Am I the only one who thinks the Twilight series could be a big Mormon evangelism tool? I mean, eternal marriage and all that (sorry if that was a plot spoiler for you). I really enjoyed the series but as soon as I finished it this thought occurred to me. I don't submit this question in an accusatory way. For one thing, if I were a Mormon, I would feel free to evangelize any way I could. For another thing, I don't think it would have to be conscious on the part of the author. It could just be her worldview that is coming through in her writing.
I do, however, think it has strong potential for drawing young people toward Mormonism. After all, it is directed at the youth culture, does a terrific job of selling eternal, blissful marriage and it's written by a Mormon. They are a very evangelistic religion so I don't think this is too far out in left field. In case you have been in a cave recently, teenage girls are going crazy for this book and many of them are passionate about wanting a guy "just like Edward". I wonder if it is designed to cause a young person to long for that, setting them up for the Mormon evangelist to come along and say "we believe in eternal marriage" as part of the pitch.
I talked to my 13 year old daughter about it and her first response was "I think that sounds great!" When I told her that Jesus says that in heaven there will be no marriage or giving in marriage she seemed . . . um . . . disappointed. I think that's a fairly normal reaction for a person her age. I mean, if you find your "soul mate", won't you want it to last forever? Of course, no one but Jesus is perfect for anyone and He will be a great husband! But that's a pretty abstract thought for a teenager and as the child in the sermon illustration says we often want "someone with skin on."
Anyway, I know I lean toward being overly analytical and I may be way off base, but it's just something I wonder about.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
A great quote
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Prayer for the election
I have been thinking about how the church has been praying for the election in the last couple of weeks. When McCain went down in the polls, the church finally started praying. I'm glad to see so many people praying but I wonder what the Lord's reaction to this prayer is. He has been calling us to pray and repent for a long time now but it was a call back to Him, not a call to pray for our circumstances. Yes, He wants us to ask him for what we need and turn to him in times of trouble. But much more than that, he wants our hearts. He is a bridegroom longing for his wedding day. How would any of us feel if the one we had chosen for our spouse had a cursory relationship with us until he/she needed something and then they came to us ardently, declaring their love and devotion and asking for what they wanted.
Recently I was reading in I Samuel 4-7. In that passage Israel loses a battle with the Philistiines so they go back and get the ark of the covenant saying "If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies." Well, they not only lost but the Philistines captured the ark. There are a lot of details between that point of the story and this but eventually the ark returns to Israel and the people "lamented after the Lord for twenty years" because it seemed that the Lord had abandoned them.
This reminds me of the church right now. It seems a little to me like we are saying, "Oh no! We're losing the battle! We'd better bring our fasting and praying into the battle with us so we can win!" Read Isaiah 58 to see what God thinks of that kind of fasting.
Back to our story in I Samuel. After twenty years of "lamenting after the Lord" Samuel says to the people, "If you are really serious about returning to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods . . ." WHAT!!??? How can you 'lament after God' and still have idols in your house? See, they hadn't figured out that God wasn't a little idol you ask for things. He is the Uncreated, Holy One who had chosen them to be His bride!
So Samuel says, " . . . Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you. . . " So the Israelites destroyed their idols, gathered together, drew water from Mizpah and poured it out before the LORD, fasted, and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. While they were at this gathering the Philistines saw an opportunity to get them all at one time and headed over to kill them. This time instead of arrogantly just grabbing their 'little ark', they were afraid and cried out "Plead with the LORD our God to save us from the Philistines!" So Samuel made a burnt offering sacrifice and pleaded to the LORD to help them and THE LORD ANSWERED miraculously! He sent a thunderous noise that threw the Philistines into confusion and the Israelistes pursued them, slaughtering them along the way!
I wonder if we will have to "lament after the LORD for twenty years" to realize that he is not an idol or a vending machine. He is passionate, holy, jealous. He wants our hearts. He wants us to live in fellowship with him that grows deeper because of a humble, hungry searching after him. From THAT place of prayer, he will answer with miracles.
Recently I was reading in I Samuel 4-7. In that passage Israel loses a battle with the Philistiines so they go back and get the ark of the covenant saying "If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies." Well, they not only lost but the Philistines captured the ark. There are a lot of details between that point of the story and this but eventually the ark returns to Israel and the people "lamented after the Lord for twenty years" because it seemed that the Lord had abandoned them.
