prayer...

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. 1 John 5:14-15


I love this scripture! And not because is a promise to give us everything, but because it is a promise to give us everything we need that is asked for in His will and His time.  So many scriptures like this are pulled out of context and used to assert our Santa Claus or Grandpa-like visions of God. We see an old, long haired, bearded man, usually sporting a shiny white tunic or robe, glowing with a golden serving platter behind his head. And we dare to call this image God. We step in the queue, and prepare our wish list with expectation and enthusiasm, giddy like a child waiting in the line at Macy's on December 23rd. We approach God and ask - as if He owes us something or at worse, as if we deserve it.


I worked with a guy named Tommy years ago in one of many restaurant jobs I had. One day he asked me about my faith and what I thought about prayer.  After my feeble attempt at explaining what I thought prayer was, he told me what he believed it to be...
     "Prayers are like magic wishes. You only get so many of them during your life.  When they are all gone, that's it. No more!"


That made me sad, and no matter how much I tried to let him know that prayers were not limited and that prayer was a wonderful conversation with God, he could not shake the misguided understanding that God was a magic genie and that he limited the amount of requests.  He had it deeply ingrained that: God didn't care, that prayer was one way - just about asking for things, and that there was no method to receiving - Just luck.


Scriptures teach us that God loves us and wants the best for us. That doesn't always mean that He says yes to our requests, but it does mean that He will say yes sometimes (and no  other times).  But the one thing we really miss in all of these discussions is this: Are we asking in "God's will"?  Are we asking for things that we want or are we asking for the things that God wants for us?  And remember... God will only give us good things!


There is such hope in praying in Jesus' name and for his will.  It frees us from having to worry about our own desires and needs. It allows us to focus on Christ and obeying His commands. It allows us to look to serving others and loving people with the love of our eternal, heavenly Father.  Praying in The name of Christ brings wonderful results. And yes... sometimes the answer is "no".  Sometimes the answer is wait.  Yet other times the answer is a resounding, "yes"; and the abundance of God's grace and provision flows out like a rushing river - white-capped and uncontrollable!  It's wonderful! It's scary! and it is such a blessing!


"Until now, you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and receive and your joy may be complete"  John 16:24

a breakthrough...

Yesterday, I took the day to pray and fast.  I put the day's "stuff" on hold and just sought the Father.  It's important what went into that - It wasn't just a "wake up in the morning and decide to fast" moment. For me, it had to be planned. I put it on my calendar and prayed about it and prepared my heart and my physical self for it.

What a day it was. I had so many breakthroughs!  Paul writes, in several of his epistles, to be "in a constant attitude of prayer" or "to pray without ceasing". Yesterday, I was able to experience that in a new way.  This was not the first time I've fasted, nor was it the first time I devoted a large chunk of time to prayer; but for some reason, God showed up!  Now, I know know God is always there and that He is always at work. But yesterday was special.  I think it had less to do with God "showing up" and was more about God removing the "stuff" that was in the way of me seeing him.  It was like the earplugs had been pulled-out, and my eyes were opened.

With all of that being said, there were no major revelations, no discernibly path.  What there was, was a tangible presence - a peace that wrapped around me like a winter fog. It was intense and it was refreshing! It was scary and it was freeing!  God is so good!

There are still many decision to be made. There is a move in the future - whether it be a physical move or just a spiritual move is still up in the air.  There are still many prayers to pray and songs to sing! But there is God... and He is with me!

how great is our God...

I love to worship! I love the fact that God loves when we worship Him!
God is great and worthy to be praised!  I love that the God of the universe, the Lord of all, The King of kings chooses to "inhabit the praise of his people".
Inhabit me, oh God! You are welcome here!

Psalm 150 (NLT)

 Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

    praise him in his mighty heaven!

Praise him for his mighty works;

    praise his unequaled greatness!

Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;

    praise him with the lyre and harp!

Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;

    praise him with strings and flutes!

Praise him with a clash of cymbals;

    praise him with loud clanging cymbals.

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

more lenten thoughts...

