Waitt, Wait, Wait!!!

I don't know about you, but I have run out in front of God like a kid running out in front of his parents into the street too many times to count and have the scars to prove it. My running out in front of God has resulted in me getting hit by life unexpectedly many times. It is easy to blame it on God saying, "Why did you allow/cause this to happen?" instead of "What are you wanting me to learn from this?"

Look at what Jesus says about this in John 10.
2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

Are you following His voice today or are you trying to lead God into what you think is best?

Prayer for today: Lord, forgive me for not being content or willing to follow you instead of trying to lead you. Thank you for being the good shepherd that was even willing to lay down your life for me. I pray Lord, that you would help me to be led by you, to wait upon your leading, to seek to follow you, and that I would slow down enough to listen for your still small voice to guide me. I thank you that you are able to protect me from the enemy of my soul who only desires to steal, kill, and destroy whereas you have come that I may have life and have it abundantly. Let me follow you today into abundant life. In Jesus Christ Name I pray.

Oh Peace, Peace, Wherefore Art Though Peace?

Do you feel God has extended you peace like a river today?  Most likely that is NOT what you were feeling today as it seems real peace is harder to find these days.  I remember a particular time when a sense of peace came over me so profoundly, that I describe the moment as one that felt like buckets of cold water were dumped over my head as on a hot day and ran down my body.  What was I doing at the time such peace came over me?  I was praying over a very difficult decision I had to make.  What peace are we missing out on by not bringing everything to God in prayer?  God's peace is always greater than our circumstances!

Gorilla, Man, Gun

An article I wrote and never published because I thought there was already too much junk being written about the subject. Second, exactly what I thought would happen, did happen. NOTHING! It is all part of the machine that whips people into a frenzy over one issue and then later another like different dishes in a microwave heated until they boil over, then throw in another bowl and do it all over again. All the while people are manipulated to the point of being harassed like sheep. We ultimately need to keep our eyes on the author and perfector of our faith and allow cultural events to help us to see God and ourselves more clearly.

I remember playing Gorilla, Gun, Man instead of rock paper scissors in YoungLife. Here is my Gorilla, man, gun blog considering the recent events. Cultural flash points reveal things about us we may not see clearly all the time. When going through something difficult it is always a good question to ask, What is God revealing to me about Himself and myself in this? The scary reality revealed is that we are growing more and more justified in our hatred of one another whether it is politics, religion, or animal deaths. As a nation, we are being worked up against one another unaware of the slow change that leaves character qualities like compassion, empathy, and love lost in the process like roadkill on a Texas highway.

We all agree that actions speak louder than words, yet there is just so much hot air on this issue with no actions. So here is my air blowing in as well. Because I have done nothing in my life ever to impact the plight of gorillas I really can't get super worked up over one gorilla's death suddenly, as I have done NOTHING to preserve his life or any gorillas life EVER. Everyone upset over his death needs to check if you have ever shown any concern over ANY gorilla in your life. If you haven't given your time or $$ then you didn't really care before, so please remove yourself from the discussion because you didn't really care before it was cool to care about lions or gorillas.  

Another piece is that today, too many people act like experts about things they really are ignorant about. This is clearly the case when people with no kids want to tell parents how bad they are as a parent. People without kids or are not regularly responsible for kids should remove themselves from the discussion condemning the mother. (None of us really did have a clue until we actually had children). Lastly, and most importantly, all the parents that say I never let my children out of my sight and are thus ready to "shoot" the mother for losing her child for a brief moment, need to thank God for His grace and not condemn anyone who makes a mistake they never did. Just because we never made this mistake doesn't justify condemning someone else who does, especially when we didn't have to walk in their shoes with their child. The crazy thing about parenting is your own parents had the biggest influence on you as a parent. Change that little piece of your puzzle and you aren't the same wonderful parent either. Also, do you condemn every mother whose child has been taken from them by a predator or has ever been molested when the parent didn't see it happen? Do you condemn parents when their children fall down or get hurt, or do anything wrong while the parent didn't see it happen? The resounding answer is NO. Condemnation is really out of place here as well, but it is a great opportunity to say that good parenting is critical and should be more encouraged in our communities because it does impact others more than we realize most of the time.

This whole scene reminds me of the passage when an angry mob was ready to stone a woman caught in the act of adultery. She was actually guilty! Jesus didn't say, "whoever hasn't been caught in adultery before", he said, "Whoever is without sin, cast the first stone." Jesus wrote in the sand presumably some of their secret sins and they all dropped their stones and walked away. I don't like the way our country is being manipulated into an angry mob ready to stone anyone who does something they don't like or agree with. Can't it be enough that we have empathy for the family that was traumatized by this event and feel compassion for them without demanding they lose their children to CPS, pay financially, or even with jail. Can't we feel sorry for the individual at the zoo that had to make such a difficult decision about one of their favorite animals without all of the harassment and derision he has received? Can't we feel sorry for the person who had to pull the trigger as I am sure they loved working with animals not shooting them? Can't we all feel sorry for the wicked and hate-filled backlash towards all of these people by an angry mob sending hate and fear to torment those they didn't agree with, never stopping to answer Jesus question? He who is complete without sin cast the first stone. Oh yeah, that was Jesus who was actually without sin and he said, "Where are those that condemn you?....Then neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."

Parents do need to be careful with their children in public places as there are many "gorillas" in our society who are growing colder and colder in their hearts towards others and are capable of doing more evil things to other humans, even children. As adults, we set the tone for our children whether or not human lives are precious and whether or not we are ever justified in not loving one another. I think this issue has revealed there is a diminishing love for others that does not reflect the heart of God with too many wanting to rush in and grab the mother by the arm and drag her around in the water......Wait that is what the gorilla did! Lord help us!

http://www.fallongrace.org/2016/05/the-true-moral-fallacy-of-justiceforharambe/

Are we being manipulated?

