Do We Have a Heart to Pray?

In the book of Matthew (Matthew 21:13) Jesus says that it is written that His house shall be called a House of Prayer referring to Isaiah 56:7.  Prayer and praying is referenced seventy-one times in the Gospels and most of those instances are referring to Jesus and His ministry.  It is very evident that prayer was very dear to the heart of the Son of God.  He prayed as He began His day, He prayed at the end of the day, He prayed all during the day to know the Father’s will, to give Him thanks, and to give Him the glory for what He (Jesus) was about to do (John 11:40-42). 

He taught His Disciples to pray, He told them to pray before beginning their ministry of sharing the Gospel with the world.  In the sermon on the Mount He said, “when you pray”.  It was not a suggestion, or a recommendation, but a statement alluding not only to the Jews practice of daily prayer, but to His instruction to make prayer a priority.  In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians he tells them to ‘pray without ceasing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17). 

His prayer was always directed to the Father and He instructed us to pray likewise (Matthew 6:9).  He prayed to always be found in the Father’s will (not my will, but yours be done – Luke 22:42).  He prayed that He would glorify the Father in all that He did (see John 17).

He told us to pray with confidence (John 14:13-14) and the Apostle John wrote to us to pray with assurance (1 John 5:14).  I could go on and on, but the point I think is clear, Jesus wants us to pray and when we do He will do great and mighty things (Jeremiah 33:3). 

Do you have a heart to pray?  We are going to begin a Prayer Ministry on Sunday mornings from 11:00 am until 12 noon.  We need a Prayer Coordinator to schedule teams of three people each week to pray for our worship services as they are being held.  We need at least four teams that will commit to pray one morning a month during our services for God to speak to our hearts.  That He would anoint the singing and the preaching of His word that Jesus might be glorified in our services.  He told us to ‘watch and pray’.  Can you do that?  Can we do that?

There will be a sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the hallway or you can call the church office to volunteer to be on a team.  God needs a couple of His children to step up and step out for Him to be Coordinators of this Ministry.  Has He given you a heart to pray? 

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.  The ball is in our court, will we pray?  I’m already looking forward to what He will accomplish as we pray.

Any Old Rod Will Do!

In the book of Exodus (4:1-5) Moses is arguing with God over God’s instructions (Exodus 3) to lead the children out of Egypt.  He makes all the usual excuses that we use when God calls us to do something for Him.  Moses said, “Who I am” (verse 11), then paraphrased, “who’s telling me to do this?” (verse 13).  It sounds a lot like some of our excuses for not obeying Him.  I can’t do that, I’m just not qualified or able.  I certainly can’t speak very well so how can I accomplish anything for God.  I have no authority to do that either, after all, people will say I just want to be seen by others.  Amazing isn’t it how we can find all sorts of reasons for not doing what Jesus has called us to do.

Notice what God does in reaction to this.  “Moses, what is that you have in your hand?”  Moses says, “A rod.”  It was an ordinary shepherd’s rod, nothing fancy, or extravagant, just a simple wooden rod.  Moses followed God’s instruction to throw down his rod and it became a snake.  He told Moses to pick it back up by the tail and it reverted back to a rod.  God gives Moses this sign that the people may believe (verse 5).  If you follow that rod and Aaron’s rod through the book of Exodus you will find that God used those simple rods to turn water into blood, to bring frogs up into the land of Egypt, to cause lice to invade the land, to bring thunder and hail upon the Egyptians, to cause locusts to swarm and devastate the country.  That rod was lifted up and God divided the waters at the Red Sea.  When Moses raised that rod as the children of Israel were battling Amalek the battle went in their favor.  When it was lowered they lost ground. 

What are the lessons we can learn from all of this?  What does God want us to understand today in our walk with Him?

1.     God took what Moses already possessed to accomplish His will.  Moses already had everything God needed to get the job done.  Do you and I realize that God and already given us everything we need to accomplish His will?  Your personality, your gifts, and talents, are all that Jesus needs to change our world for His glory!  Will we lay down what we have as Moses did and surrender it to Him?

2.     God supernaturally empowered Moses’ rod to do great and mighty things.  God took his ordinary and made it extraordinary.  Would to God we could surrender to God everything we are and all we possess to Him.  He can take what we have and do incredible things.

3.     Moses’ rod was used to bring glory to God.  It was not the rod, but God’s power through the rod that brought the miracles.  God had Moses strike the rock at Horeb (Exodus 17:6) and it brought forth water for them, but at Meribah (Numbers 20:8-13) God commanded Moses to speak to the rock to bring forth water.  Moses disobeyed God and struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it.  God was not hallowed (glorified) because the children of Israel needed to know that it was not the rod and Moses that had the power, but God.  We have to be careful and remember it is not our abilities or gifts that get things done for His Kingdom, but God working through those things for His Glory.

