I remember a while back when I was studying the book of James being amazed and shocked at one verse in particular. It was James 5:17; “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.” What this says is that, Elijah was a man (or human being) like you and I and he was able to pray and God listened to him. God made it so the earth did not get rain for three years because of Elijah’s prayer. This is power. God has given us this power. He gave us prayer as a way to communicate with him.
I sometimes forget the power that God has given us through prayer. I was convicted of this very recently. I was seeing that I was not seeking God on behalf of my students as much as I should have been. I was not seeking Gods power in my family’s life. I am a fix-it. When something goes wrong I try my best to fix it. But issues of the heart I cannot fix. God is the only one who can change the heart. James 5:16 says this, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Our prayers are powerful and effective. I know this but, I am not sure I always believe it. I say that I believe in prayer, but then I do not live that way. I need to be seeking God in prayer so the power of God may be released in the life of my family, my students, and my church. I sometimes wonder “God what are you doing here?” But again I am not praying to ask God to work. God has told us to ask him for help. James 4:2-3 says, “2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Are we seeking God for things? Are we asking Him? Are we asking for things that are for His glory? I know for me sometimes I do not ask because I am afraid to ask. However, God has told us the reason we do not have because we do not ask. It is OK to ask and seek the power of God to work in our lives. He will work according to His purposes and His pleasure. He will be consistent. We just need to be willing to seek and ask. This is an act of surrender, of humility. I never thought of prayer as an act of surrender but it is. We do not ask help from other people for a few reasons; we do not want to put people out, or we are just too full of our own pride to ask. It is the same with God. We want to figure it out on our own, and not surrender and say, “God I need your help here.” “I need your power.”
Are we willing to seek God and his power? Are we willing to surrender to him? I know I have seen how God has worked in my life and I have been trying to focus on more prayer in my life. For example a couple of weeks ago I was praying about something in Tomina’s and my life. I was asking God to work. I was seeking his help, looking for his hand in our lives; the next day God provided in that area. The next day!!! Our God is a good God and He wants us to seek his help and guidance through prayer. Are you doing it?
Friday, August 14, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Zacchaeus
Here is a story in the bible that we love to teach. It is a story of how Jesus loved sinners. I think there is a little more to be learned here. I feel like sometimes we view the stories in the bible as just that, nice stories. But they are real life events. It is a history book that is not finished. It is written, but the events have not all happened yet. Let’s put the story is modern day terms. Zacchaeus is the man that has everything. He has money. He has the nice house. The people that are “friends” with Zacchaeus like him, because they want his money. The people that don’t like him hate him because of his money. This is the person we are afraid to talk to because he will just shoot us down. I think he was lonely because he knew that no one liked him for him. Yet no one was willing to get to know him. Then Jesus comes along and acknowledges him, he eats with Zacchaeus. Jesus has nothing to gain from this relationship, but He reaches out to him just the same.
I was on a mission’s trip recently where we did some street evangelism. We were witnessing in a highly Mormon area. There were people that I let pass by because I was afraid to talk with them. I thought they would know more about their religion than I did. After reading Zacchaeus I wondered how many of them needed to hear the message I had to bring. How many friends, family, and co-workers do we not share Jesus with because we are afraid that they will not respond? We look at people and say “They have all they need.” But they don’t! Why? Because they do not have Jesus! Zacchaeus was a lonely man that needed Jesus, and it took Jesus making time for Zacchaeus in order for him to change. How many people would trust in Jesus if we took time out of our lives to share Jesus with them? He came to seek and save the lost!!!!
