Re: Eavesdropping (Ed. VII)

Once again it's impossible to miss the themes of all these prayers. When these men seeking God prayed, they seem to have incredibly common aspects to them! This is of Hezekiah... how does it apply to our lives today in a spiritual way?

Isaiah 37:15-20

15 And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: 16 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. 17 Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.

18 “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. 19 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. 20 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

Amen...

Re: Wisdom

What is wisdom? What does wisdom pertain to? Have you ever thought about it? Where is scripture is wisdom accounted for? What is considered, "wise?" Who are the "wise" men, and what makes them so? I really don't know. I'm not here to shed any light on that issue either, more, I've been reconsidering the "wisdom" I once saw in a man of the New Testament: Gamaliel. He is considered a mentor to Paul and understood to be a pharisee and teacher of the law in Jerusalem. You can find references to him in the book of Acts, but the portion of scripture I am referring to is in chapter 5. You can read the backstory for yourself in detail if you want, but the context in a nutshell is this: Peter and some apostles were facing a Sanhedrin that intended to have them killed, Gamaliel presents a position of neutrality towards them, speaking these widely known words:

Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.

Pretty profound, eh? I've thought so for a long time, mainly because it's true! But as I am now one hearing these words from a different point of view, from some of my friends that is, I tend to see something a bit differently. Let me explain, the Lord has worked in my life over the past year or so in ways I have never imagined or expected. It seems that at every turn something changes about what I had planned, now I have no plans whatsoever (go figure). I'm fully convinced that our God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth for the purpose of declaring His glory through sacrificing His own life in place of all humanity. This act revoked His enemy, Lucifer's, authority in the lives of those who would put their trust and faith in Him for redemption and salvation. His death is a testimony to the Truth of the nature and love of God and brings freedom from the oppression of sin and death in a REAL and IMMEDIATE way to those who abandon their lives in exchange for His. My friends, His FREEDOM is a real one, a true one, a healing and complete one where this world no longer means anything but opportunity and the future is seen in light of eternity's hope. His intention is as plain as nature, all things reproduce after their own kind. The apples to apples, the bees to bees, the dust to dust, and the Spirit to spirit all reflect His intention. He gave a command in the garden, a physical understanding to physical beings of His origin, "Be fruitful and multiply." He presented this same command to the disciples, His own spiritual offspring in a spiritual context, "Go and make disciples." Both the Old and New Testaments are full of the language of FRUIT, and as I am beginning to see this more and more and more in the context of freedom, and as I share of the movement I have seen here and in other areas of this country, where disciples are made and the bound are freed for real, and as the invitation to be near this blessing is extended; I hear the words of Gamaliel returned to me, "That's really neat, but I don't think I'm ready for that kind of movement. I don't feel like that's where God is leading me. I don't know right now, I'd kinda like to watch and see how God does things with you guys first." and I cringe. You see, Gamaliel was a wise man, yet in His wisdom He missed the profound truth that was spoken to Him perhaps minutes earlier than His words were.

Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

You see, Gamaliel's wisdom that brought neutrality kept him from falling under a curse or guilt for killing men who were innocent, but in the same way he missed out on the blessing of the Spirit and the glory of God that the men before him were testifying to. He had no valid reason to doubt, for they were witnesses to it all and plainly spoke to them the fruit of their obedience. Was this so wise? I suppose it depends on what you prioritize... in terms of human caution and safety, yes, it was wise. He did the safe thing and stayed back from a risky work of the Lord taking place all around his town. Yet in the terms of the Kingdom, where everything is upside down and safety has nothing to do with physical well-being, well, he was a fool now, wasn't he? The language of love is risk and obedience... love for God is no different. What is faith if it is not risky and what is wisdom if not placing the glory of God at the foremost place of our motivation? I do not know, but as I am met with people who wish to remain neutral in a battle for the soul and life of my own generation, I cannot help but think of Gamaliel and weep.

The freedom Christ died for you to have is a real one. The road is narrow, yet worth every heartache and right you will give up to travel it. His strength is real and immense, and His joy is in no way hidden. For you who choose to stand by and watch, no that you will miss the blessing of the obedient. For you who contemplate His call, know that obedience can only happen right now, you cannot obey tomorrow any more than you can yesterday, obedience is now. For you who walk the road in weariness and with a burden for His people, press on, my brothers and sister, press on in His strength and by His grace, you are of the chosen, called to His glory and bound together by His love, press on, press on, press on. For you who fear and tremble at the sight of the road, come, lay your burden down, it is not worth carrying, accept His freedom from the lies that have no place in your life and live anew.