In reading a book recently on emotional manipulation it identified part of the strategy of manipulaters is to create a F.O.G. of fear, obligation, and guilt that makes it difficult to resist. It dawned on me this morning, that is exactly what is happening in our nation with the Orlanda shooting. The use of this F.O.G. to get more power requires the American people to be manipulated into giving up their rights and freedoms. Hate crime legislation is aimed at removing 1st ammendment rights to free speech. Gun control legislation is aimed at removing 2nd ammendment rights and we are being manipulated to feel obligated or guilty if we don't surrender those rights. ........ This act of violence was perpetrated by a member of the gay community, Afghanistan immigrant, and Democrat. He was a regular attender of the club and was known by many through the hookup app "Grinder" as interested in men. By several accounts he was an unstable and abusive individual. Add on top of that he didn't even use an AR-15. We need to be very thoughtful as a nation before we lay down 1st and 2nd ammendment rights given non of these details are even being mentioned. The sounds good language of limiting hate speech when what classifies as hate speech and who gets to be the judge is often never considered, it is just assumed honest government with pure motives. It is a massive power grab by the government of our ability to have civil disagreements over issues and renders anyone who does not agree with the acceptance of transgenders in the bathroom and locker rooms as motivated by hate and needing to be silenced by the state. The sounds good language of closing the "terror gap" in our gun laws really does sound good until you realize there is no disclosure for who gets on the government watch list or even how to get off it. It is very much ripe for abuse and there is no due process to this removing of US citizens rights to own or purchase guns. Former liberal senator Ted Kennedy somehow got on the no fly list years ago and it took him 1 year to get the mistake cleared up even as one of the most powerful Senators at the time. Can you imagine the nightmare similar to dealing with the IRS that an ordinary person would encounter. Can you ever imagine anyone wanting to manipulate that invisible process for controlling, intimidating, or punitive purposes? The manipulation is aimed at silencing anyone who would object to homosexuality on moral grounds. The manipulation is also aimed at opening the door on controlling the guns of the law abiding citizens. Don't be manipulated! Don't allow them to terrorize you by fear. Don't be intimidated by unreasonable obligations stemming from something you are not responsible for. You are not obligated to suddenly apologize as though you had a part in this attack. It is a good time to reflect on your own heart if it has grown hard towards any of your neighbors and deal with that. But don't feel guilty if you have biblical convictions that say that there are moral standards for our behavior that sets limits on what is appropriate behavior sexually as well as the sanctity of all human life. Lastly, listening to Hillary Clinton talk about people being on the FBI watch list should not be able to buy a gun "terrorist gap", when she is actively being investigated by the FBI and is running for the president. When Hillary Clinton has received more money from countries that kill gays than any other candidate in the history of the US. You can see if you are being manipulated or not! So don't let your voice of reason and conviction be silenced by manipulation. Don't let a corrupt government take away your freedoms through manipulation. But more importantly don't let the love in your hearts grow cold towards God or one another through the manipulation by our greatest foe!

Here is a Democrat saying Due process is killing us: https://www.conservativereview.com/commentary/2016/06/manchin-due-process-is-killing-us?utm_source=TFPP+&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=Link+Swap+TFPP

Here is libs giving the shooter a pass and blaming Trump:
http://www.tmn.today/2016/06/cohost-gives-orlando-terrorist-a-pass/

Here is the ACLU blaming Christians:
http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2016/june/judge-dismisses-misdemeanor-charge-against-pro-life-activist-in-p-parenthood-case

When Entitlement Meets Grace

We live in a world that is revealing it is turning more and more inward to self.  One of the ways this appears is the Entitlement mentality we see evidenced by peoples demanding what should be given them and a lack of gratitude for what has already been received previously.  "The world owes me!" is the motto.  Free education...owed to me as my right.  Higher wage.....owed to me because I need it, not because I have done anything to make myself more valuable to my employer.  Healthcare....owed to me as a basic right.

But what happens when entitlement meets grace.  It is an interesting thing when people who live a self centered life demand grace from others.  Grace by it's very definition cannot be deserved or earned.  It cannot be demanded or it ceases to be grace.  Imagine a child demanding a certain gift or they would throw a tantrum.  It would be a foolish parent to encourage such behavior in the future by giving in to the child.  Imagine a teenager demanding a newer car than the one already given.  It would seem a good time to take the keys away or sell the older car and let some time on the yellow bus humble them.

Grace is a gift and gifts stop being gifts when they are demanded, expected, or extorted.  Grace is always out of the generosity of the gift giver, never the merit of the receiver.  It always originates in a heart that desires to bless in a way that shows love beyond what could ever be deserved.  The Grace Guilter always tries to link Grace back to what is obligated and yet by its very definition the two are incompatible.  God actually opposes the proud, but He gives Grace to the humble.  Don't demand grace from God with threats of a "tantrum" if you don't get your way and don't demand grace from others or it will dry up your spirit through the deceitfulness of your own heart.  When Grace meets entitlement resentment grows and so does the further hardening of the heart.  God's grace and His grace shown through others is meant to be the very instrument of humbling a pride filled heart, yet entitlement prevents this beautiful process from bearing anything but more entitlement instead of humility.

Live grace-filled lives today as you reflect on this reality, God does not need to do one more thing for you to deserve your complete and total devotion.  His grace was maxxed out on the cross for you and me.

