Your Greatest Place of Influence

Your Greatest Place of Influence?

There were about 20 of us gathered on the front yard of a local church to observe the National Day of Prayer yesterday. In the middle of one of our prayers, as I heard the traffic rushing behind us, horns blowing, motors revving; the apparent absurdity of our enterprise made its way into my consciousness. There we were, several pastors, some retirees, a teen ... singing hymns and praying ... while the world charged ahead. I was tempted to wonder if we were just comforting ourselves with religious exercises?

If our hearts were turned to God and His Presence, we were doing significant work! We cannot measure the efficacy of our prayers in the moment. Results do not necessarily correspond to numbers. We were intercessors and I believe that a single faithful intercessor can change the course of history. Oswald Chambers points out that prayer for others does not mean entering into their mind, but rather entering the Presence of God. He says, “Our work is to be in such close contact with God that we may have His mind about everything, but we shirk that responsibility by substituting doing for interceding.” - My Utmost For His Highest

Moses knew the merciful heart of God and he went in prayer on behalf the stubborn people who had offended Him. "In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” The LORD replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times- not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it." (Numbers 14:18-23, NIV) Isn’t that just magnificent? Moses gained forgiveness for the sinful nation!

Yesterday, the little knot of people on that church courtyard of whom I was a part, stood humbly and impressing no one with our numbers or power, but we touched God on behalf of our city and nation. Only God knows what was accomplished in our prayer meeting.

From my reflection a new conviction is growing in me and now I wonder if I spend enough time secretly praying for the people for whom I am a shepherd? Lord help me if I do not enjoy talking with God about them more than talking to them about God! If there is no prayer in the work that I do, there is not power for change. And yet, I  gain great assurance from what James plainly tells me. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” (James 5:16)

Be an intercessor! That sounds lofty, doesn’t it? But, in fact, what it requires is sacrificial love - for God, for people - that causes us to reach upward to Him and outward to them at the same time. We become a bridge for His blessings. Jesus is our One Mediator of grace. We cannot ‘save’ others by our efforts, but we can move heaven and change earth from our secret place of prayer.

In 2013, what America needs more than anything is an army of intercessors. The godlessness of our culture will be little effected by religious programs, by legislation, by public relations campaigns, or building more churches. God desires bridge-builders who enter His Presence to make a plea for others. Let them intercede: “Have mercy, God, on your people! Don’t abandon your heritage to contempt. Don’t let the pagans take over and rule them and sneer, ‘And so where is this God of theirs?’ ” The Message, Joel 2:17

Father, pray for your children by name, each day.

Husband, pray for your wife, lovingly, each morning.

Wife, pray for your husband personally every day.

Pastor, pray for your congregation, each day.

Christian, pray for your circle of friends, your world.

Here’s the word from the Word. " I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men-the testimony given in its proper time." (1 Timothy 2:1-6, NIV)

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Arise, my soul, arise

Shake off your guilty fears!

The bleeding sacrifice

On my behalf appears;

Before the throne my surety stands,

Before the throne my surety stands,

My name is written on His hands!

He ever lives above

For me to intercede,

His all redeeming love,

His precious blood to plead.

His blood atoned for every race,

His blood atoned for every race,

And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

My God is reconciled,

His pard'ning voice I hear.

He owns me as His child

I can no longer fear.

With confidence I now draw nigh,

With confidence I now draw nigh,

And Father, Abba, Father, cry.

O My Soul Arise

Charles Wesley | Eric McAllister

© 2012 Sovereign Grace Worship (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Just take a pill!

Just take a pill!

We love our medicines, don’t we?  We have great faith that there should be some chemical to cure what ails us.  I am thankful for Aleve that keeps me from feeling those aching muscles, for the work of the pharmacy industry in helping us to find ways to manage things like diabetes and high blood pressure, but…  we need to realize that the best health comes from lifestyle, not pills!  That desire for a quick fix creeps into our Christianity, too.  Many of us wish there was a 1 minute prayer that would remove temptation,  an weekend experience at some revival meeting that would solve our family problems forever, don’t we?   

I’ll admit it:  I’d like to preach one sermon that answers all the needs of the people in the pews. It would be great if I could find a series of sermons that would  lead all of the people to a vibrant relationship with the Lord, or if I could find the one system that would assure that the work I do is always effective. You’re smiling, aren’t you? You’re right. There are no one-shot solutions for life’s complex issues!  You know it and so do I.