I was on a mission’s trip recently where we did some street evangelism. We were witnessing in a highly Mormon area. There were people that I let pass by because I was afraid to talk with them. I thought they would know more about their religion than I did. After reading Zacchaeus I wondered how many of them needed to hear the message I had to bring. How many friends, family, and co-workers do we not share Jesus with because we are afraid that they will not respond? We look at people and say “They have all they need.” But they don’t! Why? Because they do not have Jesus! Zacchaeus was a lonely man that needed Jesus, and it took Jesus making time for Zacchaeus in order for him to change. How many people would trust in Jesus if we took time out of our lives to share Jesus with them? He came to seek and save the lost!!!!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Intentional Living
I have been in ministry, working with students, for 10 years. Over the years there have been themes that God has brought out through teaching or experience.
Over the past couple of years I have been hearing the same theme. On the Evangelical Free Church Student Ministries Council I serve on, in staff meetings, in training seminars, and just as God teaches me through His Word, He has been calling me to intentional living.
The problem is, it is easy getting caught up in what needs immediately to be done -- the tyranny of the urgent. You think, if I don’t do it then it no one else will.
I am a doer. I like being a doer. I will help in most situations. If a storage room needs cleaned out, I will help. Martin the senior pastor at my church often says I need to focus. This is a part of intentional living, having in mind the things that are important so you will focus on them. Doing everything in your power to stay on track and accomplish the “big rocks” in your ministry and life. (Big rocks are the most important things that need to be done in ministry and life.)
As a believer in Jesus, in life and ministry I have two main foci. These need to rule everything I do. They are: the Great Commandment, and the Great Commission.
Jesus gets asked the question, “What is the greatest commandment?” And He answers this question. His response summarizes the most important thing that you and I can do with our lives. There is no bigger rock in life or ministry.
Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-40: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
These verses for believers should form the basis for our everyday intentionality. They should be what we live for, what makes us tick. When we are building our lives around them, our hearts and lives will change. We will be different.
What defines you? What are your “big rocks?” If we desire to live intentionally, we will ask these kinds of questions. Then we will change, based on the answer to these questions.
I know I have a long way to go to be an intentional liver. But I need to start the process. I need to ask the questions and allow the answers to shape the way I live.
A couple of years ago I was listening to a sermon. A statement that the pastor made will stick with me for the rest of my life. He said, the way we live shows us who is on the throne of our life. How you answer these questions defines you. Knowing what your big rocks are will help you see who or what is on the throne of your life. Take time this next week and ask these questions.
Over the past couple of years I have been hearing the same theme. On the Evangelical Free Church Student Ministries Council I serve on, in staff meetings, in training seminars, and just as God teaches me through His Word, He has been calling me to intentional living.
The problem is, it is easy getting caught up in what needs immediately to be done -- the tyranny of the urgent. You think, if I don’t do it then it no one else will.
I am a doer. I like being a doer. I will help in most situations. If a storage room needs cleaned out, I will help. Martin the senior pastor at my church often says I need to focus. This is a part of intentional living, having in mind the things that are important so you will focus on them. Doing everything in your power to stay on track and accomplish the “big rocks” in your ministry and life. (Big rocks are the most important things that need to be done in ministry and life.)
As a believer in Jesus, in life and ministry I have two main foci. These need to rule everything I do. They are: the Great Commandment, and the Great Commission.
Jesus gets asked the question, “What is the greatest commandment?” And He answers this question. His response summarizes the most important thing that you and I can do with our lives. There is no bigger rock in life or ministry.
Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-40: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
These verses for believers should form the basis for our everyday intentionality. They should be what we live for, what makes us tick. When we are building our lives around them, our hearts and lives will change. We will be different.
What defines you? What are your “big rocks?” If we desire to live intentionally, we will ask these kinds of questions. Then we will change, based on the answer to these questions.
I know I have a long way to go to be an intentional liver. But I need to start the process. I need to ask the questions and allow the answers to shape the way I live.
A couple of years ago I was listening to a sermon. A statement that the pastor made will stick with me for the rest of my life. He said, the way we live shows us who is on the throne of our life. How you answer these questions defines you. Knowing what your big rocks are will help you see who or what is on the throne of your life. Take time this next week and ask these questions.
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