living in the clouds of conceit and fall into pride, making him easy prey for Satan.  He should be respected by those who are unbelievers, having a beautiful testimony among them so that he will not fall into the traps of Satan and be disgraced." (1 Timothy 3:1-7 TPT)

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."  (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV)

"May the blessings of divine grace and supernatural peace that flow from God our wonderful Father, and our Messiah, the Lord Jesus, be upon your lives." (Philippians 1:2 TPT)

"Freedom"

Step out of the shadows, step out of the grave

Break into the wild and don't be afraid

Bring all of your burdens, bring all of your scars
Come back to communion, come back to the start

Where the Spirit of the Lord is

There is freedom, there is freedom

Come out of the dark just as you are

Into the fullness of His love

Songwriters: Edward Goltsman / Kim Crawford; "Freedom" lyrics © Worshiptogether.com Songs, So Essential Tunes, Sixsteps Music, Capitol Cmg Genesis, Be Essential Songs

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Lk. 19:10 NIV)

The King Is Coming

Oh the King is coming

The King is coming

I just heard the trumpet sounding

And now His face I see

Oh the King is coming

The King is coming

Praise God He's coming for me*

This summer I started reading daily devotions from a book of Martin Luther's writings, "Faith Alone," edited by James C. Galvin. I want to better understand the Lutheran theology that's so influenced our world and the heritage passed down to the church our family joined three years ago. Plus I recognize Luther as a great biblical scholar and theologian and I wanted some good substance to read.

Several days ago I came to reading I couldn't quite get past, so I've been "stuck" there. I share it with you as a prayer - that God would help us to really, truly, fully "get" this thing called grace.

..."If we're to receive it at all, God's grace and his kingdom with all its virtues must come to us. We will never be able to go to him. In the same way, Christ came to us - from heaven down to earth. We didn't go up to him from earth to heaven..." (August 14)

God, thank you for seeking and saving us. Thank you for revealing yourself to each of us, especially after we have turned away from you. We know we could never be able to reach you and we praise you for loving us so much you came - and will come again - for us. Help us to understand in the depths of our being that we cannot do anything to get to you. Help us to trust you from the depths of our being and to live in the wonder of your grace poured out on us and through us. Help that gift of grace be shared with all those around us for your honor and glory. May your Kingdom come and your will be done. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

* CCLI Song No. 3477

© 1970 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management

Charles Milhuff | Gloria Gaither | William J. Gaither

Word of God, Speak

Sometimes we go through seasons in life when our prayer or Bible reading/study seems to be less energetic, less intense, maybe even of less interest. Every so often, I think, it is helpful to "be still" before the Lord and just listen to what He has to say to us. Lately, I have found several scripture verses resonating with me. So, my prayer this week is that God's Word would speak to each of us. [all scriptures are from The Message by Eugene Peterson]

Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak*


Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. (from Eph. 5)


God is strong, and he wants you strong....Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued...Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. (Eph. 6)


So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. (Php. 1)


Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. (Php. 2)


Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! (Php. 4)


[Fill] your minds and [meditate] on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. (Php. 4)


God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. (1 Thes. 1)


Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves. (Php. 4)


Love mixed with faith be yours from God the Father and from the Master, Jesus Christ. Pure grace and nothing but grace be with all who love our Master, Jesus Christ. (Eph. 6)


I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say*

So, speak, Lord, for your servants are listening.

Amen.



*by Bart Millard & Pete Kipley; (c) 2002 Simpleville Music, Songs from the Indigo Room, Wordspring Music

Truth, Hamas, Evolution

A truthful witness does not deceive,
but a false witness pours out lies. (Prov. 14:5 NIV)

Last weekend there were two news stories that especially caught my attention, specifically for their relevance to Christian faith.

The first was an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled "They Need to Be Liberated from Their God." ** Needless to say, the title first caught my attention. The article itself was about the son of one of the founders of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. This 32 year old Mosab Hassan Yousef was raised in a devout Muslim family but secretly embraced Christianity and became a spy for Israel. When asked "why," he replied that the motivation was to save lives.