Bread of Life Adventures 3/1/16

It is such an amazing thing to see God open doors before you when sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with people.  Well, this Monday was very surprising even to me.  I am trying to fully understand all that happened, but I find I am still scratching my head as to what was the difference this week.  There is one rule in giving away bread, prayer, bibles, or other resources such as the Jesus Film DVD.  That is, don't presume to be able to judge from a distance who will and who won't be interested.  You will miss literally every time!  The day began with a couple of those humbling moments of being certain this person was not going to be interested only to encounter some of the most thankful people you could pray for.
Things really began to change when I approached a young wife and mother at the gas pump.  She was glad to receive the bread as well as the DVD and prayer.  I was about to tell her, "God bless!" and walk away when I remembered the marriage conference to invite her to.  I invited her and it opened up more discussion that ultimately led to her sharing she had recently been given her own bible and after starting to read it had alot of questions.  A conversation began about the difference between religion and relationship with God and she ultimately prayed to give her life to Christ and begin a personal relationship with Him.  Wow!  I was surprised how God had prepared her and how I almost missed it, thinking she wasn't going to be interested as she seemed more in a hurry than spiritually hungry.
I grabbed another bag of bread and DVD and headed to the young man that had pulled up on the other side of the pump.  I offered the bread that he was glad to receive and offered the DVD and prayer.  It seemed he was ready to get to pumping his gas and I was about to say, "Have a blessed day!" when he asked me a question.  I had the thought of fishing when sometimes you feel a fish has gotten off your line and then all of a sudden you feel a pull again.  I stepped back in and we talked some more.  Sensing a little uneasyness I was ready to back off again.  He still seemed interested and made a movement in my direction as I backed up, so I asked him a much more personal question, "Did he think he would go to heaven?"  He said he thought he would.  I then asked, "If God asked, you, "why should I let you in heaven?", what would you tell Him?"  He really wasn't sure.  This led to a discussion to what is our hope and how is one saved.  When asked, he wanted to give his life to Christ right there!  Wow, I almost walked away twice on this one, yet God was faithful!
I grabbed another bag of bread and went to the other end of the pumps where I spotted a young man that I was certain would not be open.  All tattooed up, and the look of a young rebel.  Come to find out he was into recording hip hop and rap.  He shared that he always prayed before he made a recording so he could do his very best.  Also shared how it seemed like maybe something was still missing though.  I began to share about the difference in knowing about someone and knowing them personally and that God desired for us to have a personal relationship with Him.  I asked him if he wanted to give his life to Christ and begin a personal relationship with Him as Lord of his life.  He said he did and we prayed right there by pump number 2 to make Jesus number 1 in his life.  Wow, I never saw that one coming AT ALL!
I had several other amazing conversations with folks that sensed God was just drawing them back to Himself and drawing them back to church.  Felt very used and thankful that I could just be used by the Lord to touch lives.  Lives that it would seem would be in too much of hurry to hear about Jesus.  Two young 20's and a 19 year old in a gas station giving their life to Christ all within a 45 minute span through a stranger.
I hope this encourages you that maybe God could use you to pray for the folks God puts in your path.  You may just need to trust the Lord to use you to pray for someone and then step out in asking if they have any spiritual beliefs.  You have a God who wants to and is able to use you if you let Him.

Learning To Fight On My Knees

I remember growing up watching the movie "Rocky" and all of the sequels.  My brothers and I would rap towels around our hands and go back to our rooms and spar with one another until my mom would bust up the games with "Big Whitey" the belt of a giant that was always within reach in our house, or a good busted lip kicked the fighting up too intense.  Many of us grew up with Rocky as a hero and would jokingly say, "Yo, Adrienne!"  We were inspired to dig down deep and fight our way through anything!

There was an event that happened several years ago that has inspired me to fight even more than Rocky Balboa.  There was a young man struggling with drugs and depression that broke into our church one Tuesday while I was away studying at the library.  He didn't steal anything or damage anything but the door he forced entry through and was found sitting in the sanctuary playing the piano by the police.  He surrendered without contest when confronted with the police dog "option".  The police officer asked me if we wanted to press charges for breaking and entering.  I wanted to help the young man and show him mercy, yet he was high and not in his right mind which would pose danger to those in the community around the church.  I couldn't stand the thought of a mother losing a child in an accident and have to answer why I chose to let the young man go back on the street.  So I said press charges to protect him and others.

That Thursday there was an angry group of friends and family that staged a protest at the church around 5pm and called many of the local news outlets.  When I drove to the church that evening there were protestors with signs and news crews recording the scene.  I sent out a few texts for friends to pray, said a quick prayer and then stepped out of the car.

It seemed to me that when the cameras were rolling the hatred and intensity of the situation would double instantly and it wasn't looking like any good would come of this situation.  A young man I was discipling was there already and getting good and worked up with the protestors.  I identified myself as the pastor and got the leaders focused attention and verbal attacks immedieately. I began hearing for the first time the lens of their hurt and anger, "That we had the man arrested for praying just because he was hispanic, and that we were all racist."

It was in this moment I really sensed the attack getting personal that I felt God impressing on me to "Just stay down, don't let defending your actions or your ego become the issue."  My heart broke for the young man and his family and yet the protest only spiraled more out of control...until we prayed.  We got the step father of the man to pray with us for his son, just before I spoke to the fox news .  They put the camera over our heads and recorded us praying for this all to work out for the young man's good and for God to somehow be glorified in this situation.  Just moments before I was on air they were shouting in my face racist accusations and I had this peace come over me that as long as I stayed down, not one bullet could hit me.  It wasn't about me.  Aaaaahhhh, the soldier who stays in his bunker can hear the bullets hiss over his head, without taking a single shot.

In a matter of less than 10 minutes after that first prayer somehow the entire group of protestors were willing to gather hands in prayer with us in a big circle of about 25 or 30 people and pray for the young man in jail.  The protestors began to weep and ask us and the Lord for forgiveness, in addition to praying for the young man to get the help he needed for his depression and drug problem.  There was a love for one another that flooded into the parking lot that day that I will never forget.  With the last amen came hugs, tears and petitions for forgiveness.  The news crews missed the real story that day, but we had front row seats to watch the one of the most amazing events I have ever witnessed.

As the young man I had been discipling and I were walking back to the church in awe of what we just witnessed, I asked him a question, "Do you know how to fight?"  He replied emphatically, "YES!"  I asked him again, "Do you know HOW to fight?"  His reply was less sure but still, "Yes."  I said a third time, "Do you know how to fight and win?"  He said, "No, will you tell me?"  I said something I was just being taught myself, "When the opposition comes at you high and lifted up, where are they most vulnerable?"  His answer came quickly, "Down low."  I then said, "Why did you did you try to fight them with your pride and anger meeting them high and puffed up?  You must take a low and humble position and sweep the knee if you ever want to fight and win!"  Karate kid movie line duely noted, but it seemed to fit!

The man who broke into the church was released from jail eventually, came to church and apologized to the church and even was a regular attender before moving away from the area.  I was able to meet with him regularly in discipleship and he continues to be friends today with several in the church.  God was glorified that day and we all learned much about the power of God to bring victory even when destruction seems certain.

Fast forward a couple of years to yesterday.  I was on the phone with another man in the church I am discipling.  He had made great plans for doing ministry Thursday evening in the midst of a heavier than normal workload that day.  That was when his boss called and gave him even more work to finish for the day, last minute.  My friend tried calling me immediately because he was angry and frustrated that it isn't fair they keep dumping on him when they know he has to be out of there by 6:30 at the latest already.  I was on the phone and couldn't take his call.  He wresteled a bit and realized he needed to call on the Lord first not man.