This reminds me of the church right now. It seems a little to me like we are saying, "Oh no! We're losing the battle! We'd better bring our fasting and praying into the battle with us so we can win!" Read Isaiah 58 to see what God thinks of that kind of fasting.
Back to our story in I Samuel. After twenty years of "lamenting after the Lord" Samuel says to the people, "If you are really serious about returning to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods . . ." WHAT!!??? How can you 'lament after God' and still have idols in your house? See, they hadn't figured out that God wasn't a little idol you ask for things. He is the Uncreated, Holy One who had chosen them to be His bride!
So Samuel says, " . . . Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you. . . " So the Israelites destroyed their idols, gathered together, drew water from Mizpah and poured it out before the LORD, fasted, and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. While they were at this gathering the Philistines saw an opportunity to get them all at one time and headed over to kill them. This time instead of arrogantly just grabbing their 'little ark', they were afraid and cried out "Plead with the LORD our God to save us from the Philistines!" So Samuel made a burnt offering sacrifice and pleaded to the LORD to help them and THE LORD ANSWERED miraculously! He sent a thunderous noise that threw the Philistines into confusion and the Israelistes pursued them, slaughtering them along the way!
I wonder if we will have to "lament after the LORD for twenty years" to realize that he is not an idol or a vending machine. He is passionate, holy, jealous. He wants our hearts. He wants us to live in fellowship with him that grows deeper because of a humble, hungry searching after him. From THAT place of prayer, he will answer with miracles.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Stem The Tide!
Can you feel it? The rising tide of evil that is threatening to overwhelm our nation? The hurricanes of this spring now seem like a word picture the Lord was giving us. My question to the church is “will this be Gustav or Ike?”
The waves of Gustav threatened to overwhelm our nation. Forecasters were saying it would be the “storm of the century” and it was poised to be just that. We were told to expect massive flooding, worse than Katrina, with winds that extended their destructive force far into the heartland and waters that would ravage huge portions of our coastlands. The levies would not hold. The map would be changed forever.
But God called the church into prayer. Throughout the world, prayer armies were mobilized. We stood in faith and in our authority as the Bride of Jesus Christ we said “NO! You will not come here with the devastation you intend! Be still! Calm down! No floods! No ravaging winds!” And we all stood in awe and thanksgiving as “the storm of the century” made land fall as a category two. The levies held! The coastlands were protected!
Then came Ike. We reasoned that Gustav was no big deal. This one won’t be either. Oh, sure, people moved out of the way and some people prayed, but did you see the mobilization that happened with Gustav? No. And the storm that should’ve been less damaging did more damage. Rather than giving God glory for the great miracle he wrought over Gustav, we reasoned to ourselves that it was never a big deal. There was no miracle. They are never a big deal. Yawn. And water ran into the streets. People were without power. Galveston is a wasteland.
Some may say “God is sovereign; He will do what he wants to do.”
To that I say, “yes, but He is always looking for intercessors.” It is evil to see evil flooding your nation and not stand before the Lord and cry out for the tide to be stemmed! Remember in Jeremiah 29:7 the LORD tells Israel to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” This is specifically referring to Babylon, one of the most wicked nations to rise up in world history, but also one of the wealthiest and the place from which the great intercessor, Daniel, prayed and fasted for the nation of Israel.
We must not rest drunkenly in the sovereignty of God saying “God will do what he wants. Man has no influence.” This has never been true and it MUST NOT BE TRUE NOW! The sovereign LORD is always looking for a man “who will stand in the gap on behalf of the land” so that he will not “have to destroy it” (Ez 22:30). May it not be said in America that He “found none”!
I believe with many of you that America is in a time of judgment. We have slaughtered ¼ of two generations. When we had the choice, we chose death. We have danced with Jezebel through our entertainment choices and our immorality, thinking we could have a little bit of her and a little bit of the Uncreated, Holy, Unchanging One! But that does not mean that the church must not be on her knees, crying out for mercy! Almost all of the great intercession passages – Daniel! Ezekiel! Jeremiah! - were written and prayed during Israel’s judgment for her apostasy. It was from a place of judgment that God was looking for that intercessor to “build up the wall and stand in the gap”! We must come before the LORD with fasting, repentance, and crying out – rending our hearts, crying “LORD forgive! LORD heal!”