"I converted to Christianity because I was convinced by Jesus Christ as a character, as a personality. I loved him, his wisdom, his love, his unconditional love. I didn't leave [the Islamic] religion to put myself in another box of religion. At the same time it's a beautiful thing to see my God exist in my life and see the change in my life. I see that when he does exist in other Middle Easterners there will be a change.

"I'm not trying to convert the entire nation of Israel and the entire nation of Palestine to Christianity. But at least if you can educate them about the ideology of love, the ideology of forgiveness, the ideology of grace. Those principles are great regardless, but we can't deny they came from Christianity as well."

Love, forgiveness, grace. Hmmmm....sounds pretty good for all of us, I think.

The second article was "Top Home-School Texts Dismiss Darwin, Evolution" *** on FoxNews.com. Because the home schooling community in the U.S. consists mostly of evangelical Christians - people who are likely to believe in Creationism - their textbooks do not take evolution as fact. The article says,

Two of the best-selling biology textbooks stack the deck against evolution, said some science educators who reviewed sections of the books at the request of The Associated Press.

"I feel fairly strongly about this. These books are promulgating lies to kids," said Jerry Coyne, an ecology and evolution professor at the University of Chicago.

As a mom and a Christian, I can say "fairly strongly" that the secular classrooms are "promulgating lies to kids" when they don't allow Creationism to be taught.

Probably the thing that unites these two articles for me is the concept of TRUTH. Yousef found the Truth of Jesus in an unlikely way - and then that played out in his life in some unusual and amazing ways. Secular schools and publishers embrace "truth" in hypothesis like evolution, not willing to see the possibility of Creation being Truth. But Jesus was very explicit that HE was the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. In fact, over and over he said "I tell you the truth..." So, let us seek God's truth as we seek to be God's Light, Grace, Forgiveness, & Love.

So, God we pray for revelation of your truth.

⁴ Show us your ways, O LORD,
teach us your paths;

⁵ guide us in your truth and teach us,
for you are God our Savior,
and our hope is in you all day long.

⁶ Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.

¹⁰ For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.

¹¹ Teach us your way, O LORD,
and we will walk in your truth;
give us an undivided heart,
that we may fear your name.

¹² We will praise you, O Lord our God, with all our heart;
We will glorify your name forever.

AMEN.

(Psalms 25, 86 NIV, alt.)

** http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703915204575103481069258868.html

*** http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,588260,00.html

Free life

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you....It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life...Use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows...Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. (from Gal. 5 MSG)


I continue to wrestle with the concepts of liberty and freedom in a civil/national context and the concept of freedom through the grace of Christ in a spiritual context. I do not claim to understand it all, but I will say that I want the freedom that comes through living out Christ's grace. I don't know how to do it fully and completely, but I seek after it anyway. Will you join me?

God who came to proclaim release to the captives, help us to embrace the fullness of your abundant life lived through faith in Christ's grace. Help us to live that out as we serve one another in love. Spirit, animate and motivate us to the furtherance of your Kingdom. Amen.

The Face of Light

I received an email subscription that I thought fit into the Advent season, even though its writer is Rabbi Daniel Lapin. I copied the text of the devotion below (but left off the advertisements!).

[P.S. I can't get the devotion to look formatted correctly here - if you can't read it feel free to follow the link to it directly.]

But first our scripture and prayer...

¹ "Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

² See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

³ Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isa. 60:1-3 NIV)

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3:21 NIV)

Light of the World, You stepped down into darkness, drawing us to your grace, coaxing us to become your Children of Light. Thank you for this gift of grace given. In this season of preparation, help us to come to you in humility and honesty to reflect on our lives, confess our sin, and obtain your forgiveness. We want to be in the Light as You are in the Light and shine like the stars in the heaven. We want to be the face of Light in a word strangled by darkness, hopelessness, distraction, fear, greed, illness and death, cruelty, hunger, and so much more. Help your children in all places to be the face of Christ - the light of Christ - in a dark and dreary world. Hush the noise of strife in our world, and help us to hear the angels' song and to sing with them: Glory to God in the Highest! Glory to God! Amen.