I called him back right after he let God put that piece in place in his heart.  As soon as he realized that truth, his phone rang as I called him back.  He began talking about how he wanted to roll up his sleeves and fight for what was right and be willing to even quit his job if he had to in order to serve the Lord.  I reminded him he had been asking God and myself to teach him how to fight.  I then said, "I am on my knees waiting for you to shut up so we can start praying, because that is how we fight.  We have to get on our knees and let God fight for us!"  We began praying it down for God to get all of the glory, for God to work all of this together for good, for God to make a way where there isn't one, and on and on.  Even though he couldn't do his work and ministry that day, we called on God to make a way!"  It was G-O-O-D and we could really sense God delighting in us delighting in Him.

The moment we said, "Amen," he received a message on his phone that said, "Never mind on that additional job, I got someone else to cover it."  My friend was praising God for his faithfulness.  He was even more excited to go to the ministry event that night.  He understood better the lesson to not try to fight with pride the battle that is meant to be fought on our knees.  He was reminded of how able God is to fight for us and His enduring love and patience with us.  He even felt God gave him a testimony for his boss to further witness to him and those he was going to minister to how God was making a way for them too.  Resting in God's faithfulness and goodness is so much better than stressing and pressing in our own strength.

James 4:6 "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" and yet we hold to our pride filled ways as though they have been the source of our strength instead of weakness.

Heb 4:10 "for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his."

Exodus 14:14 "The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.”

Yo, Adrienne.....How do you fight?

Prayer:
Lord forgive us of our root sins of pride, self reliance, and unbelief!  Oh, we pray that you would raise up an army of praying disciples this year that "know how to fight" on their knees and that we would be granted the joy of being named among them Lord!  Let us run to You.  Let us rest in You.  Let us allow you to go before us and make a way for us.  Let us give you room to fight the battle for us while we fall on our knees.  Give us a deeper knowledge of who you are, that we could love you with more of our hearts, and walk with greater power in making you known to the world.  Let us be quick to pray and let us not be so quick to forget the way of Christ on this earth as the example of unwavering humility and dependant connection to You, His Father.  Let us take the time to be filled with your spirit before we walk in the busyness of our day.  Let us look back and see people scratching their heads and looking to you Lord in greater belief that you really do love them, because you intersected our lives with theirs!  Let it all be done to the praise of Your glorius grace that you have blessed us with in The Beloved, that you lavish on us with all wisdom and understanding.  Amen!

Bread of Life Adventures - 10-19-15

The Lord's prayer is one of the most familiar passages in the bible to most everyone.  I have recently come to understand that when Jesus prays for His daily bread, he wasn't suddenly concerned about what He was going to eat.  He tells us his food is to do the will of His Father.  Jesus is teaching us to ask for God to give us His will for today that His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven in our lives this day.

Well every day becomes a wild adventure when you walk in seeking to do God's will.  While we were praying following a great day of passing out bread and praying with the people in our community something amazing happened.  We were praying that God's church would become a beacon of light that people stumbling in darkness would be drawn to.  We prayed that the cross on the front of the church would shine brighter than ever before, that the lights would be twice as bright when people look at it.  We prayed, "Lord, draw your prodigals home."

It was only a few moments later we heard a banging on the front doors of the church.  I went to see who was causing the commotion and found a pretty rough looking couple at the door.  I let them in and they said, "We met you a few weeks ago at the gas station and you prayed for us.  We were driving down the road and saw the cross on the church and knew immediately that was the church where the people prayed for us.  I stopped in the middle of the road, put the car in reverse and backed down the street.  We need help and felt the Lord leading us to you."

The man gave his life to Christ, forgiving those who had hurt him and asking forgiveness with tears for all he had done.  We were able to give some help and they went on their way.  They were visibly changed in our presence as we prayed over them.

Wow, God is growing all our faith and we continue to ask, "Lord, teach us to pray!"

When Faith Becomes An Enemy - Bread of Life Adventure 4-27-15

I had the privilege of praying over someone yesterday that was as discouraged as any I have encountered.  Her story is one where her health has failed her all at once and she finds herself all alone and is not even able to get out of her house anymore.  She feels trapped physically, and tapped financially.

In addition to these struggles her once strong faith had now become her enemy? She grew up in the Pentecostal church teaching that if you had enough faith you could see health and prosperity come to your life.  You could see healing and financial gains if you only believe strong enough.  This is called the word of faith movement that has swept through Pentecostal churches around the world.  It leaves in its wake the poor and the sick left in the margins to suffer alone in their affliction with this reality, "Their faith just wasn't enough.  If only they had more faith."

When your faith is the problem, where do you go to get help?  When every source of help demands more faith than you can muster, what are you left with?  Despair, guilt, and loneliness become the consolation prizes.  What are the answers from scripture?  Well I told her that Christ suffered and that most of the disciples did as well.  Were they lacking in faith?  That Christ ended up with nothing in the way of material possessions and the disciples didn't either.  But the words that ministered to her the most to break the chains of guilt and despair were these,  "Was Jesus faith lacking, when He asked His Father if there was any way for this cup to pass.  Followed by, not my will, but your will be done.  Did Jesus lack faith when He prayed since His request wasn't answered according to his will?"

She chuckled to herself and said emphatically, "No!"  A glimmer of relief from her self condemnation began to enter into her face.  The fresh thought that she could believe again that God still loved her even though she was still very sick.  The very thing that had been taken from her began to be restored, her faith.  What does faith in the midst of suffering look like became our discussion.  Well for one, she is in no pain, yet her condition should be producing much pain.  There was a thankfulness for this blessing in the midst of her suffering.  But there still needed to be a restoring of purpose.  This woman knew how to pray and even knew what people needed praying for, yet was disconnected from those prayers because her faith had been so damaged.  She still had the great purpose of having uninterrupted time for being a prayer warrior.  Doing battle in the spiritual realms.  Many of us are so distracted in our lives, she claimed no such distractions as she had nothing but time to pass in her day.  She was encouraged that God didn't have to restore her health and finances to restore purpose to her life.  There was a great smile on her face as we prayed over her to become a great prayer warrior in a community that needs much prayer.