I do not ask for an election that will give us a false sense of God’s favor. I do not want four more years of being lulled to sleep while our nation goes to hell. If the storm of judgment is upon us, may the church fall to her knees crying out to the Righteous Judge Who Judges Justly for mercy. But may that mercy be accompanied with truth! May that mercy be accompanied with passion from the Bride to the Bridegroom!
Sovereign Lord, stem the tide of evil that is threatening to overwhelm our land! Hold back the devastation! May we see the glory of God in this nation! May righteousness and pure, holy passion run through our streets! We have the boldness to ask it because of the powerful, all conquering name of Jesus Christ who did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped but humbled himself and defeated the evil one! May his name be glorified! May the thing that the enemy intended for evil be turned for the good of those who love you and are called according to your great purpose! May the Church find her place in the army of God and may she war for this nation! Amen!
The waves of Gustav threatened to overwhelm our nation. Forecasters were saying it would be the “storm of the century” and it was poised to be just that. We were told to expect massive flooding, worse than Katrina, with winds that extended their destructive force far into the heartland and waters that would ravage huge portions of our coastlands. The levies would not hold. The map would be changed forever.
But God called the church into prayer. Throughout the world, prayer armies were mobilized. We stood in faith and in our authority as the Bride of Jesus Christ we said “NO! You will not come here with the devastation you intend! Be still! Calm down! No floods! No ravaging winds!” And we all stood in awe and thanksgiving as “the storm of the century” made land fall as a category two. The levies held! The coastlands were protected!
Then came Ike. We reasoned that Gustav was no big deal. This one won’t be either. Oh, sure, people moved out of the way and some people prayed, but did you see the mobilization that happened with Gustav? No. And the storm that should’ve been less damaging did more damage. Rather than giving God glory for the great miracle he wrought over Gustav, we reasoned to ourselves that it was never a big deal. There was no miracle. They are never a big deal. Yawn. And water ran into the streets. People were without power. Galveston is a wasteland.
Some may say “God is sovereign; He will do what he wants to do.”
To that I say, “yes, but He is always looking for intercessors.” It is evil to see evil flooding your nation and not stand before the Lord and cry out for the tide to be stemmed! Remember in Jeremiah 29:7 the LORD tells Israel to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” This is specifically referring to Babylon, one of the most wicked nations to rise up in world history, but also one of the wealthiest and the place from which the great intercessor, Daniel, prayed and fasted for the nation of Israel.
We must not rest drunkenly in the sovereignty of God saying “God will do what he wants. Man has no influence.” This has never been true and it MUST NOT BE TRUE NOW! The sovereign LORD is always looking for a man “who will stand in the gap on behalf of the land” so that he will not “have to destroy it” (Ez 22:30). May it not be said in America that He “found none”!
I believe with many of you that America is in a time of judgment. We have slaughtered ¼ of two generations. When we had the choice, we chose death. We have danced with Jezebel through our entertainment choices and our immorality, thinking we could have a little bit of her and a little bit of the Uncreated, Holy, Unchanging One! But that does not mean that the church must not be on her knees, crying out for mercy! Almost all of the great intercession passages – Daniel! Ezekiel! Jeremiah! - were written and prayed during Israel’s judgment for her apostasy. It was from a place of judgment that God was looking for that intercessor to “build up the wall and stand in the gap”! We must come before the LORD with fasting, repentance, and crying out – rending our hearts, crying “LORD forgive! LORD heal!”
I do not ask for an election that will give us a false sense of God’s favor. I do not want four more years of being lulled to sleep while our nation goes to hell. If the storm of judgment is upon us, may the church fall to her knees crying out to the Righteous Judge Who Judges Justly for mercy. But may that mercy be accompanied with truth! May that mercy be accompanied with passion from the Bride to the Bridegroom!
Sovereign Lord, stem the tide of evil that is threatening to overwhelm our land! Hold back the devastation! May we see the glory of God in this nation! May righteousness and pure, holy passion run through our streets! We have the boldness to ask it because of the powerful, all conquering name of Jesus Christ who did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped but humbled himself and defeated the evil one! May his name be glorified! May the thing that the enemy intended for evil be turned for the good of those who love you and are called according to your great purpose! May the Church find her place in the army of God and may she war for this nation! Amen!
Monday, October 6, 2008
A Timely Sermon by Charles Stanley
http://www.intouch.org/site/c.dhKHIXPKIuE/b.2287421/k.944D/This_Week_on_TV.htm
WATCH IT!