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear © Public Domain by Edmund Hamilton Sears | Richard Storrs WillisIt came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold
Peace on the earth good will to men
From heaven's all gracious King
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing

And ye beneath life's crushing load
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow
Look now for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing

For lo the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong
And man at war with man hears not
The love song which they bring
O hush the noise ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing

Thought Tools by Rabbi Daniel Lapin

Hey, Buddy, Got a Light?

December 9, 2009 22nd day of Kislev, 5770 Volume II Issue #49

Forward to a Friend

What three changes could you institute that would improve your life? Most people know exactly what they ought to do and what they ought to stop doing that would make their lives better. Which begs the question; why don’t

we just go ahead and do these things?

The answer is what I call “The Force of Darkness.” Understanding and learning to conquer this sinister force is so important that God introduces us to this primeval darkness and general chaos no later than the second verse of Genesis.

According to ancient Jewish wisdom this verse reveals a dark force built into the universe that attempts to combat progress towards improving our lives. This is why it is harder to diet, exercise, and grow thin, than it is to sit around, eat, and grow fat. This is why it is harder to save and invest than it is to spend and consume or to educate one’s self and improve one’s career rather than to seek entertainment. This is why self-discipline is harder than indulgence or why it is harder to build a marriage than it is to destroy one. In other words, keeping the flame burning is just plain hard. It is far easier to sit back and allow darkness to win.

If the problem is darkness, surely the antidote is light -- which brings us to Chanukah, the festival of light.

Many mistakenly think that Chanukah is a post-Biblical rabbinical holiday. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, its roots lie in the Torah and within the prophecies of Hagai and Zecharia, centuries before the historic events.

Many mistakenly think that Chanukah exists because about 2,150 years ago the Hasmonean Maccabees won an extraordinary military victory over the Greeks and Jewish Hellenists. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, one of the reasons the loyal and faithful Jews were able to win the war was because it was fought on the days already prophetically preordained for light to defeat darkness.

Many mistakenly think that Chanukah is an annual holiday celebrated by playing silly games while eating oily potato latkes. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, just as ranchers must vaccinate their livestock each year to keep them healthy, Chanukah is an annual vaccination of light to keep ourselves healthy enough to dispel darkness.

On the first night of Chanukah we light one flame. We add a flame each successive night until we have a glorious extravaganza of light emanating from our menorah on the eighth night. Why don’t we increase the total light on this holiday by kindling eight flames every night?

Simple arithmetic reveals that lighting correctly requires a total of 36 flames. It is no coincidence that the word light appears 36 times in the Torah. It is also no coincidence that the first word in the Bible possessing the numerical value of 36 (each Hebrew letter is a number as well) is the Hebrew word AYEKA, meaning “Where are you?” which God asks Adam after his sin.

Needless to say, God knows where Adam is hiding. The question was not an attempt to discover Adam’s physical whereabouts but instead it was God admonishing Adam to reflect on his spiritual condition.

That word echoes down the ages as God asks each one of us every day, “Where are you?” The message of the 36 bright flames, increasing by one each night, is that you dispel darkness by achieving just a bit more today than you did yesterday. Remaining in one place is just a slower way of moving in the wrong direction. Staying the same is an illusion, not reality. That is simply the way God created the world.

Freedom

Today is Veteran's Day, usually a day which goes by with a quick internal recognition of the price generations have paid for these United States -- and a grumble about the Post Office or Bank being closed for the day. But for several days I've been thinking about freedom - both cultural/societal as a U.S. citizen and that freedom we gain from Christ. I will save my strong concerns about our freedom as US citizens for another blog. Instead, I will, too, thank God for the men, women, and families who have fought, served, and persevered in order to maintain these United States.