There was one more piece that needed to be restored.  Had all my prayers been in vain, why hadn't God healed me?  The answer to this question brought much peace.  "Paul's words that to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ and that to live is Christ and to die is gain."  She worried about a day when her body had died and she just lay in the ground waiting.  She couldn't see that this life and this body is just temporary.  That one day God would make all things NEW!  That death is not something for Christians to fear, but that while we live our lives have purpose and when we die the culmination of our deliverance and salvation are made complete.  Scripture tells us that we are made into the likeness of Christ with new and glorified bodies!  http://goo.gl/3nZ0o3 for a quick link to verses that discuss this more.

God doesn't have to answer our prayers in this short and temporary life to truly be good.  Sometimes he allows suffering, that it might produce a sweet bounty of joy in the midst of the suffering when we find that He is still enough.  And that there can be Joy, unexplainable Joy, even when suffering comes our way through Christ.

In fact I ask you what would make heaven sweeter for you, to be healed and blessed financially in this short life and the next, or for the trials and suffering in this life to be washed away for eternity when you meet Christ face to face and your salvation is made complete in Him?

Read Mark 5 and be blessed by the hope when we encounter Christ face to face, but don't make the mistake that many do from this passage that faith only believes for healing in the present and not also in the future.  We prayed for God to heal her, but also rested in not our will, but your will be done Lord on earth as it is in heaven;

5:21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live." 24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" 31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." 35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping." 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Bread of Life Adventures week of 2/9/15

We started a ministry of going out into the community around the church on Mondays to give away bread and pray for everyone God puts in our path.  We pray before we go, pray while driving, pray with people living around the church, and have a prayer meeting back at the church afterwards.  It has become one of the most exciting days of the week for me.  (And I dare you to go with us and tell me if it wasn't one of the most exciting adventures you've gone on in some time!)  Every Monday noon to about 4pm (you can go for as long as you want as we are just around the corner from the church at all times.)  Ok, enough inviting you to join....Here is the adventures from this week.

3 weeks ago we gave bread to a family and prayed for them in their driveway.  This past Sunday Amanda prayed to receive Christ during the service.  After AWANA's at church we visited with her boyfriend about Christ and were able to comfort him in a real tragedy that he had been through that stood as a barrier between him and the Lord.  God so softened his heart that he wept all the way to work on Monday and came to the men's bible study on Tuesday night.

While Laurie was praying at one house with the family the little dog was barking so much you could barely hear the prayer.  I began praying for the dog to be silenced and he went silent and didn't bark again!

We were able to pray with several people that surprised us how open they were to being prayed for.

We got to share the gospel with two young men that were working on surveying for a house being sold.  We gave the bread and Jesus as they visited with us for 20 minutes or so as we were able to really talk to them about how to build trust in their relationships and ultimately trust in Christ.

We ended back at the church in prayer, but during the prayer time I felt an urgency to leave and go home.  It was awkward to leave during praying together, so I hesitated.  I sensed again the Lord impressing on me an urgency to go home.  I left and headed towards home when a wreck occurred right in front of me on Hardin Store Rd.  I sensed the Lord wanted me to pray for the lady that rolled her truck, but was unharmed.  I told her I was a minister and felt the Lord wanted me to pray for her.  She immediately asked my name, I told her, she then asked what was the name of the church, I told her, she then almost snapped at me asking where it was located, I told her, then she grabbed my arm and fell to me saying, "I've been looking for a church home!!"  I prayed for her and she broke down in tears thanking me for praying.  Her name is Stacey Spalding (guess on spelling).  She literally rolled her truck in the ditch and easily could have been killed based on the damage to the truck, but she almost didn't have a mark on her from the wreck.  I thought later sometimes God has to turn our worlds upside down in order to get our attention.  Her's literally was turned upside down.  I think mine was too!

Weapons left unused in defeat

An old post that I never published.  enjoy

I had more people that appeared to be really far from the Lord have great conversations about taking steps to seek the Lord this week than I have ever before.  With everyone of them promising to come to church this past Sunday, only to see none of them come.  I had such a wonderful time Sunday hearing from Oddie and spending enjoyable time visiting and eating lunch with visitors and church family as we celebrated Memorial Day barbecue together.  But I couldn't help but be a little disappointed that none of the people I had invited had joined in the celebration that day.  I shared with my brother Brian and he had showed up at someones house to give them a ride to church, only to be turned down at the door.That spurred my brother and I to take another look at the situation.  We were talking with people that were squarely in the devil's grasp.

 Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

I was confronted by the reality that my burden to share the incredible riches of Christ, my longing to see people come to know Christ personally as their savior, was not equally matched with a willingness to bathe these individuals in prayer.  It revealed that I really had my confidence in the convincing words that "I" had spoken, that the persuasion that "I" had used to get them to agree to come to church.  My brother saw the same in his encounter.

I have not given up and God works things out in His own timetable, but I am gripped by the reality that I am trying to wage battle in the spiritual realm for men's souls, and I leave the greatest weapon relatively unused during the battle.  May God break me of such self reliance and self confidence and replace it with an utter dependence on Him and a God confidence that drives me to Him more and more.  That I might have the distinct joy of seeing those perishing in sin and destruction be snatched out of the flames.

This funny picture is funny, but only makes my thinking that my persuasive words were weapons of war that much more lame.  Let us learn to pray like we are doing battle on our knees.  Read this week that a lady in a muslim community that was seeing many convert to Christianity was seeking to train each new believer to be a prayer intercessor.  Let us do the same.

Relentless Pursuit

We held a men's retreat for the men of our church.  The theme was, "The Greatest Thrill, Becoming Fisher's of Men!"  It has stirred me with a thought that has continued to linger in my head.  It is like when we get a tiny break in the clouds and a little sunlight breaks through.  It is as if a tiny glimpse of the heart of God broke through and I can't get past it.

The ray of light that penetrated my heart began with my brother sharing out of Jeremiah 16 a passage that pointed to the Judgement and Redemption of Israel.

16 “Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the Lord, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.