I discussed the concept of Lent in an earlier post. I wrote of fasting and contemplation.  This post is a little different.  The lighter (and tastier) side of Lent - In fact, my two favorite results of Lent...

1) Waffles!  Did you know waffles are a product of the Lenten fast?  The root of the word "waffle" is the same as the word "wafer". 

Several hundred years ago in Europe, good, God-fearing Christians would fast food during Lent. No food at all... with one exception.  When they partook in The Lord's Supper or communion, they were allowed to eat the "host" or the wafer that the priest gave them.  Soon, people realized that it was okay to eat wafers everyday - in communion with Christ of course!  As this trend progressed through the years, wafer makers and bakers started producing bigger and bigger wafers to help curb the parishioners hunger as the days drew on until Easter.

Soon, wafers evolved into "eggy", leavened treats (as opposed to the dry, tasteless, unleavened wafers you got at the church). They were tasty, malty and covered with powdered sugar.  The ultimate Lenten loophole!

2) Bock/Dark Beer.  Monks in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia had an epiphany of their own.  This was not necessarily a "holy epiphany", but it was most definitely inspired (and involved spirits)!  During Lent, hard-working Christians began losing energy.  No protein, no carbs, no "nothing"!   And while they were forbidden to eat during the ritual fast (except the wafer on Sundays), they could still drink an assortment of beverages. These groups of monks started brewing heartier beers. They brewed with more malt and darker roasted barley.  This produced a drink that was darker in color and deeper in taste. The primary result, though, was that these beers, though low in alcohol (about 3-3.5%) they were fortified with almost double the carbohydrates.  It was tasty, it was refreshing and it was good for you! 

It became common for people to imbibe regularly during the day. The masses became more productive and Brothers of those orders became what we would call today micro-brew artisans.

Bock Beer and Waffles... Happy Lenten fasting to us all!

wanderlust...

Today, I watched (again) a YouTube video from last year's Resurrection Day Dance. It's a video put out by Up to Faith, Hungary, and is the world's largest flashmob!  38 groups from countries and cities around the world participated in last year's celebration of Christ's resurrection on Easter. Some were very small (in fact, the one from Australia was a single dancer) some were very large - up to thousands gathered on Hero's Square in the heart of Budapest; all were celebrating!  

Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRaUnR1XtgQ

To think, that thousands of people took the time on Easter morning to celebrate Jesus' amazing triumph over the grave... How wonderful.

But that's not the topic of today's post. Today, it's about my heart's response...

Every time I watch this video, my heart is moved to my throat, and my eyes begin to well-up with tears.  What am I doing to impact the world? I watch as Chinese believers boldly go into the streets to dance and praise; I see people from countries that used to be closed to the Gospel (Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, China, etc..) in public, dancing to a song of praise; and my heart longs to be there.  I want to see those countries. I want to minister to those people. I want to share the grace that God has poured out so generously to me.  I want to go!  

"Where do you want me, God?", is a question I've asked a lot in the last year or so (more-so than usual). My longing to go supersedes my funding greatly.  I would love to just get on a plane and go, but I know that the money it would cost would be a hardship for us.  That's not the point, though.  I know God will provide when it is time.  Wherever he puts us, there will be money set aside for regular mission trips!

We have started trying to live a little more simply now. We've been selling off possessions and have been trying to be better stewards... not so that we could buy more or even save more, but instead, that we might give more away. We are so blessed. our deepest desire is to pass along that blessing.  I need to go, not as a tourist, nor as a sight-seer, but deliberately as one who brings Good News!

“you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8  (NIV)

...just wait...

It's now been over 2 months since I left my position at CHPC. And as we continue to pray where God would have us, we keep hearing "wait".  So patiently, we are waiting.
I have continued to look for ministry positions, send in resumes, and work around the house. I've also taken on a couple side jobs to keep from sinking too far into debt.  We are still trying to pare down our lives and our possessions in preparation for whatever or wherever God has around the corner.  It's been quite liberating to try to live simply.
Our roles have changed a little bit in the past couple of months. I have been grocery shopping and cooking (which I really have missed and thoroughly enjoy). I will be taking over the household bills and expenses soon. It's very different but very cool to be part of a team with my best friend - We work very well together.
My request, when people ask, remains the same... Please pray!  Pray for guidance, pray for the right position, pray for patience as we await our calling.

guess what I'm fasting....