But, because my citizenship on earth is relatively temporary and I have a permanent citizenship as part of Jesus' family, my thoughts and prayers head in that direction. Jesus said, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36 NIV) My first freedom - and therefore my first allegiance - must be to Christ. Tommy Walker said it this way (and I agree):, "My allegiance and devotion, my heart's desire and all emotion go to serve the Man who died upon that tree"*. After all, "the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Cor. 3:17 NIV) So, Spirit, grant me your freedom.


As we know, though, there are still many who live without freedom, especially spiritual freedom. And we are called, at least in part, to proclaim that freedom to those in bondage:

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..." (Isa. 61:1 NIV)


You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love. (Gal. 5:13 NIV)


Maker, Father, Savior, Redeemer, Restorer, Rebuilder, Rewarder,Free-er:

All praise to you, Lord God for the beauty of your Creation and we, your Created.

With thanks we remember our freedom from death and sin. Thank you for the gift of grace.

Spirit of the Lord, be present and give us our spiritual freedom.
May we preach the good news to the poor in spirit.
May we help to bind up the brokenhearted and proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners.
May we serve each other in love.
May all our allegiance and devotion go to serve Christ, in whose name we pray.

Amen.




*("Only A God Like You," (c) 2000 Integrity's Praise! Music).

Decentralization

For the last 15 years or so I've heard people in ministry bemoaning the shrinking of the "mainline Church." This usually comes with the statistics of how many members were lost last year, what the trend has been the last 5 (10, 20, 50) years, and how churches and denominations are starting up programs to combat this decline.

And there are churches that have grown in the last 50 years, just as the "mainlines" have declined. Many independent and/or "non-denominational" churches have seen great growth in ministry. Some of the largest mega-churches have prospered outside the framework of the mainliners. Attending church doesn't guarantee salvation and the numerical growth of a church doesn't guarantee true spiritual growth. But statistics can tell us one thing: church membership in mainlines has declined and church membership in non-denoms has increased.

Does this mean God doesn't like mainlines any more? I don't think that's the point here. God is seeking worshippers (John 4:23-24); God is seeking men and women after His own heart (Jer. 3:15, 1 Sam. 13:14); God is seeking people who will SEEK FIRST the KINGDOM and God's Righteousness (Mt. 6:33). Whether a person seeking God is doing so in a mainline church, a nondenom, or another gathering of God's people, God will honor the genuine heart centered on Christ.

I've been reading online a lot in the last year about politics, economics, and sort of a "how the US got where we are" with regard to our economy and society. In that reading I've come across people who believe the US as a nation is on the downhill slide, just like Rome or Greece centuries ago. For a variety of reasons, there may come a time when the US as we know it doesn't exist. Aside from catastrophic events destroying it like nuclear war (or wonderful things like The Rapture!), there could be a time when the US government finally defaults on its debt, devalues the US$ so poorly, or does some other economically insane move (or moves). Or there may be a time when we find our federal government's power finally returned to the states and local governments. Or we may find our current US broken up into nation-states, much like that of Yugoslavia or the former USSR. No matter which of these scenarios might happen, the upheaval and societal chaos is nothing like most of us have ever considered, much less thought we'd live through.

Decentralization. The church of Jesus Christ is stronger (in my opinion) by being "decentralized" from the mainline domination of the 1950's. What if the federal government was seriously reduced and the power returned to the people and state & local governments? Could the governing structures within the US be stronger - and, more importantly, the people be stronger - if the power of federal government was "decentralized?" I believe so. (For reasons of brevity, I won't explain all my reasons here.)

As, perhaps, a side bar, what if our current societal/political trajectory continues? It is likely that American Christians would then see ourselves not only as marginalized in the public debate but persecuted. In the history of our nation we've never ever had to fight to be legitimate; this nation was founded on Christian principles and by (mostly) Christian thinkers. For them, as for Christians now, it would be unthinkable to not be a nation hospitable to Christians. But, what if that happened? Would we, the Church, be ready?