Here is God's wisdom. We should greet the difficulties of the day with joy because the Spirit uses them to change us into better people, with deeper and stronger faith.  Yes, really! "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the  testing of your faith produces patience." (James 1:2-3, NKJV)  James goes on to laud steady effort, a consistent application of ourselves to resist the natural tendency for all things to slide towards decay! 

Thanks to sin’s entry into Creation, flowers in our garden must be fed and watered. Weeds grow without care.   God says, "Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." (Hebrews 12:1, NLT) The Spirit’s counsel is not to look for a pill; instead, God tells us to keep on, keeping on: "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:36, NIV) Perseverance. Endurance. These words mean the ability “to persist in spite of opposing force,” and “to stand up under the pressure of adversity or stress.”

It may seem that success comes to the ‘lucky’ or the talented. The fact is that success, which God defines as “finishing well,” comes to those who courageously stick with responsibility or relationship even when it hard to do so.  It is important to do a heart check in all this. Stubbornness and conviction are next-door neighbors. The former is born of self, the latter of principle. There is a time to listen to wise counsel that points to the necessity of change. Only a stubborn fool takes pride in his unyielding commitment to a lost cause. A wise person holds onto the will of God, following Him into tomorrow, with his hope founded squarely on faith in the Promise of the Kingdom’s fulfillment.
Want to develop maturity of faith? Endure, even in tears!
Need to see that teen-age son through the storms? Persevere, in patience!
Involved in some service or ministry that is stalled? Steady on, one day at a time!
Struggling to conquer a habit that cripples you? Don’t yield ground or compromise!

Take this counsel from the wisdom of the Word. Pray for faith to align your actions with what you claim to believe and wait for the purposes of God to emerge. He is faithful, friend.

"So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way." (James 1:4-7, The Message)

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When the valley is deep
When the mountain is steep
When the body is weary
When we stumble and fall

When the choices are hard
When we're battered and scarred
When we've spent our resources
When we've given our all

In Jesus' name, we press on
In Jesus' name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on

Press On
Dan Burgess

"I Exalt Thee!"

My solitary voice raised in song in the church sanctuary yesterday: “For Thou, O Lord, art high above all the earth; Thou art exalted above all gods…”   After hearing a report that was discouraging, I knew there was only one thing to do:  offer my praise and worship to the One who is greater than all these ‘light and momentary’ troubles.  For the rest of the day and into the night my mind worked on the problem, but with a different perspective.  I was not alone. It was not my burden to carry.  I am expecting His answer, encouraged by His greatness, because worship changes me.

Paul and Silas knew the power of worship. After being falsely charged and cruelly beaten they were thrown into the inner, dark cell of the jail in Philippi. Through their tears, they lifted their hearts together in worship. "Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening." (Acts 16:25, NLT)  God sent an earthquake that shook the foundations of that prison and their chains fell off.  But the best result that night came when their jailer saw their great faith in the Lord and trusted in Christ Jesus.  The Church was planted in that city that night, growing out of a sacrifice of praise. Worship changes circumstances.

Worship goes to the heart of our identity.  N.T. Wright says that “You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship.” ― Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense   I want to be like Jesus, so I will come and bow in worship!  What we do flows out of who we are.  Do you want to be changed? Then, become a person who lives worshipfully.

From the beginning,  God has sought our worship. In the 10 Commandments, we are told that there are to be no other gods, no idols, in our lives.  He owns our worship exclusively. Does He just want the songs we sing on Sunday? Not at all.  Worship takes many forms, but the heart of it is the same: giving worth to the Lord. 

We can worship by caring for His Creation.
We can worship by loving those He loves.
We can worship by writing a poem. 
We worship when we pray in faith, when we give our time and money to causes of His kingdom. 

Worship is putting Him first, before all other persons, things, or possessions. 

Worship is both an act of faith and a response of our heart. 

Sometimes worship pours out of us like a standing ovation at the end of a great performance.  God’s Presence touches us so deeply we just cannot help but praise Him!  And then there are times when we worship Him because He demands it and we desire obedience!  Know this: because worship releases such power, because it pleases God,  all of evil will conspire to keep us from it.  The devil is content to keep us pre-occupied with the ‘stuff’ of life.  If we are consumed by our work, obsessing about our appearance, frantic to make things work – our hearts are given to idols.  But, Jesus teaches that if we “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, (giving worth to God) … all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33, NIV)

Make time to worship.  Engage your mind and heart. Borrow a Psalm, sing a song.  Quietly adore Him. Write a prayer of thanksgiving.  Pour out your concerns.  These are acts of worship.

"Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness." (Psalm 29:1-2, NIV)

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All Creatures Of Our God And King

All creatures of our God and King

Lift up your voice and with us sing

Alleluia alleluia

Thou burning sun with golden beam

Thou silver moon with softer gleam

O praise Him O praise Him

Alleluia alleluia alleluia

Thou rushing wind that art so strong

Ye clouds that sail in heaven along

O praise Him alleluia

Thou rising morn in praise rejoice

Ye lights of evening find a voice

O praise Him O praise Him

Alleluia alleluia alleluia

And all ye men of tender heart

Forgiving others take your part

O sing ye alleluia

Ye who long pain and sorrow bear

Praise God and on Him cast your care

O praise Him O praise Him

Alleluia alleluia alleluia

Let all things their Creator bless

And worship Him in humbleness

O praise Him alleluia

Praise praise the Father praise the Son

And praise the Spirit Three in One

O praise Him O praise Him

Alleluia alleluia alleluia

St. Francis of Assisi

Public Domain

Control Issues?

Descriptions of real problems find their way into our vocabulary and then we are ready to ‘diagnose’ others.  “Control issues” is the term of the day.

• As in, “My husband has real control issues. Why should I have to keep our house in order?  Sure, I am a full-time stay at home Mom, but does he think it’s my job to take care of our home?”

• Or, “My supervisor thinks I should show up on time and prepared to work every day! What a control freak.”   

• And yes, I love this one, “Can you believe my parents?  They think I should get up, go to school, and do my homework.  They are so controlling!” (This is usually said to a fellow teen on a smartphone provided by said parents.)  

My late Mom probably would have been called a ‘controlling person.’  Obedience was a paramount quality in our home. I was expected to make my bed (to meet military specifications, no joke!) every morning, to hang up my clothes, to get up (at 5:45 AM) and do my farm chores before school without complaint …  and she was not shy to let me know when I slacked off.  On those rare occasions when I complained, she had a stock answer:  “If you learn to obey your Dad and me, you will know how to submit to the Lord, son.”

Joking aside, submission is an important quality in the life of a disciple of Christ.  The Bible says, "We have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!”  The passage is about the love of a father for his son that causes him to do shape that boy’s life through lessons that are hard at the time. Such direction is not just about ‘power and control.’  It’s about producing a quality of character. Real discipline is a sign of love.  Read on, “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:9-11, NIV)

The key difference between ‘control’ and ‘direction’ is the attitude in which the request is made. If a person makes demands of others based purely on his own preferences  or to serve his own comfort, that one is likely to slide into controlling behaviors.  If a person lacks a sense of self-worth or lives with many fears, he/she is likely to use intimidation, manipulation, or other controlling behaviors to make those around him do what he wants done, not because it is his responsibility nor because it is best for all concerned, but just because he needs to be ‘in control.’   Though I joked about it in the opening paragraph, it is a real issue.  God asks for complete submission from us, not because He is tyrannical, but because He desires to lead us to maximum joy and effectiveness.  Even as we pray for faith to trust Him more, we make the choice to accept His place as Lord.   Remember, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:6-7, NIV)

Several times in the Old Testament, God called His people a name I pray He never has to assign to me;  “stiff-necked.”  What a descriptive term!  When He tried to lead them, they rigidly resisted Him. He wanted to take them to a place of blessings, but could not because they thought they could do it on their own terms.  "Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” (Exodus 33:3, NIV)  How I pray that in place of a stiff neck, He will find bent knees and a bowed head.

Are you wrestling with God for control of your life?

Are you complaining about the way He is leading?

Are you arguing with Him?

Just say, “Yes, Lord.”   Tell Him that you need faith to believe in His goodness and grace to accept His authority.  Then, live in ‘righteousness and peace.’

Here’s a word from the Word. "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

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Give Us Clean Hands

We bow our hearts, we bend our knees.

Oh Spirit, come make us humble.

We turn our eyes from evil things.

Oh Lord, we cast down our idols.

Give us clean hands, give us pure hearts;

Let us not lift our souls to another!

Give us clean hands, give us pure hearts;

Let us not lift our souls to another!

And oh God let us be a generation that seeks,

That seeks Your face, oh God of Jacob.

And oh God let us be a generation that seeks,

That seeks Your face, oh God of Jacob.

Charlie Hall

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