Today is "Ash Wednesday". It is the day that traditionally begins a season that the modern church calls "Lent". It starts the season where we begin to prepare ourselves for contemplating what Christ did through His sacrifice ("Good Friday") and resurrection ("Easter" Sunday).  Those are a lot of "Christian-ese" type words we throw around this time of year, but what do they really mean?

Ash Wednesday - This tradition started in the 1500's. It was a way to get people into church. And back then, it meant another way to get money into the church's coffers (an unfortunate truth of the early catholic church). Traditionally, it begins 46 days before Easter. The ashes rubbed on a person's forehead are indicative of the ancient practice for mourning (going back centuries before Christ). Traditionally, a sacrifice would be burned in the temple for atonement, and the ashes would be placed on the forehead of the person who made the sacrifice, showing all that they were in mourning for their sins. This is where the practice of the ashes is derived.

In many of today's churches, the ashes are from the burned remains of last year's palm fronds from the Palm Sunday service. Many Christians will go to church today, participate in some kind of service and receive the ashes.  Many of these people will go back to work, out to lunch, get their oil changed - whatever the day's event may be - with big black stains on their heads, signifying that they have "repented for atonement and are mourning their sins". (Unless - of course - there is an important client or somewhere fancy to go. Then it promptly gets washed off!)

It's good to repent and mourn our sins. It is good to have the atonement that comes only through a relationship with the ever-living Christ.  But do we need to wear it like a sense of pride?  This will be answered later...

Lent - Comes from translations of Greek to Latin to early Germanic languages meaning "40 days" or the "fortieth day". It has a similar background as Ash Wednesday relating to dates and reasoning.

Here is my favorite definition of Lent, "The traditional purpose of Lent is the penitent preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, alms-giving, and self-denial."

Many churches encourage us to "give up something for lent".   And many times, during Lent, I hear people talking about what they are "sacrificing". They talk about giving up Facebook or TV. They tell of the awesome sacrifice of "no chocolate" for 40 days!  But is this what true fasting is?

Jesus gave us many guidelines during His few years of ministry on earth. One of the things He gave us was an instruction on how to fast appropriately. Here are His words from Matthew 6:16-18 (NIV):

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

He is very direct about telling us to wash the ashes off of our faces, and do not be obvious to others! Fasting is between you and God ONLY!.  

Though Jesus doesn't give a definition of what fasting is, we can understand what He means by understanding the way He fasted. The abstaining from food.  Biblically (and traditionally in Ancient Israel), that's what fasting is! Fasting is giving up something we NEED. Not a luxury item or something we can easily do without for 40 days. It's not about sacrificing the crumbs from a feast when we are already full

According to status updates, a lot of people have given up Facebook or texting for Lent this year. And while that's nice, is it really sacrifice? It's funny (in a sad sort of way) when we see someone saying that they are giving up Facebook for Lent, but then they are in a constant whirl of texting to stay informed. The texts, emails and talk time on the cell phones skyrocket! But hey... I'm "sacrificing" Facebook!

I don't participate in a Lenten fast myself (and if I did, I wouldn't tell you). I need to be in a constant attitude of repentance and prayer, year-round. I need to be on my face daily, not once a year.  Lenten fasting, to me, is a Band-Aid at best, and a full-blown delusion of righteousness at worse.  

I don't judge people who tell me that they are fasting for Lent. For some, it helps them get  closer to God. Unfortunately, for most, it's nothing more than the "flavor-of-the-month" trend that makes them fell better about themselves and fit in with their peers. And that's just sad.

If you would like to have a Lenten fast, I say, "Go for it!" But please, do it with the correct heart.  My recommendation is to start by asking God what He needs you to sacrifice, listen to Him and then do it.  If you need an accountability partner, tell one or two people or share with your small group. But remember... There's a difference between sharing a need for accountability and bragging!

penitent prayer, penance, repentance, alms-giving, self-denial - Lent