I'm not advocating violent revolution. Instead I'm trying to see what God is up to. God seems to have allowed the Church to be pruned for greater fruitfulness. Maybe God has done that work as a preparatory step to something we're going to have to face in the future. If the government takes away our rights to free speech (in the name of "political correctness" or "fairness") or to raise our children as we like (in the name of the "greater good") or to gather together (in the name of "hate speech"), then the Church would have to become a very different entity. No more mainliners or non-denoms; we would probably look much more like the persecuted house churches of countries like Vietnam or China.

Then again, Jesus said:

Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. (John 15:20 NIV)

He told us that believing in him was not without cost.

and

"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Mt. 8:20 NIV)

If we are a follower of the Christ we, too, may find ourselves without our "home base" and our "normal."

Jesus told us that:

¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. ⁸This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15 NIV)

Maybe the decentralization of the church has been because God is pruning his (universal) Church for greater fruitfulness. Unencumbered by the pharasitical issues of our day, God's pruned-for-great-fruitfulness Church is making disciples and teaching them to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and spirits -- and to Love our neighbors as ourselves. (Mark 12:30, Mt. 28:19) Jesus needed no central authority to live out his message of love and healing and grace. His marching orders came from directly from God. Do ours?

Are we personally pruned for great fruitfulness? Is our local church body (of whatever structure/denomination it may be) pruned for great fruitfulness? Do we allow God to prune us, even when it's painful and goes against the "norm"? Are we seeking God first, trusting in God to provide our "holes and nests" as we follow where our Shepherd calls us? Are each of us loving God, ourself, and our neighbor in such a way the world sees a beautiful difference and we are able to eventually make a disciple? Are we so deeply connected to the vine our fruit of the Spirit is evident? (Gal. 5)

Anyway, some food for thought.

God of Amazing Wonders,

Thank you for challenging us to always be seeking your Kingdom, your ways, your righteousness, your Heart as we walk through this life. When we get caught up in the concerns of this world, whether it be church attendance statistics or federal government issues, remind us that YOU are the Maker of the World, the Beginning and the End, and you are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Remind us you have the whole world in your hands and you are more than able to take care of everything. Help us be willing to allow you to prune our lives for greater fruitfulness. Help us surrender our bodies, our minds, our emotions, our relationships, our finances, our families -- all that we are -- to your capable care. Help us hear, confess, and repent when you point out our sin. Help us allow you to heal our wounds and our brokenness. Help us trust you to prune not only our individual lives but that of our churches. Help us to remain in you and to be deeply embedded in you, our Vine. Challenge us to become better at love.

Out of your glorious riches, strengthen us with power through your Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. May we, being rooted and established in love, have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.*

(*from Eph. 3)

Worst case scenario

I've been doing some research lately on emergency preparedness. Last week I had a conversation with someone who made the comment that in certain situations, "Worst case scenario: you're dead." And, strangely enough, that was actually encouraging to me; for to me being dead is not my "worst case scenario." No, to be dead would be great! Heaven, here I come! Grace upon grace...freedom from fears and tears and sorrow and pain and suffering...joy in worshipping God forever! No, that is NOT my worst case scenario.

Watching my children suffer illness or hunger or...whatever: THAT is my worst case scenario. A wise woman friend reminded me that God would be with me in that "worst case scenario." I can't understand all that God does or allows to happen. Like Job realized, God is still God even when we can't see him or know what he's doing. And so we have to wrestle back to this place of faith: God is with us no matter what we are going through.

Eventually, faith comes back to having our spiritual eyes and hearts set on heaven. We are warned we will have trials and trouble in this life (John 16:33) but we are also promised that we are not alone.