Neutrality is not an option, nor is it wisdom. It is caution bred of fear, and fear by it's nature is not faith, therefore it cannot glorify God.

Let's go.
..............................
Hebrews
1 John
James
Acts 5
Galatians

Re: Eavesdropping (Ed. VI)

Once again the prophetic prayer centers around a return to obedience to the Lord as He has commanded and expects. Such a wonderful theme that continues from Ezra and into Daniel and Habakkuk is this call to a people who are either far away from where they belong physically (exile) or spiritually. At any rate, the covenant faithfulness aspect is called upon in the view and expressed perspective of obedience, that is, the people's end of that sacred agreement.

Nehemiah 1:5-11 (NLT)

5 Then I said,

“O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! 7 We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
8 “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. 9 But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’
10 “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. 11 O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”

Amen...

CompassionArt

So I found this as I was looking up some random info about the band delirious?, as it's something the lead vocalist/songwriter, Martin Smith, will be devoting much of his time to after the band ends, and I think it's pretty amazing. Check it out!




Check out the homepage here, and the incredible vision here!

Re: Eavesdropping (Ed. V)

What characterizes most of our societal understanding of prayers today? Generally the words, "me" and "I." Look at this prayer by King David. It comes just after the Lord has promised an everlasting covenant with him- that one of his line would always be in rule over Israel. It begins with a simple declaration, "WHO AM I..." and goes on to proclaim who the LORD is over and over and over again. Does this characterize my prayers? Yours? Do we continuously ask and ask and make prayer about ourselves rather than praise God for what He's already done! I challenge you to look at the proportion of times David talks about himself to the number h makes direct references to God and His works. It's stunning and quite convicting for sure, but wow is it freeing.

2 Samuel 7:18-29 (NLT)

18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,

“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?
20 “What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord. 21 Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.
22 “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! 23 What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way.[b] 24 You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.
25 “And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. 26 And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.
27 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’ 28 For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever."

Amen!

Re: Beauty vs. Value

It’s been said, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and many have believed it. At a recent session of, “The Truth Project,” (a weekly group organized by Jamie Silveus based on the DVD “tour” series from Focus on the Family) we were presented with many views, scriptures, and lifestyle references suggesting the contrary, that beauty is not in the eye of the beholder. I tended to agree, as it’s easy to note the standards around us of good and evil, of things wholesome and things that are deceptive, of truth and lies, but I also was a bit uneasy. What then of the human capacity to love? What of our right to express preference and declare worthiness? We know good things as “beautiful,” and it really does make sense that beauty rests in the sight of God and depends His standard, but that I still know many who would disagree. I’m not trying to prove anything here, but I would like to make a suggestion, as, at first glance, most of us would agree that beauty is in the eye of the onlooker and would impulsively argue against the notion that it’s not.

As so often in our American culture (though perhaps this extends beyond just America) we like to use different words interchangeably. We have several implications behind the word, “love” and I think beauty itself has become synonymous with “value,” and unjustly so. I think beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, but value is. If you’re not following, perhaps a little illustration would help, bear with me…

…
A man carried an old watch in his pocket, he’d purchased it several years earlier for the sum total of $20.00, though lately he’d been given a new watch, making this one irrelevant to his life. He considered the watch beautiful, but just unnecessary to life anymore. He decided he’d take the watch into a pawn shop and see if he might gain some of his money back, deciding beforehand that $5.00 would be an acceptable parting total. When he showed the man behind the counter his item, the man responded quickly, “Two dollars.” Now as bartering goes in the art of pawning, the man new his part of the dance. “Eight dollars,” he said. This routine was repeated until finally the broker offered the man his intended five dollars. Pocketing the money, the man left the pawn shop content.

Now the pawn broker was a somewhat understanding man, but regarding the smaller items of his business he often neglected proper organizational skills. He saw beauty in the watch, knowing partially the time and effort put into making it. But in his forgetfulness he tossed the watch purchased for $5.00 behind his glass case and went back to his usual work. As days passed, his business went well and the watch was far from his mind. Then one day a customer came in, looking at best, unintentional. The customer poked around here and there, eyeing items on the wall and even inquiring once or twice. Finally he selected a small item and came to the counter to make his purchase. As the exchange was taking place, the customer looked down nonchalantly and noticed a beautiful pocket watch sitting on the shelf. His demeanor changed immediately and he set his previously intended item to the side, speaking directly to the owner, “I’ll give you two-hundred dollars for that watch.” The shop owner, somewhat bewildered, agreed, knowing the profit he was about to make in the transaction, and the customer walked out of the store with the watch.