Thinking you can’t do anything for God?  Jesus is saying, “Give me what you have and I will do great and mighty things through you”.  Will we give it all?  Throw it down before Him and watch what He does!

Focusing on the Future

Another Christmas gone, another year gone by, what lies ahead?  I’m no prophet nor am I a prognosticator, but we can have a vision of where God wants us to go in 2014.  We can look toward to the future, with dread, or we can look forward in faith, trusting and believing that God will do great and mighty things in our church if we will just be obedient to what He shows us. 

I have to wonder in the church in America today hasn’t lost her focus.  Are the things we focus on the things that are dear to God’s heart.  Let me share a few things that are on my heart and I think His for the coming year.

1.     We need to focus on people more than programs.  Reaching people and ministering to them is all about relationships.  I understand and realize that programs can be used to build relationships, but when the program becomes more important than the people; when we fret more over the program not going well than we do the people that are missing, it is doomed for failure and death.  Bob Mayfield, who is the Sunday School, Small Group, and Discipleship specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, made this statement, “You are in trouble when the people that attend your church’s outreach ministry are more concerned about lack of participation by church members than their concern for the lost and unchurched.”  This could be said about any program in our church.  We need to get our focus back on what Jesus called us to, that is, being burdened for people (see Matthew 9:35-38)!

2.     We need to focus more on the substance of our worship than on the style of our worship.  Songs and singing that honor Jesus are really what blesses the heart of God.  Jesus said they that worship the Father must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).  God’s word doesn’t give us all the details of how His children worshipped Him, just that they did with songs and hymns and spiritual songs making melody in their heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).  We need to do likewise.

3.     We need to focus more on our prayers than on our petitions.  Are what we think of as prayers nothing more than our wish lists (petitions) to God?  Prayer includes petitions, but it is more than giving God our lists of wants and desires.  It is praising, thanking, and having a personal conversation with the Creator of the Universe.  The last time I checked having a conservation meant to enter into a two way communication with someone.  That is, talking and listening.  And when it comes to having a conversation with God I don’t know about you, but speaking for myself I probably need to do a whole lot more listening than telling.  Maybe we need to be more like the publican who stood and prayed, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner’, or the apostle Paul who asked, “Lord, what would you have me to do”. 

Let’s get back to what God has called us to be, a church focused on people, praise, and one that seeks His face in prayer.  He might just do something miraculous in us.  I’m ready for a few ‘God Moments’ aren’t you?

Whatever Happened to the Carpenter?

It’s a cold, clear, spring evening in 40 A.D.  On a hillside outside Bethlehem, a group of shepherds warm themselves around a flickering campfire as the night settles in.  Having discussed the hardships of the day, their conversation turns to the prophecies in the Scriptures concerning the coming Messiah.

 Many ideas, interpretations, and thoughts are shared until someone asks, “Whatever happened to that carpenter from Nazareth that everyone thought was the Messiah?”  All is quiet until one man states, “I will tell you what I know, if you want to hear.”  Quickly they agree, “Yes, tell us about the Carpenter.”

Slowly he begins.  “It’s a sad story really.  Jesus, as was his name, had inherited his father’s carpentry business.  But one day he just left the carpentry business with no explanation.

“Some folks thought he was going into the wine business, because he had made some wine for a wedding that everyone said was the best they had ever tasted.  Word was his wine brought great joy.

“Tried the fishing business next.  Did quite well.  Though he never threw a net himself, he sure seemed to know where the fish were.  But no sooner had he started until he began speaking with his partners about becoming fishers of men, whatever that meant.

“After that he became a physician.  People said he healed all manner of disease.  Said he never carried any potions, medicines, herbs, or anything.  Sometimes he just touched them.  Sometimes he just gave the word and they were healed.

“They said he didn’t even need to be around the person; he could speak and they were healed.  Rumor was that one woman touched his garment and was made well.  Others said they actually saw him raise the dead to life.

“He started talking strangely about this time.  Spoke about being a shepherd though he never had any sheep.  Closest thing to a flock he ever had was that little group that followed him everywhere he went.  He told them about going to Jerusalem to die for his sheep.  It’s really sad because it seems he actually believed that.

“Went to Jerusalem and began confronting the religious leaders.  Caused a near riot one day when he began overturning the moneychangers tables while shouting about his father’s house being a house of prayer.