Click to read the entire chapter

In the same way God pursued men for judgement, He also pursues them for redemption.  In fact the judgement of God is nothing other than the Lord revealing to men their need for deliverance from their sins.  It is the way that God pursues men that I have not been able to escape.  He pursues with a Relentless Pursuit.  That is the character and heart of God.  This passage ends with God expressing His desire for men to know His power, His might, and to know His Name Yahweh!

When Jesus then says in Matthew 4:19 "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of of men."  He is revealing His heart of relentless pursuit of men!  And chooses men that were already in a relentless pursuit of fish.  They could fish ALL night and not catch anything without giving up and still let down their nets one more time at a strangers suggestion.

We so easily miss the heart of God in His word and in our lives.  There is a depth to Him that makes it hard for us to fathom when we love to swim at the surface and in the shallow water.  In the depth of His character we see He does have a heart that is relentless in His pursuit of men, but WHY?  He has a relentless love that manifests in a relentless pursuit of men.  It is why we see time and time again God pursuing men with His faithful and gracious love.  John 3:16 "For God so LOVED, He SENT His son."  God has a relentless love for you and me!  God has a relentless love for your neighbor and lost sinners.  Do you?

Jesus always connected love for God with love for others.  The great commandment reflects this reality with perfect clarity.  All the law and prophets hang on loving God and loving others.  Peter after being called to become a fisher of men goes back to catching fish after Jesus death.  Jesus meets him again on the very shore he called them out of their boats the first time.  He connects for Peter love for the Lord with a love for others.  He asks him "Peter do you love me?"  to which Peter proclaims he does, then Jesus commands him "Then feed my sheep." (Read passage here)  Jesus is trying to connect love for the Lord and love for others.  Peter's life is no longer marked by betrayal, but rather a relentless pursuit of men as a fisher of men.

It is such an incredible thing when a fish gets out of the fish bowl, picks up a fishing pole, and starts to fish because he loves God and others more than himself.  A little scary too!

Lord help us to love you and others enough to pursue you and others with a relentless love that causes us to pick up the fishing pole and proclaim the greatness of your love this week....Amen!

Why do I Doubt God

There is a tea house atop one of the world's most daunting trails to reach it.  I can only imagine someone being led to embark on that trail by a friend without them telling them how long the trail was or what surprise awaited them at the top.  "Just trust me it will be worth it!", might not be enough to get some to go the distance.  I think this is really the issue between us and God.  His promise is not enough for us because we struggle to really trust Him.  We need way more details.  Like how long is this going to take?  How safe is it?  What exactly is up there..."Oh really, well what flavors do the serve?"  We fundamentally struggle to trust anyone but ourselves and that is why we think we need way more than the beautiful promise of Romans 8:28.  Actually it is not a promise....It is something we KNOW already!

Romans 8:28 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.

I find that if everything does not go my way right away, then I don't believe that God is really going to work this out for my good.  Yet so many times, God has to bring me to the point of it being out of my hands before He is willing to step into the situations of my life.  I can't imagine how much despair and a sense of everything being wrong that the disciples and followers of Christ must have felt seeing Jesus arrested, then beaten, then seeing the sentencing of execution, then actually seeing Him nailed on the cross.  I can only imagine how hard it would have been to believe that God was in complete control and that the greatest work God had ever done was being done right in front of their eyes.

I just have a hard time admitting how little faith I have, and slow to recognize how little I have sought for God to give me the gift of greater faith and trust in Him.  To my shame I am all too often content with little faith and a much too small view of God.  So here is to all those out there like me that long to draw in a full breath of Christ's trust in His Father and see our fears fade like distant thunder.  If you are seeing things go different than you would have ever written the script, take heart it is in these moments when He takes us down paths that none of us would choose that He does what none of us can, so we can taste what we have never tasted before.  Tea Anyone?

Praying prayers that are scary

I was trying to explain something the other evening and it has been still clinking around in my head like a rock in a tin can.  It rattles around in there but won't quite come out.  The thought is this: What do prayers of real faith actually look like?  Do you only pray prayers that feel safe or is there an element of risk, yet you press in harder?  I often find myself praying in such a way that I "leave room for God to answer however He wants"  It sounds spiritual and holy, yet often all I have done is leave room for Me to save face.  I don't want to send a prayer up that gets shot down and comes crashing back moments after it is sent up.

I get the point that Jesus asked if there was any way for this cup to pass from Him, but not His will be done.  He yielded to the Fathers will.  That was still a daring prayer knowing what was about to happen immediately after he finished praying.  I see many times of Jesus engaging with much bolder prayers than I would ever pray and with a much greater quickness of answer than I could imagine.

To tell the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the dead to rise would bring me to a crisis of belief to utter such words over a person in any of those conditions even if I sensed the Lord wanted me to.

Back in December I was challenged by a friend that prayed for a need in our church to be met today.  He kept asking for it to be done...Today....Today Lord!  I didn't know what to think about it.  Was it brash and arrogant, or was it a greater picture of what faith really looks like.  Well it was Christmas Eve and as many of you know one of the needs of the church was to have paved parking places for some of the members who are a little less sure footed to have a safer exiting of their cars than the rock parking lot we had could provide.  Well, that very day a whole crew of pavers pulled into the parking lot unsolicited to meet up with the owner of the company and it worked out that they poured the first section of our parking lot on Christmas Eve.  Today was answered on a day I was not really believing God was going to do anything significant.

The passage we read in our Life Group this past Sunday was Mark 5:35-43
³⁵ While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” ³⁶ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ³⁷ And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ³⁸ They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ⁴⁰ And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. ⁴¹ Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ⁴² And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. ⁴³ And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

It struck me how bold Christ was to speak such words believing the Father was going to do just that, at just that moment.  He put all of the people out of the house that was covered with grief!  I have trouble praying prayers for healing when death seems more eminent than life and I don't even fathom praying for the dead to come back to life.  Yet Jesus just speaks the words, Little girl I say to you, Arise, not affected one bit by the reality that had dried up everyone else's faith in that moment.  If it is impossible to please God without faith, then I pray that God would help me to pray more of those white-nuckled, God pleasing prayers that leave me no out but to rely on Him and trust in Him completely.  May we see God do things that resemble more of what we read in the early church in Acts.  May we see God inhabit the prayers of his people.  May I see the Lord teach me to pray with more faith....Today

Dying to Live

Alicia got a head cold and was running out of gas as she reached the finish line.  So I had the privilege of helping to write the last post out of 31 posts putting a wrapper on the Dying to Live series.  If you haven't read any of the series I guarantee you that you will be blessed by looking closely at the richness of Christ's relationship with His Father.