The question of the watch's beauty has been answered, each person saw beauty in the watch and could not disregard its style or allurement. However, perhaps a more revealing question would be: what is the watch worth?
…


When it comes to beauty, we have a standard. It is goodness and truth as the life of Christ depict and uphold. Peter declares that beauty in the eyes of God has nothing to do with the outside, but pertains to the nature of the inward spirit of a person (1 Peter 3). What of value though? When it comes to value, honestly it seems to me that it’s entirely relative. The question becomes, “Well, what are you willing to pay?” I think we’ve intermixed these two concepts and we really shouldn’t. Right and wrong are not relative, beauty is not either, but value truly is.

(Tangent) The value of life has been declared by the highest authority. When the question is posed to you regarding the worth of your neighbor, of your coworker, of your boss, of your spouse, or any other person you’ve ever come in contact with you must keep in mind the ultimate price Jesus Christ was willing to pay for that life as well as yours- it was His own. He gave up His life for the freedom and healing and salvation of the world. Never forget that the value of human life is not relative, it is set. The question in that case, “What are you willing to pay,” but “What has been paid,” and the answer is that your life itself is worth the very death of God, as is your neighbor and fellow student. What would happen if we suddenly lived like that were true?

(Back on topic) Honestly, in thinking through this (which is my preferred way of understanding something troubling me) and writing it down (which tends to be where I am most able to continue learning) my mind has been eased a bit. I’m glad there’s a standard for beauty, for goodness, righteousness, and truth. That these things aren’t relative and open for argument and debate. I’m also glad for the relativity of value, that we are given the chance to pay for what we know holds worth in our lives. That we all have the same amount of time at any given moment (that is, right now) and that in spending it with each other we can truly show value. That in communicating we can reveal love and worth, respect and depth of relationship. I’m glad we have this ability, that we can know how to love one another and how to see that we are loved, what in your live would you give for? What would you suffer for? What would you wait for?

I’m not done processing this… in fact, I’m rarely finished thinking through anything. I’d love to hear your thoughts? Does this make sense? Do you disagree? Do you understand something for the first time? What do you think about beauty or value?


N.B.: "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church..." that is (to me) pray, suffer, bleed, wait, cherish, protect, call, lead, encourage, praise, uplift, help, and rejoice. What is she worth to you?

Two Kinds of Discipleship

This is an excerpt from the Craig Carter’s book, Rethinking Christ and Culture: a post Christendom perspective (a response writing to Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture) which the Church History class has been reading this semester. The final chapter presents a comparison/contrast of several aspects of Christian lifestyle as understood from the point of Constantine as the proponent of Christendom and Jesus as the author of Christianity. This final comparison caught my interest and Carter’s presentation is, in my opinion, a very accurate depiction of perspectives within the American church today. What do you think?

Two Kinds of Discipleship

Finally, we need to consider that there are two different kinds of discipleship, depending on whether one follows Jesus or Constantine. To follow Constantine, the primary issue relates to being a good and loyal citizen of the state. To be a good Roman is to be a good Christian [or to be a good American is to be a good Christian, eh?]. One simply lives up to one’s birth.

But in order to be a good follower of Jesus Christ, one has to make a deliberate choice to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. To be a good Christian is to be something less than totally devoted to serving the state and obeying the political authorities, for one’s obedience to the state must always take a second place to one’s baptism [that is, one’s Rebirth], something that is possible only in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The kind of church we need is one that facilitates such discipleship and takes it up into its very heart, rather than rejecting it or marginalizing it, as the Constantinian church does. In the Constantinian, a devotion to Jesus Christ that leads to literal and serious discipleship is possible, but it is channeled in the so-called religious life, where it does not threaten the so-called secular life lived by most people. The life of discipleship is seen as heroic, worthy of admiration by all, but not possible for all. Those who call the entire church to the path of discipleship are rejected as fanatics and persecuted in Christendom.