WATCH IT!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Day The Republicans Gave America to the Democrats
I believe that yesterday was the day the Republicans gave all three branches of the government to the Democrats. I am shocked at the complete lack of leadership exhibited by John McCain in the financial crisis and I am equally shocked at George Bush's obvious gift to his wall street buddies at the expense of our entire nation. There were many other plans that might have actually fixed the problems that were presented to our leadership by the people but they would have required risk and great leadership to present and to get passed. Not one Republican even tried.
So we are no longer a capitalist, free market economy. We are now a socialist nation and when the democrats get into power, we will see socialist health care, and an expansion of the government's power over educational choice which will lead to required indoctrination of our children on issues such as homosexuality and evolution.
My only hope is that we have not been crying out to God for revival of the government in America but revival in the church. Jesus' bride cannot ultimately be defeated by any world system. The Holy Spirit in us will overcome any government indoctrination system. Also, there are promises for the church even through the tribulation so as we see the world move toward that day that you cannot buy without the mark of the beast, we can rejoice that the Lord's return is near.
So we are no longer a capitalist, free market economy. We are now a socialist nation and when the democrats get into power, we will see socialist health care, and an expansion of the government's power over educational choice which will lead to required indoctrination of our children on issues such as homosexuality and evolution.
My only hope is that we have not been crying out to God for revival of the government in America but revival in the church. Jesus' bride cannot ultimately be defeated by any world system. The Holy Spirit in us will overcome any government indoctrination system. Also, there are promises for the church even through the tribulation so as we see the world move toward that day that you cannot buy without the mark of the beast, we can rejoice that the Lord's return is near.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Emotionalism or Reality?
I was just thinking tonight about emotionalism versus the reality of a real experience. For example, have you ever sat in your favorite chair and not even really noticed it and then another time when you sit in it, it feels so comfortable and homey that you never want to leave? Did you "psyche yourself up" to feel the comfort of that chair?
I have heard people talk about the importance of not demanding "an experience" with God lately and I wonder if that is a cop out. I mean, aren't we supposed to "earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that (we) may prophesy" (I Corinthians 14:1)? I don't know about you but when I earnestly desire something, I feel pretty emotional about it. And doesn't prophesy by definition mean hearing from God (the awesome, uncreated one who passionately pursues us) and sharing that word with others? I have heard people say that prophesying simply means teaching God's Word (the Bible) to others and I think that is one way of prophesying but by definition, if it's prophesy, the prophet believes he has heard from God that the word he is telling the people is for that group of believers on that occasion. Otherwise, it is preaching - a verb that is also in the Bible and that has it's place.
Also, when someone tells me not to demand an experience with God, I think of Moses telling God "show me your glory" (Exodus 33:12-23). The Lord said to him, "I will send my presence with you" and Moses replied "if your presence doesn't go with me, don't send us up from here" but "please show me your glory". That sounds pretty insistent and God honored his request to the point that from that encounter on Moses wore a veil around people so that the shine on his face wouldn't freak them out (Ex. 34:29-35). When I think of Moses, I think of someone saying to the Lord, "I have left everything for you. I have to have the reality of you because you are all I have and now that I know you a little bit I want to know you more and more and more."
Another important aspect of Moses' experience with the Lord is that when he went to the Tent of Meeting (to write the Bible :)), God's presence would decend on the tent and the people would stand at the doorways of their tents and worship because of the glory that they saw (Exodus 33:7-11). That is what happens when we insist to the Lord, "I must have more of you. I cannot go on with this mundane life and pretend I have had intimacy with you. I must know you and I must have the reality of you in my experience." When we press in to that degree, others are drawn to worship the Lord by the presence of the Lord.
One final note - the Holy Spirit is given to us as a guarantee of our salvation. I John 3:24 says 'by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit who he has given us.' Now, I know that the Holy Spirit is not JUST an experience, but there is a reality to the Holy Spirit that can sometimes be felt, just as that comfy chair can be felt. If it is not an experience that can be felt, then what does this passage mean?
I have been involved in "Charismaniac" churches before in the past and I never want to go back there. I don't want to hype up an emotional experience but I do want to have a reality to my relationship with God. With Moses I cry out, "show me your glory."