Dying to Live

Painted Bars

In trying to explain what happened to me in Uganda to someone that didn't go, I put into words what I had been struggling to wrap my mind around all along.  How was it that we felt so much more set free in Uganda than we did in America.  Every one of us felt such a strong sense of being set free, that we didn't really want to come back.  I write those words and can hardly believe them myself.  I missed my children and family as we were away 2 weeks at that point.  What was it that was drawing us back like a bug to a light.  I think it is this, we are set free in Christ Jesus our Lord from the prison of sin and self.  But rather than live a life of faith and trust in Christ for our daily sustenance, we prefer control and comfort instead thinking these bars will keep us safe and secure.  We prefer to go back into the prison that we have been set free from.  We take out our paint brush and paint the bars until we can hardly tell they are there.  The problem is we can't paint the outside of the bars.  When you travel so far out of the jail cell and look back, you can see every black iron bar that held you back from truly resting in Christ for your everything and resting in intimacy with Him.

We call this cell our comfort zone, yet we are held in it by fear.  By Fear we are kept in this zone we call comfort.  There is a reason none who had been set free wanted to step back into the jail cell.  We could finally see it for what it was, bars of fear and doubt that held us back from enjoying freedom in Christ. 

Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.

Rest...less or Rest...Lest

I have spent the last 10 days going non-stop here in Africa.  Today was the first day that there was scheduled time to slow down and decompress.  The team prepared to go white water rafting this morning on the White Nile and I was excited about going, but instead was awakened by the Lord impressing on my restless heart, Rest Lest.  I wasn't sure what the Lord desired to teach me, but I knew I needed to pass on the rafting and seek time alone with the Lord.  It was actually surprising how brief the moments were the last 10 days that I have had alone with the Lord.  All of our time had been rich in the Lord, but it was always together with others.

It has been an incredible trip filled with seeing God do miraculous things on a near daily basis.  It has been a trip that has been most humbling and rewarding to me, having the opportunity to be used to bless Morris's church in Mbale by pointing them to the beauty of the holiness of Christ, being used to share the gospel and see lives changed by the power of Christ, and having the high honor of getting to preach the first Sunday in the church we planted a sermon pointing to a foundation of grace for our lives and the church.  Through all of this I have seen God working on each team member and through each team member, but I felt as though God had not done any major overhauling on my heart this trip.  I longed for God to break up any hard places in my heart.

Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

There was finally a break through, light penetrating though a tiny pinhole in my heart.  There had been a recurring theme popping up that we should "Rest In God", but the impact never went to the depth I believe I needed or rather God desired.  I spent the morning reading Ecclesiastes and even taking a nap with prayers on my heart and scripture in my thoughts.  It was ok, because I had time to rest.  In time the Lord opened my eyes to see that I am usually resting on my own strength, resting on my own understanding, resting or better said, "TRUSTING" in my own abilities.  When I do this, I am the one who receives the glory and yet I was created by God with the chief end to bring glory to Him.  When I trust in and rely on myself I am actually robbing God of glory.  It is as if I am marching into the treasury of heaven and robbing from God's treasuries of glory.  Satan desired God's glory, Adam and Eve desired it, and so do I.  Ouch!

I will be flushing out more that God began opening my eyes to in the days ahead, but to start the journey into better understanding "Rest in God...Lest we rob Him of glory" lets look at some verses to set our course.

1Cor 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1Peter 4:10-11 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:  whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.  To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Rev 1:5-6 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom of priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Eph 3:21 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Rev 7:12 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Rom 11:34-36 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?  Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

The early church founders understood this when they coined the Latin phrase Soli Deo Gloria - Solely To God Be Glory!

This challenges me and convicts me that I am untroubled by my robbing from God.  Add it to the list of 10 commandments that I break daily.  The more I seek the Lord the more I relate to Paul's words in Romans 7, "who can save me from this wretched body of death?  Thanks be to the Lord Jesus Christ."

Relational Bank Accounts

Confession Time, pull up a chair. Two things that really upset me as a parent: the first is when one of my children tell me all kinds of horrible things that someone else has done to them and it is all the other child's fault.  Given the info the only way to respond is to be upset with the other child.  You confront the other child only to be blindsided by the fact that there is a major part of the story that has been left out.  Namely the part the original child did to start the whole incident. Just really irks me when I feel lied to

The second thing that I hate is when you tell your children to do something and the moment you step out of the room, they totally stop doing what you have instructed and begin doing something totally off task, (like playing the Wii).  You step back into the room later and they quickly jump to working on what it was you wanted like they have been slaving away the whole time. 1

Well both happened today while Alicia and I were going to get our immunizations to travel to Uganda.  After several phone calls to help resolve arguments and fights, I was good and irritated by the time we got back home.  I was determined to make sure this never happened again.  I really wanted to make them pay.  That thought about paying popped into my head.  I thought I've got to think of a way to not ring their necks, and connect the consequences to the offense with creativity.  A thought I think was inspired by Kevin Lehman's "Have a new kid by Friday" book.

I decided to do something that would shut all the bickering up quickly and create a high pucker factor.  I said, "Go get all of your money and bring it in here."  All of our kids have more money than I do, so I knew they would all have a full piggy bank.  While they were getting the money, I decide to bring home the point that they are emptying their relational bank accounts by making them pay one another for each they they did wrong to each other.  1 dollar for disrespect and 2 dollars for hitting/inflicting pain.

When we began they all were put out with one another and everything was an argument.  They told me every event that happened and I made them pay.  Some incredible lessons came out of it.  They all felt they had been wronged worse, but when the final money was paid it was almost equal.  It is really interesting how skewed our perspective of our offenses really is.  Everyone's is worse than our own, yet we tend to even things out much more than we really think.  We really do see the speck in other's, but fail to see the plank in our own.  Funny I was wrestling with this passage in my studies right after this.  You can listen to the sermon here. 