“End result was that the priests had him arrested and condemned to death.  It’s ironic that what he had said about himself came true.  It was a sad day when they crucified him, for many believed he really was the Messiah.”

Whatever happened to the Carpenter?  Some people say he’s still opening blind eyes, bringing joy to hearts, raising the dead, and healing those who would only let Him.

What’s the Message of Christmas?

What is the message of Christmas?  Is it gifts and giving, shopping and spending?  Is it love and joy, eating and spending time with family and friends?  Is it Santas and sleighs, trees and garland?  Is it a time of sacrifice and serving others who aren’t as fortunate as us, or is it just another Holiday to be enjoyed?  Is that all it is or is it the outgrowth of something deeper?

To remember what Christmas is really all about we need to go back to the basics for a few minutes and think about how the Christmas came to be in the first place.

(1)   Christmas is about the ultimate gift – a Savior.  God sent His Son to save us from our sin.  Birthed in the heart of God before the world was ever created God the Father planned Christmas.  His best gift for those who needed it the most.  Born of a virgin without a sin nature so that He could redeem us from our sin.

(2)   Christmas is about the greatest love ever shown.  He loved us before we breathed our first breath.  I think the greatest desire in the heart of any person is to be loved.  Not for what they might do or could do, but because of who they are.  Jesus came to lay down His life for us that we might know God’s love for us.  And when our hearts overflow with His love then we can’t help but love and bring joy to those around us.

(3)   Christmas is about enjoying the most blessed fellowship that we can know.  We enjoy the times of food and fellowship with our families and friends during the holiday season, but to be adopted into His family is the ultimate fellowship.  Our fellowship with family and friends here is a temporary thing, but to be a part of His family is a fellowship that will last for all eternity.  And because we are accepted into His fellowship and family we can and should accept others.

(4)   Christmas is about the life giving sacrifice of Jesus.  We are free to celebrate not presents or pageants, parties or programs, but the forgiveness we have in Jesus Christ.  And because of His sacrifice we are free to serve others in whatever way we can to make a difference in their lives.

We need to see the bigger picture of Christmas.  Christmas is not all about us, it’s all about Him!  Let’s celebrate it this year for its true meaning.

Thanksgiving, Are We Thankful?

Around November of each year you probably, like me, try to focus on those things we should be thankful for.  We talk of faith, family, friends, our churches, and our country (as off track as it is right now), among a host of things. 

I was reading a American Family Association publication this afternoon and saw a list of things that we either aren’t aware of, or do not normally think of.  I thought it would be good to share it.  It comes from J. Lee Grady’s column “10 basic blessings you should be thankful for.” 

1.       Clean water:  88.4 million people lack access to clean water.

2.       A Bathroom:  40% of the world does not have a toilet.

3.       Electricity:  1.6 billion people live without electricity.

4.       Shelter:  2.5 million in America are homeless and 640 million children worldwide do not have shelter.

5.       Food:  28% of children in developing countries are estimated to be under weight or have stunted growth.

6.       Your Stove:  2.5 billion people use fuelwood, charcoal or animal dung to meet their energy needs.

7.       Regular Income:  Most of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.

8.       Education:  Nearly 1 billion people cannot read a book or write their names.

9.       Health:  2.2 million children die each year because they are not immunized.  Annually there are 300-500 million cases of malaria including 1 million fatalities.

10.   Freedom to worship God:  More than 400 Christians die for their faith every day across the world.

Makes you think doesn’t it?  Should help us to thank God for His blessings, but also to pray for those who don’t have what we do.

It’s That Time of Year

Fall.  It’s that time of year when the leaves begin to fall, the first frost hits, and the days fluctuate between beautiful sunny times and damp, drizzly days.  There are so many holidays to prepare for in the fall.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas just around the corner, not to mention football games, cheerleading games and events, band competitions, and a host of other fall related activities.  Makes us want to set some boundaries on our time.  What we will do and what will we forgo.

 

Throw in a Chili Supper, Trunk or Treat, Thanksgiving Meal, Christmas Dinner, Revival, Christmas program preparations, and a host of other Church related activities and it’s enough to make us all want to go and hide for a while.  All these things are good in themselves, but obviously we all can’t do them all. What are the priorities?  What should you and I do?  Which things should we be most concerned about?

This is a story I have seen on the internet for years.  I’ve adapted it a little for our church family, but it’s truth always reminds me of life’s priorities.

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him.  When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter.  He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. 

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.  He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.  He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous - yes.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things - your faith, your family, your children, your health - Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are really important. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your life. Spend time with God, make family and friends a priority, worship with fellow believers.

"Take care of the rocks first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."