I have heard people talk about the importance of not demanding "an experience" with God lately and I wonder if that is a cop out. I mean, aren't we supposed to "earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that (we) may prophesy" (I Corinthians 14:1)? I don't know about you but when I earnestly desire something, I feel pretty emotional about it. And doesn't prophesy by definition mean hearing from God (the awesome, uncreated one who passionately pursues us) and sharing that word with others? I have heard people say that prophesying simply means teaching God's Word (the Bible) to others and I think that is one way of prophesying but by definition, if it's prophesy, the prophet believes he has heard from God that the word he is telling the people is for that group of believers on that occasion. Otherwise, it is preaching - a verb that is also in the Bible and that has it's place.
Also, when someone tells me not to demand an experience with God, I think of Moses telling God "show me your glory" (Exodus 33:12-23). The Lord said to him, "I will send my presence with you" and Moses replied "if your presence doesn't go with me, don't send us up from here" but "please show me your glory". That sounds pretty insistent and God honored his request to the point that from that encounter on Moses wore a veil around people so that the shine on his face wouldn't freak them out (Ex. 34:29-35). When I think of Moses, I think of someone saying to the Lord, "I have left everything for you. I have to have the reality of you because you are all I have and now that I know you a little bit I want to know you more and more and more."
Another important aspect of Moses' experience with the Lord is that when he went to the Tent of Meeting (to write the Bible :)), God's presence would decend on the tent and the people would stand at the doorways of their tents and worship because of the glory that they saw (Exodus 33:7-11). That is what happens when we insist to the Lord, "I must have more of you. I cannot go on with this mundane life and pretend I have had intimacy with you. I must know you and I must have the reality of you in my experience." When we press in to that degree, others are drawn to worship the Lord by the presence of the Lord.
One final note - the Holy Spirit is given to us as a guarantee of our salvation. I John 3:24 says 'by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit who he has given us.' Now, I know that the Holy Spirit is not JUST an experience, but there is a reality to the Holy Spirit that can sometimes be felt, just as that comfy chair can be felt. If it is not an experience that can be felt, then what does this passage mean?
I have been involved in "Charismaniac" churches before in the past and I never want to go back there. I don't want to hype up an emotional experience but I do want to have a reality to my relationship with God. With Moses I cry out, "show me your glory."
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Love the Lord With All Your Heart
Matthew 22:37, 38 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment.”
This has been a particularly sad season in my life, not because of my own suffering but because of the suffering of those I love. A friend lost her husband in extremely tragic circumstances this year. A client died three days after finding out he had cancer, leaving a very bereft best friend. Another friend that was a homeschooling mother of six died in a car accident.
Also, I am in a season of pressing in and crying out to the Lord for revival in a new way. I feel an urgency and a building up of the prayers of the saints. I believe that America will have her last great awakening or she will fall into such depravity and godlessness that our children will not be safe to raise their children in the Lord. This has become a great burden to me. I sense that the burden is from the Lord and it is not too heavy or cumbersome, but it is urgent and ever present.
During this season I am participating in a national 40 day fast. The Lord led me to eat fruits and vegetables, which is barely a fast in my mind but it has still been difficult. Just this morning I had a slice of cheesecake. I am in the 32nd day and I’ve had maybe 15 days of really following through with my commitment to the Lord. I have seen the Lord move during this time in amazing ways and it’s as if the veil between us has become much thinner. I sense His presence so much that I don’t want the fast to end and yet I also am growing weary, especially with the repeated failure.
It is with all of this as a backdrop that I thought this morning about loving Him with all my heart. What is all of my heart? Does that mean that I am passionate about Him all the time? That I’m constantly saying “hallelujah” and that I’m constantly “happy in God”? I don’t think that’s what He wants from us. The Psalmists expressed all of their emotions to the Lord. “Lord, where are you? Why have you left me alone for so long? Are you ever coming back?” “My soul is downcast within me, but I will hope in God.” “Kill my enemies God! Smash their heads against a rock!” “My enemies triumph over me and I look like a fool. Don’t you care?” “Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good!”
When I love the Lord with all my heart, I keep my heart turned towards Him. When my friend dies and I am sad and confused, my heart is open to Him and I cry out, “Abba! Why? I am so sad and confused!” When I lead someone to Him, I turn to Him with wonder and thanksgiving and say “Lord, you did that! Wow! I am so amazed by you!” When a coworker disappoints me I tell Him about it and wait to hear wisdom from Him. I don’t just come to Him with praise, I come to Him with sorrow. I come to Him with confusion. I come to Him with anger. I come to Him with joy. My heart is always open to Him - open to His touch, open to His wisdom, open to His correction – but especially open to His Love.