Carter, Craig A.Rethinking Christ and Culture...Brazos Press, Grand Rapids: 2006, p. 211 [emphases mine]

Re: Eavesdropping (Ed. IV)

EZRA! This prayer nearly made me cry and I'm not even joking. What humility and repentance this man is pouring out to God on behalf of His people... what do you see?

Ezra 9:6-15 (NLT)

6 I prayed,

“O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7 From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin. That is why we and our kings and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. We have been killed, captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today.

8 “But now we have been given a brief moment of grace, for the Lord our God has allowed a few of us to survive as a remnant. He has given us security in this holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes and granted us some relief from our slavery. 9 For we were slaves, but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery. Instead, he caused the kings of Persia to treat us favorably. He revived us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 “And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned your commands! 11 Your servants the prophets warned us when they said, ‘The land you are entering to possess is totally defiled by the detestable practices of the people living there. From one end to the other, the land is filled with corruption. 12 Don’t let your daughters marry their sons! Don’t take their daughters as wives for your sons. Don’t ever promote the peace and prosperity of those nations. If you follow these instructions, you will be strong and will enjoy the good things the land produces, and you will leave this prosperity to your children forever.’

13 “Now we are being punished because of our wickedness and our great guilt. But we have actually been punished far less than we deserve, for you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive as a remnant. 14 But even so, we are again breaking your commands and intermarrying with people who do these detestable things. Won’t your anger be enough to destroy us, so that even this little remnant no longer survives? 15 O Lord, God of Israel, you are just. We come before you in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in your presence.”

Amen.

...............................................

Re: Eavesdropping (Ed. III)

The third installment of who knows how long a series on prayer. This is the prayer of Daniel, an Israelite in exile. His service to the Babylonian empire are famous and his God given ability to interpret dreams can be understood as nothing less than incredible. Do his words sound much like ours today? Do his words echo in your spirit? Do his thoughts and hopes and dreams connect and reverborate in your life at all? I hope so...

Daniel 9:1-19

1 In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom- 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:
"O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.

15 "Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.

17 "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."

Amen...

Re: Eavesdropping (Ed. II)

So this is the second installment of a little reflection I'm undertaking on different prayers in scripture. Habakkuk was first and as it completely blew me away, I really want to see how other portions of scriptural prayers echo in my life. The passage below is from the dedication of the temple in the day of Solomon. We recently looked at it in my Old Testament class and there really is SO MUCH here. What do you see?

1 Kings 8:22-61

22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said:
"O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.

25 "Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.' 26 And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.

27 "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

31 "When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence.

33 "When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers.

35 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.

37 "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel—each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple- 39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), 40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers.

41 "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name- 42 for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

44 "When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

46 "When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly'; 48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.

52 "May your eyes be open to your servant's plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. 53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, O Sovereign LORD, brought our fathers out of Egypt."

54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55 He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:

56 "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. 61 But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time."

WOW.

Amen... and AMEN again.

Re: Scar Tissue

Why is it we so often settle for scar tissue instead of healing? I’m not speaking of physical wounds or abrasions here, I’m speaking of emotional and spiritual wounds that, at least in my own self reflection, I’d much rather be buried under dead tissue than healed properly. It’s easier learning to live with a scar than accept the thorough work of healing. The lies we have heard throughout our lives… why do we not let them die for real? Why is it after we are wounded we choose to let that tough, lifeless skin cover the gap and create scars instead of allowing God to truly heal again?

I think it’s because we know the risk of healed, living tissue being broken again and we’re afraid to risk that pain. We’d much rather have the scar to remind us how tender that area of our lives is and thus keep us from being hurt once more. The problem is, scars aren’t intended. You know? Healing is… I find it hard to believe that a God known as the great physician, capable of healing and redeeming any wound and situation would find His perfect remedy for wounds covering them with deadness. Moreover, the issue at hand is that for those of us who indeed have scars, who have dead skin covering a past pain. What does healing imply for us?

That area in our lives must be made vulnerable again.

That’s no fun… it really isn’t, yet so much of our redemption and our reconciliation, of our healing and our FREEDOM must come through allowing His HEALING to take place even in the old pains. That scar tissue must be removed and He must be allowed to heal and regenerate life in that area of our lives. Vulnerability sucks… it really does. I’m not good at it. In fact, much of my life can be characterized by protective measures taken to not be hurt again as I’m sure most of yours can as well. Vulnerability is our release of the right to control. It’s our letting go of the right to protect what is no longer ours. Part of the pain is in addressing our wounders… for some of us that instigator of pain is ourselves, others it is past friends, current parents, etc. I’m not speaking of going to them and showing them the wound; I am speaking of exposing our scars to our Lord and allowing Him to remove the deadness that keeps us in the same place (death does not grow, it is static- life however, is changing and progressive) and bring about new life in that place, of forgiving them and learning the truth of redemption, and of letting our rights go and trust Him to heal.

