Life Goes On

When I was in college I was a Voice Major in the Church Music department.  One of the worst things that can happen to a Voice Major is to lose their voice.  We learned to gargle warm salt water, drink certain teas and other methods of keeping our voices clear.  As a pastor, my voice is my primary tool.  Regardless of how much I have studied and prepared, if my voice doesn't work the message does not get out. Today I exercised my right to vote in the primary election for my county and state.  That was my "voice".  I may never get to address the President, Governor, or state or national congresses in person, but I can express my desires through my vote.  Even though my candidates may not win, my voice has been heard.  You've heard the old expression "Use it or lose it" I'm sure.  That certainly applies in this case.  Whatever you do, don't lose your voice by neglecting to vote. Another way your "voice" is expressed is through your prayers ...

To say that the election this coming November is critical to the direction of our country is an understatement.  For those who are Christ followers it is crucial that we pray for God's guidance and we cast our votes.  With this in mind, we should learn from the Israelites, God's Chosen People.  In 1 Samuel 8, as the old prophet neared the end of his earthly life, it became apparent that his sons would not be good leaders for the country.  In v 6, "So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah.  They said to him, 'Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways.  Therefore appoint a king to judge us the same as all they other nations have.'"  Samuel was a bit offended by their request and he told God so.  The Lord replied to him in v 7 "But the LORD told him, 'Listen to the people and everything they say to you.  They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.'" As we pray to God for guida...

Recently, as I was thanking God for my bowl of cereal, I was reminded to thank Him for the farmer who prepared the land, planted the seed and tended the grain and then harvested the crop.  Then I was prompted to pray for the people who prepared the grain into cereal and the those who packaged it, those who transported it to market, those who stocked the shelves so that I could purchase the cereal.  That led to me giving thanks for the finances that enabled me to buy the food I need.  Before long, my "blessing" on my breakfast turned into an intercessory prayer session.  I didn't have to use a prayer list or a notebook.  I just allowed Holy Spirit to guide as one prayer led to another. That experience has helped me understand Paul's admonition to "pray without ceasing".  It has also made my prayer time more exciting because I know I'm praying for those people and those things that Holy Spirit brings to mind. Some time ago I told one of my granddaughters...

Forty plus years ago the doctors told us that we would be unable to have children of our own. Then a group of teenagers at Greenleaf Ave. Baptist Church, in their weekly Prayer and Share hour, began praying. They prayed that we would have children, or, as I remember one person particularly praying, that we would be content either way. This past Sunday, May 23, 2010, as we were singing "Because He Lives", the second verse hit me very hard! "How sweet to hold a new-born baby and feel the pride and joy (she) gives". We found that joy in Sept. 1970 as our first-born daughter came. (I feel that was a direct answer to the prayers of those youth in Prayer and Share.) However, the second part of that verse really got me--"But greater still the calm assurrance, This child can face uncertain days because He lives". On Friday, May 21, those lines became truth in our lives as we discovered that our "baby" has stage 2 cancer. Now we are asking our...

After 50+ years in local church ministry, I'm convinced that most churches/Christians don't understand the power or purpose for prayer. Fully 90% of the prayer topics addressed in most churches are health related; 5% is asking blessing upon whatever meeting is taking place, with only 5% left to deal with such issues as the Good News of the Kingdom, salvation of the lost, missions, elected civil leaders and spiritual growth of the saints. (all of which are Biblical) If we learn to use the formidable tool that God has given us, I believe we will see the church come alive and our nation once again impacted by the Gospel of Christ. A study of the prayers of Jesus, Paul, David, Daniel and Nehemiah gives insight into prayer that prompts God's response. I think that God is waiting for His people to seek Him as something other than an EMT. We need to learn to seek His face, not just His hands. Once we begin to pray as the Bible teaches, we will see God's intervention in al...

I have several friends who are extremely upset over the situation in our country. While I understand and appreciate their concern, I refuse to let it dominate my life. Daily I remind myself of the truth of Proverbs 21:1 "A kings heart is a water channel in the Lord's hand; He directs it wherever He chooses." Before you think that this is a cop-out on my part, stop and realize that the ultimate fate of this nation is not in the hands of the politicians, but rather in the hands of Almighty God. Even before I've done my part in voting and have spoken my mind through communication with elected officials, the most important thing I can do is pray for our nation. I've made a covenant with God that whenever I wake up during the night that is my call to prayer for our nation. Primarily I pray for repentance beginning in the halls of government and moving throughout the nation. I'm using Ninevah as my example. I'm asking God to send a prophet or prophets th...