When my heart is open to Him, when I love Him with all of my heart, I am able to perceive His love for me, His delight in me. In my anger, He soothes me or corrects me with amazing tenderness, or sometimes I see His anger about the situation as well and He leads me into intercession. In my sorrow, He comforts me with words only an intimate friend could speak to me. In my joy, He laughs with me and we share something that almost feels like an inside joke between best friends. In my longing, He shares his heart with me, His longing for the nations, His longing for the Bride.
Oh, that I might have the heart of God! His great love! His amazing tenderness! His enduring wisdom! As I stay open to Him, He shares Himself with me. What an amazing thing! The Uncreated One, the Creator of everything shares Himself with me ! I do love you Lord! May my heart be more open to you today than it was yesterday and at the end of today may I love you more that I do right now!
This has been a particularly sad season in my life, not because of my own suffering but because of the suffering of those I love. A friend lost her husband in extremely tragic circumstances this year. A client died three days after finding out he had cancer, leaving a very bereft best friend. Another friend that was a homeschooling mother of six died in a car accident.
Also, I am in a season of pressing in and crying out to the Lord for revival in a new way. I feel an urgency and a building up of the prayers of the saints. I believe that America will have her last great awakening or she will fall into such depravity and godlessness that our children will not be safe to raise their children in the Lord. This has become a great burden to me. I sense that the burden is from the Lord and it is not too heavy or cumbersome, but it is urgent and ever present.
During this season I am participating in a national 40 day fast. The Lord led me to eat fruits and vegetables, which is barely a fast in my mind but it has still been difficult. Just this morning I had a slice of cheesecake. I am in the 32nd day and I’ve had maybe 15 days of really following through with my commitment to the Lord. I have seen the Lord move during this time in amazing ways and it’s as if the veil between us has become much thinner. I sense His presence so much that I don’t want the fast to end and yet I also am growing weary, especially with the repeated failure.
It is with all of this as a backdrop that I thought this morning about loving Him with all my heart. What is all of my heart? Does that mean that I am passionate about Him all the time? That I’m constantly saying “hallelujah” and that I’m constantly “happy in God”? I don’t think that’s what He wants from us. The Psalmists expressed all of their emotions to the Lord. “Lord, where are you? Why have you left me alone for so long? Are you ever coming back?” “My soul is downcast within me, but I will hope in God.” “Kill my enemies God! Smash their heads against a rock!” “My enemies triumph over me and I look like a fool. Don’t you care?” “Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good!”
When I love the Lord with all my heart, I keep my heart turned towards Him. When my friend dies and I am sad and confused, my heart is open to Him and I cry out, “Abba! Why? I am so sad and confused!” When I lead someone to Him, I turn to Him with wonder and thanksgiving and say “Lord, you did that! Wow! I am so amazed by you!” When a coworker disappoints me I tell Him about it and wait to hear wisdom from Him. I don’t just come to Him with praise, I come to Him with sorrow. I come to Him with confusion. I come to Him with anger. I come to Him with joy. My heart is always open to Him - open to His touch, open to His wisdom, open to His correction – but especially open to His Love.
When my heart is open to Him, when I love Him with all of my heart, I am able to perceive His love for me, His delight in me. In my anger, He soothes me or corrects me with amazing tenderness, or sometimes I see His anger about the situation as well and He leads me into intercession. In my sorrow, He comforts me with words only an intimate friend could speak to me. In my joy, He laughs with me and we share something that almost feels like an inside joke between best friends. In my longing, He shares his heart with me, His longing for the nations, His longing for the Bride.
Oh, that I might have the heart of God! His great love! His amazing tenderness! His enduring wisdom! As I stay open to Him, He shares Himself with me. What an amazing thing! The Uncreated One, the Creator of everything shares Himself with me ! I do love you Lord! May my heart be more open to you today than it was yesterday and at the end of today may I love you more that I do right now!
Monday, July 21, 2008
A Great Article by William Wilberforce's Grandson
Check out this post on Bound4Life! http://bound4life.com/articles/2008/04/04/wilberforcesgrandson/#extended
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Lisbon
These are just a few of the pictures we took in Lisbon, Portugal. Wade won a trip from Dell and we had a blast!!! It was beautiful, the people were friendly, and we had a great time together! Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to get us there! 