Jesus said, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Mt. 28:20 NIV)

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me..." (Ps. 23:4a NIV)

If God is with us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31b) So, then while a "worst case scenario" here on earth may be horrific, my hope is in heaven. I, for one, am more and more with Paul:

Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose. As long as I'm alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I'd choose. Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better. But most days, because of what you are going through, I am sure that it's better for me to stick it out here. So I plan to be around awhile, companion to you as your growth and joy in this life of trusting God continues.(Philippians 1:21-26 MSG)

And so we pray....

God of Abundant Life, Giver of Peace that Passes Understanding, Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow, the One whose Promises are Yes and Amen: All praise be to God, the Lord and Father of Jesus Christ and to the Holy Spirit. Thank you for your promises that we are precious and loved and that you walk with us through joy and through hardship. Thank you that you offer us the gift of salvation and grace and that you've already endured the ultimate worst case scenario because of your love for us. Help us to grow in joy and in trusting you. Help us to focus not on the fears and suffering of this world, but on living out the callings you give to us to be Salt and Light to the people around us. Help us focus on your strength, your provision, your grace - all for your glory. We pray in Christ's name...Amen.

Redeemed

Leave it to God to redeem some skubalon from my life and turn it into good. :)

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Gen 50:20 NIV)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28 NIV)

Several weeks ago I reconnected with two guys from many years ago in my life. I remember both of them with a certain amount of skubalon attached to the memories. But God has a way of seeing things differently. In the course of getting to know one of them now (we hadn't talked in 15 years), I learned his mom and sister each died suddenly and tragically within a few years of each other. That combined with a few other details led me to encourage him to seek out godly men to pray with.

After that conversation I realized I wasn't thinking about the skubalon, but instead of who he is now, someone who (like all of us) has pain and dreams and frustrations and joys and challenges and ... well, life. While I could point him toward God, I also realized that God had worked in me. God had redeemed something that had been harmful skubalon and changed it to be used for good. God had redeemed this part of my memory and sealed it with a new understanding of God's grace and mercy.

Reminds me of a song. (You're probably not surprised.):

"God Has Come" by Glenn Packiam

When darkness falls and sorrow finds me

This joy I know comes in the morning

When all seems lost and strength is fading

This hope I've found is everlasting, everlasting

Now faith is here and strength is rising

This grace You've shown is so amazing, so amazing

Our God has come to save

He holds us in His hands

His promise will remain

His Kingdom has no end

God has come, God has come

© 2008 Integrity's Hosanna! Music

Thank you, God of power and might, for being a God who redeems us, your broken ones. Thank you for not seeing us as broken, but because of Christ we know you see us as whole and beautiful children. Thank you for your work turning things intended for harm into things you can use for Kingdom purposes. Thank you for the blessings of your presence, your grace, your mercy, and your joy, peace, and strength. Embolden us to live as redeemed, called, and precious children of yours. Amen.

By the way - I heard something tonight that went something like this:

Anything anyone could call or label me in this life is nothing when compared to being called "Sinner" by God. Anything anyone could say good about me in this life is nothing when compared to being called "Child" by God.

Peace to you this day.

JV

Specks and logs, sin and grace

(This one's long, so the Prayer is first!)

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”" (Gal. 5:13-14 NLT)


Perfect, Holy, and Awesome God in Three Persons,

Thank you for revealing yourself to us through Creation. Thank you for the beauty of your earth, its animals and plants, and we who are created in your Image. Thank you for not giving up on us in the Garden of Eden, at the Tower of Babel, during the Exodus, or a host of times since. Thank you for sending Jesus to show us the Way to the Father. Thank you for convicting us of our sin and drawing us into your arms of forgiveness and grace. Thank you for offering us the Abundant Life lived in relationship to You and for calling us to tell others about your Love.

Help your Church throughout the world to speak Truth into confusion and darkness, but to LOVE instead of singling out groups of people to condemn. Convict your children where we have been unloving, and give us great depth of mercy for the Lost. Help us to have mercy on those who are still trapped in their own choices to sin. Give us courage to LOVE people and show them Your More Excellent Way. In the redeeming name of Christ we pray...Amen.