Once money got involved they were much more motivated to treat each other with respect, but we should value the relationships that are eternal more than pieces of paper.  We really do struggle with our love of money over relationships from an early age.  The fact my kids had to learn this from me was pretty convicting.

The power of accounts to level out, for good or bad.  It really was funny watching the handing over of cash for every wrong action cause real frustration with the one having to pay.  It seemed so unfair.  But before long it was coming right back to them.  It was almost perfectly balanced with A LOT of dollars being passed back and forth.  I had no idea it would end up this way.

After doing this exercise everything seemed to be resolved between each other.  They didn't realize how much they had done until they had to pay for each thing.  Seeing their own offenses humbled them and made the hurtfulness of others diminish.  They didn't even seem upset any more at all with all the things that had them so upset just minutes before.

Calluses of the Heart

I often ponder the question, "How would my life look different if I was sensitive to everything God wanted to do in me and through me?"  I find that God does some of the most profound things in my life with such delicate and gentle promptings that I almost missed it.  It causes me to shudder to think the number of times when I go through my day and never sense the gentle touch and leading of the Holy Spirit in my life.  Or the sheer number of days that I don't want to be bothered because I am so focused on doing important things.  Many times the things of God seem to come as interruptions even, only to see what incredible beauty I almost missed.

It is a callused heart that forever resists and doesn't want to obey or even feel the gentle promptings of the Lord.  I forever remember the story from my brother Brian's life that taught all who would hear that sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is a matter of life and death, physically and spiritually.  He had been praying for a time that the Lord would remove the flesh that hinders him sensing the prompting of the Holy Spirit in his life.  He found himself at a party with an audience telling the tales of a recent great hunt.  It was the best part of the story when an odd thought popped into his head, "Where is Bryson."  He knew it was the Lord, but he sure hated to miss delivering the most impressive part of the story.  He decided to obey even though his wife was watching their son.  Well Bryson had jumped into the swimming pool without anyone seeing it happen and was on the bottom of the pool looking up for help.  Bryan saw him and jumped in saving his life.  He was holding his breath and no harm done other than the addition of a few more grey hairs on Brian's head.

God was good and gracious that day to Brian and our entire family, but what incredible truths poured out of that encounter with God.  The Holy Spirit is God and is not to be put off, told to "Check back with me later.", or even questioned, "Are you sure Lord."  To obey the Holy Spirit's prompting is to allow God to reign as Lord of our lives and to do anything else is disobedience.  It also produces the most incredible view on life as you literally see the miraculous works of God before your eyes on a regular basis.

I recently had an encounter with the Lord that left me humbled by the goodness of God and the blinding hardness of my heart.  I continue to trust in my eyes more than I do in the Lord.  I think I see things so clearly only to be so very wrong.  Yet, again and again, I trust my eyes, my understanding, and my wisdom, instead of just trusting in the sufficiency of Christ.  Oh the calluses on this heart of mine.

I meet with a group of guys at Whataburger on Thursday mornings.  We have developed a whole group of friends that we call our Whataburger buddies.  On this occasion it was Edna and Tiffany who were showing up for their shift that would start at 6am.  Our group has prayed for each of these ladies over a dozen times when they would come by with our food or coffee.  I caught Tiffany in the parking lot finishing her cigarette just before going in.  I thought it might be a chance to encourage her to quit smoking by using the book of psalms.  Every time you have an urge to smoke, open up your bible and read whatever psalm you turn to.  Let your craving for nicotine fuel a craving for the Lord, and watch nicotine's hold diminish and God's hold on your life explode.  I also had the opportunity to ask her what she needed prayer for in addition to help quitting smoking.  She gave her usual vague answer about prayer for friends and family.  I then asked her a question that popped into my mind.  It cut through all of the smoke and vague generalities to the heart of the issue she had been struggling with so much that it startled her.  Edna walked up at that time and I prayed for both of them in the parking lot.

As we entered the restaurant Tiffany was still looking at me and asking how I could know exactly what she was dealing with.  All I could tell her was that, "God knows what her struggles are and has the answers if she would just trust in Him."  About that time I see a "big 'ol boy" sitting with a rather scowl look on his face as he sat waiting for his order.  A gentle thought brushed past me that prompted me to pray for him.  Like I had done so many times before.  But this guy was a big dude and didn't look all that happy.  I hung around the counter and drinks as I tried to convince God not to have me get totally shot down in front of my friends and whataburger buddies that I had just so impressed with my godliness.  I reasoned I was just being carried away with the moment, that God had no intention of blessing that big guy.  I thought it would just make him uncomfortable, and me along with him.

Finally, I had to step out in obedience, even if I was suddenly a big chicken.  I said, "Hi!" and introduced myself and asked him how he was doing.  Trying to figure out how to do this prayer thing that had suddenly gotten very hard to do.  That is when he asked me if we came here regularly and what church we were with.  He shared how he grew up in a small church, but was feeling lost in the very large church he was attending since coming to the area.  I then asked him the question that had kicked me out of my comfort zone in the first place.  "Well is there any way that we can pray for you this morning?"  His response, "Yeah, actually I could really use your prayers this morning!"  Standing where you would place your order, My friend Tyson and I prayed for our new friend Philip as God continued to soften this calloused heart.

An incredible update to this whole story.  It was in May when God showed Tiffany that He knew exactly what she was dealing with.  Last Thursday when she came over to our table I asked her how we could pray for her.  She didn't give the simple friends and family answer, but rather hung in thought as she struggled to answer the question.  She finally said, "Man, that is a tough question."  I don't know why I asked her it, but I just felt a nudge or quirky idea pop in my head.  I then asked her," If you were at the end of your life and stood before God and He asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would you tell Him?"  "Oh man that's even harder to answer!  I guess I give my life to Him and ask Him for the forgiveness of my sins"  A great conversation ensued in just how to do that now and not wait til the end of her life.  She prayed to receive Christ as her Lord and Savior standing at the end of our table.

What joy God has brought to her life and each of ours when we trust and obey!

Jeremiah 3:25
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.
Jeremiah 4:3-4
"Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns, circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts,

My prayer: "Dear Father, forgive me for being so slow of heart to trust you and so hard of heart to think I always know better than you.  Train my heart to be sensitive to your still, calm, gentle voice, and give me the grace to have the faith to trust in you above all things.  Amen!