Friday, May 16, 2008
The Rights of the Unborn and the GOP
To see the conversation this blog is a response to, go to http://www.huckpac.com/?FuseAction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=1647.
Partially in response to Ryger, I would like to give some reasons that I believe protecting the rights of the unborn should be paramount to the Republican party.
First of all, our view of the value of human life affects every other view that we have of the world around us. For example, the view that it is okay to kill an unborn child because it is inconvenient comes from the same selfish place as the view that it is my right to strip a beautiful forest because I want the wood and it would be inconvenient to create and use a sustainable source. The same argument can be made for littering and fossil fuel consumption. When we stand up for the unborn, we are affirming the value of protecting what is in our care.
Another reason that protecting the unborn should be paramount to the RNC is that 24% of American pregnancies currently end in abortion. What would those lives have brought to our nation? First of all, if nothing else, they would have given us workers to support the elderly through our social security system. One of the reasons the social security system is going to fail is that the baby boomers are coming to the end of their lives and there are not enough younger workers to support them. I wonder what 24% more workers would have done for that system. Secondly, is it possible that we have killed the great minds that would have solved many of the medical, social, and environmental problems we wrestle with today? Of course, we can never know what the contributions of those citizens would have been but we do know there would be 24% more people born since 1968 and that would have made a big difference in our economy and our nation as a whole.
Finally, abortion is a women's rights issue, but not in the way NOW and Planned Parenthood sees it. All laws affect what a woman can do with her body. She cannot use her body in prostitution for example. She cannot use her body to ingest illegal drugs. She cannot use her body to kill her children once they are born. Secondly, laws are written to protect the weak from the strong both in private and in public, as our domestic violence statutes demonstrate. For this reason we must protect the unborn. But we must also take in to account the dramatic increase in infertility and cancer in women who have had abortions as well as the dramatic increase in mental health issues for women who have had abortions. The respect for human life is a women's rights issue and the RNC should address it as such rather than being afraid to enrage the ultra liberal feminists.
The GOP will have an uphill battle to win this election. This is a time to wisely articulate the vast differences between the Republican and Democrat platforms and the impact those differences will make, both now and in the future.
Partially in response to Ryger, I would like to give some reasons that I believe protecting the rights of the unborn should be paramount to the Republican party.
First of all, our view of the value of human life affects every other view that we have of the world around us. For example, the view that it is okay to kill an unborn child because it is inconvenient comes from the same selfish place as the view that it is my right to strip a beautiful forest because I want the wood and it would be inconvenient to create and use a sustainable source. The same argument can be made for littering and fossil fuel consumption. When we stand up for the unborn, we are affirming the value of protecting what is in our care.
Another reason that protecting the unborn should be paramount to the RNC is that 24% of American pregnancies currently end in abortion. What would those lives have brought to our nation? First of all, if nothing else, they would have given us workers to support the elderly through our social security system. One of the reasons the social security system is going to fail is that the baby boomers are coming to the end of their lives and there are not enough younger workers to support them. I wonder what 24% more workers would have done for that system. Secondly, is it possible that we have killed the great minds that would have solved many of the medical, social, and environmental problems we wrestle with today? Of course, we can never know what the contributions of those citizens would have been but we do know there would be 24% more people born since 1968 and that would have made a big difference in our economy and our nation as a whole.
Finally, abortion is a women's rights issue, but not in the way NOW and Planned Parenthood sees it. All laws affect what a woman can do with her body. She cannot use her body in prostitution for example. She cannot use her body to ingest illegal drugs. She cannot use her body to kill her children once they are born. Secondly, laws are written to protect the weak from the strong both in private and in public, as our domestic violence statutes demonstrate. For this reason we must protect the unborn. But we must also take in to account the dramatic increase in infertility and cancer in women who have had abortions as well as the dramatic increase in mental health issues for women who have had abortions. The respect for human life is a women's rights issue and the RNC should address it as such rather than being afraid to enrage the ultra liberal feminists.
The GOP will have an uphill battle to win this election. This is a time to wisely articulate the vast differences between the Republican and Democrat platforms and the impact those differences will make, both now and in the future.
Are You Engaged To Jesus?
What would you say the engagement period of a romantic relationship is charactierized by? Wedding plans? Busyness? Romance? I would say it is characterized by longing.