****

After about 15 months of journalling through the Psalms, I finally ran out. One to 150 - all done. Now what? I want to better understand theology of salvation ("soteriology"), so I decided to start Paul's epic letter on that topic, Romans. At my current rate it will be another 15-18 months before I finish, but that's ok. I'm not trying to hurry through my reading, but instead I'm going verse by verse and just listening....listening to what the Word has to say...and writing down things that strike me.

Last night I was reading the end of Romans 1. Paul begins by expressing his initial greetings and desire to visit the people at Rome and share the Good News with them. Then he begins his explanation of sin with the idea that God has revealed himself - and, therefore, what is not of God - to people through Creation since the beginning of time. "So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused." (v. 20c, 21 NLT)

Whether you are a Christian or not, I would expect you can see a world that has become dark and confused. And to the Christian, it's obvious that sin has a great foothold in our world. Paul then spends a whole paragraph (in the NLT) to talk about the sin of homosexuality. For many ministries, pastors and churches, this is where their focus on this chapter lies. They spend lots of time and energy berating the practice of homosexuality. But Paul's chapter goes on beyond that...and I think there's a real message to that.

28 "Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." (NLT)

While you could say the previous paragraph was directed at one group of people - those who choose to act on homosexual impulses - this paragraph paints a fuller picture of Paul's definition of sin. Here's the list:

wickedness
sin
greed
hate
envy
murder
quarreling
deception
malicious behavior
gossip
backstabbers
haters of God
insolent
proud
boastful
invent new ways of sinning
they disobey their parents
refuse to understand
break their promises
are heartless
have no mercy
know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway
encourage others to do them

While most of the world can avoid seeing itself in the "homosexual paragraph," I doubt any of us could avoid everything in this second paragraph's list. There's just too much juicy sin -- too much easy sin -- too much we might find hard to define ("What is deception in my specific situation, anyway?") -- too much that if done in secret we can kind of push under the rug ("That wasn't gossip, that was a prayer request!"). I may not be a hater of God, but I do struggle with envy. I may not have murdered, but I have quarrelled. You may also find yourself somewhere in the list.

Later on in Romans Paul says something very famous in Christian circles:
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Rom. 3:23-24 NIV)

If Paul had stopped at the first part of that verse, we might as well just give up on this 'be-friends-with God' thing; there's no way sinful creatures like us could come anywhere close to a holy and perfect God. But just like Paul's definition of sin didn't end with homosexuality, his treatise on sin has a different ending -- GRACE. We can be justified by God's freely given grace when we believe in and accept the redemption that came from Christ Jesus. Whew!

So, that leads me to another question: why does today's Church spend so much time talking about and condemning homosexual choices, and not so much for this much wider net of potential sin? Is it because we find it easier to point fingers at a fairly small proportion of the population (less than 5% in U.S.) than recognizing our own sins? Is it easier to make a category ("sexual sins") worse than "regular sins", instead of realizing the ways we do not follow our Lord's command to "Love"? Isn't a sin a sin a sin a sin a sin? I think God sees sin in that manner - anything that is against God's will, anything that draws us away from God, anything that keeps us from loving God and each other - is sinful.

Some would say that there are varying degrees and depths of sin, and maybe there are: some sins certainly seem to harm many more people than do other sins. But, is that how God sees us? Does he see the sin of homosexuality as worse than murder or gossip or disobeying your parents? Or are we asking the wrong question. I think God sees all our sin - ALL of us - as needing to be saved from ourselves, our sinfulness, and brought to the Abundant Life in Christ. When we accept the gift of Grace and salvation through faith, God no longer sees us as sinful, but as Beloved Children of the King of Kings.

A few final words...

"We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people." (I Thes. 1:4 NLT)

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." (Rom 6:12-13 NIV)

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." (Matthew 7:3-5 NLT)

"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”" (Gal. 5:13-14 NLT)