Perhaps the saddest verse in scripture is found in Ezekial 22:30 "And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach (gap) before Me for the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none ." Israel had sinned against God, and He sought an intercessor to "stand in the gap" between Him and Israel, and sadly, there was not one. The next verse tells the sad end of the incident "Therefore I have poured out My indignation upon them, I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God." I firmly believe that this same situation exists in America today. We have deliberately sinned against God, and are in the cross-hairs of His wrath. Unless there are intercessors who will step between America and the wrath of God, we may well experience His wrath. For the past few weeks I have promised God that when I wake up during the night, I will intercede for America be...

Matthew 16:18 (HCSB) And I also say to you that you are Peter (petros, a rock), and on this rock (boulder; the statement “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”) I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it. It is Jesus’ intention that the church overwhelms the gates of Satan’s domain. He wants us to be on the offensive for the Kingdom of God . We are never to be in retreat or in a circle the wagons mode. We are to be on the attack. We are to take captives away from Satan and lead them into the kingdom through faith in Jesus. We must learn what our rights are and how to use the weapons God has supplied. Our rights Matthew 16:19 (HCSB) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:19 (HCSB) Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you p...

In continuing writing my devotional book on the sayings of Jesus, today I re-read the passage where Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. This is commonly considered to be Jesus' first recorded miracle. As I read it this time, I saw something I hadn't noticed before. I believe there are some lessons here regarding prayer. Prayer is not limited to just presenting a laundry list of requests to God. Sometimes it is discussing situations with Him with the expectation that He will do what is best in the situation. That seems to be the case in this story. Mary, His mother, simply apprises Him of the situation; the wine had run out. Jesus' response would seem to have ended the discussion, however Mary assumed that He would do something, and alerted the servants to follow His direction. The directions that Jesus gave defied logic, and yet, when the servants obediently did as He bade them, the result was miraculous. So it is with our prayers. Perhaps w...

Often prayers that are uttered in public seem to be done on auto-pilot. There are certain words or phrases that are repeated seemingly without thought as to whether they fit the context of the prayer. It seems that when we open our mouths to pray, part of our brain shuts down. When our girls were young, we determined that we were not going to teach them the rote meal blessings (God is great, God is good...etc) We thought we'd teach them to think about what they wanted to say rather than just recite a memorized prayer. Interestingly, they invented their own rote meal prayers, memorized them and repeated them over and over. I had a student in my youth group who used the word "Lord" as a punctuation mark or instead of saying "er" or "uh". He was totally unaware until I pointed out to him that in a brief (two minute) prayer he'd said the word "Lord" twenty eight times. The next time he prayed publicly he was almost tongue-tied. Here is ...

This morning as I enjoyed brunch at Denny's, I found myself praying for my grandkids. All the while I was eating, eavesdropping on a conversation nearby, noticing the people walking about in the restaurant, etc. The thought popped into my head, "I wonder how effective this prayer is when I'm mixing it in with everything else going on around me?" Thinking back, I recall praying while driving, watching TV, and (blush) while in the bath room. I'll share my conclusions with you, but I'd really like to hear from you on this matter. My bottom line on this is that so long as multi-tasking prayer isn't all the praying that you do, it is OK. As a matter of fact, it is probably a great add-on to your prayer life. However, there must be prayer time which is totally focused on the Lord and the prayer needs at hand without a bunch of other "stuff" competing for your attention. I think that is what Jesus meant by "go into your closet" when te...

The time has come for American Christians to cry out to God as never before. Remember, God would have spared Sodom if only 10 righteous men had been found there. We are somewhat in that position now. Unless Believers "stand in the gap and make up the hedge" (Ez. 22:30) God may well "pour out His fury" upon us. It would be well for us to read Ezekial 22, and take heed. No longer can we assume that everything is going to be alright. Even the most optimistic polls are showing that we are about to elect a socialist slate of leaders for our country. Just because we've been spared in the past doesn't mean that God will continue to be patient with us. Remember His statement in Genesis 6:3 "Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time.""(NLT) This may come across as a bit alarmist. It isn't "a bit", it is absolutely alarmist! For much too long we've presumed on the grace of God to del...