Have you ever been around a couple that is close to their wedding day but not sleeping together already? Whether they are waiting until the wedding day to even kiss or are going "almost all the way", they are looking forward to their wedding night with great anticipation. Sometimes being around them feels like you are witnessing something too personal and you feel like you need to look away.
Romans 8:23 and II Corinthians 4:2 says that we, along with all creation, groan for the day that we will experience the "redemption of our bodies". Those of us who know the Lord and love him know that we were created for so much more than we experience here. We tire of our failures and the sin and sadness that surrounds us and we know that when he comes for us he "will make all things new" and "we will see Him as He is" rather than "through a mirror dimly". We long to have full communication and intimacy with Him. Creation joins us with this because it has also been subjected to the fall.
Does this remind you of a couple in love that must say goodnight and go to separate houses? It does me. May we have the same longing for the Lord's return. He is coming for us to take us to the marriage feast! Come Lord Jesus!
Have you ever been around a couple that is close to their wedding day but not sleeping together already? Whether they are waiting until the wedding day to even kiss or are going "almost all the way", they are looking forward to their wedding night with great anticipation. Sometimes being around them feels like you are witnessing something too personal and you feel like you need to look away.
Romans 8:23 and II Corinthians 4:2 says that we, along with all creation, groan for the day that we will experience the "redemption of our bodies". Those of us who know the Lord and love him know that we were created for so much more than we experience here. We tire of our failures and the sin and sadness that surrounds us and we know that when he comes for us he "will make all things new" and "we will see Him as He is" rather than "through a mirror dimly". We long to have full communication and intimacy with Him. Creation joins us with this because it has also been subjected to the fall.
Does this remind you of a couple in love that must say goodnight and go to separate houses? It does me. May we have the same longing for the Lord's return. He is coming for us to take us to the marriage feast! Come Lord Jesus!
The Bride of Christ - What Does That Mean?
I have been thinking lately about how romantic relationships are a reflection or metaphor for Christ and the church. Ephesians 5 and the book of Revelation describe the church as the bride. The Song of Solomon, while it is a book about how to have a romantic relationships, is also clearly an allegory of the Lord pursuing his bride and her response to Him.
In Revelation 19:7 and 8, we are shown that at the end of the age, there will be a wedding supper of the Lamb. It says "Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the finest white linen.' (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.)" Therefore, it seems to me that while we are the Bride of Christ, we are also engaged to Him at this time, awaiting his return for us. At that time, we will have our wedding. I wonder if this is like the Jewish tradition of betrothal that we see Mary and Joseph in before the birth of Christ.
So I've been thinking about how that impacts us all at different times in our lives. During our single years, how do we represent the Lord and his Bride? During our dating and courtship days? During our engagement for marriage? During our marriage? What does the Lord want us to learn about Him during those times in our life? How does our sin in those times mess up the picture of what He wants to show us?
I hope to blog about this in coming days. I'd love to hear comments from anyone reading this. Insights from the Word or questions about the topics or just comments from your own perspective. I think you can send comments privately or on my myspace page. I don't quite have that figured out yet. Maybe no one will read it. I just want to put it out there.
In Revelation 19:7 and 8, we are shown that at the end of the age, there will be a wedding supper of the Lamb. It says "Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the finest white linen.' (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.)" Therefore, it seems to me that while we are the Bride of Christ, we are also engaged to Him at this time, awaiting his return for us. At that time, we will have our wedding. I wonder if this is like the Jewish tradition of betrothal that we see Mary and Joseph in before the birth of Christ.
So I've been thinking about how that impacts us all at different times in our lives. During our single years, how do we represent the Lord and his Bride? During our dating and courtship days? During our engagement for marriage? During our marriage? What does the Lord want us to learn about Him during those times in our life? How does our sin in those times mess up the picture of what He wants to show us?
I hope to blog about this in coming days. I'd love to hear comments from anyone reading this. Insights from the Word or questions about the topics or just comments from your own perspective. I think you can send comments privately or on my myspace page. I don't quite have that figured out yet. Maybe no one will read it. I just want to put it out there.
Starters
Well, here I go. I have been blogging on MySpace for a while but since a lot of people I know don't have a MySpace, I'm going to move some of them over to this one. I don't know why I care whether or not people read what I write - probably conceit - but I do, so I'm moving them to a more public space. Sometimes I might write about events that are happening in my life but mostly I like to write my ponderings about life and things the Lord is teaching me.
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