For many of us our wounds are at the core of our hearts. Whose job is it to guard this very important part of our being? I’m not speaking of the muscle- you know that. I’m speaking of the place we store treasures, dream dreams, hope for the impossible, keep faith, and truly love. We tritely declare, "Lord, you have my heart," and in our weakness and fear take it back over and over again. Many pains and scars are there and we are not walking in true life with them present. Our love cannot grow, our dreams cannot be longed for, etc. It is the Lord’s desire to guard our heart. It is our fear and unbelief that won’t allow Him. Many scars in my life reside in my heart, and now in this time of life I find Him wanting more and more to HEAL rather than just let me cope with old scars. Even yesterday something NEW came up and took me completely off guard... what then? When we're confronted with a scar and we realize we haven't healed as we hoped the truth was- do we yield? Do we SUBMIT? There are things I didn’t even realize were there, and now as He moves, some tissue is being ripped from its place to expose the wound He longs to restore. Will I let Him? Will you let Him for you too? If we truly desire freedom and truly trust His word in our lives, we really must. Though it may be the hardest thing we’ve faced yet.

I believe in a God of true healing… One who does not patch skin and wounds… One who does not glue the severed feelings… One who does not need to cover the pain, but has the power to redeem it and bring about life. One who intends His people love without strings and the reminders of wounds. One whose people are characterized by the celebration of true restoration. One whose people live in a healing altogether foreign and yet desperately desired to/by the lost around them.

He makes all things new.

Can it be this is true even for are scarred hearts? Can it be that this is true even for our hidden hurts? I believe it is. What do you think? What are the scars you long to keep protected? What callous does He intend to remove? Where is the vulnerability we are to learn? Where does the Body of Christ fit in with this healing process? Again, I’m not talking about burying anything, not about letting any deadness or ignorance bring numbness or capabilities to cope- I’m talking about HEALING… RESTORATION… and FREEDOM. I want it. Do you?

.......................
Philippians 4
John 17
Isaiah 61
1 John
John 8
Romans 5-9

Re: Eavesdropping (Ed. I)

Well, kinda...

Basically, I read Habakkuk earlier today and found myself completely awed by the final chapter, which also happens to be Habakkuk's prayer. Any time I read a prayer in the Bible I feel like I'm eavesdropping on a personal conversation and wonder if these things were really intended to be read. Then again, I read them through and am usually so blown away that I can't help but be thankful that such thoughts and words towards God have been recorded for me to learn and grow from. At any rate, check this out:

Habakkuk 3- New International Version

1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth .
2 LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
Selah
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.
5 Plague went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed.
His ways are eternal.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian in anguish.
8 Were you angry with the rivers, O LORD ?
Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea
when you rode with your horses
and your victorious chariots?
9 You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.
Selah
You split the earth with rivers;
10 the mountains saw you and writhed.
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared
and lifted its waves on high.
11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,
at the lightning of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth
and in anger you threshed the nations.
13 You came out to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
Selah
14 With his own spear you pierced his head
when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,
gloating as though about to devour
the wretched who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
churning the great waters.
16 I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

I don't know about you but... amen and AMEN again.

December 4, 2008: Because I Love You

Dear You,

Why? Why do you look at this with such eyes? I fear your misunderstanding and yet don’t see how I can help clarify anything. I’ve got to confess I’m tired of being misunderstood in everything whether word, deed, thought, prayer, or look. I’m tired of being undermined. I’m tired of being refused a defense, of having no trial, of not even being aware of the charges. Could you listen for yourself for a minute? I have no defense as He must defend all this, yet I ask- won’t you at least listen to Him? I’m so confused, you are eager yet fearful at the exact same moment, (that circumstance does not confuse me as I am in it as well), what confuses me is why you choose to listen to the fear rather than trust Him to reveal the motivation behind your eagerness, perhaps even show you the shadow behind your fear and bring upon you even more eagerness once you know there’s no true resistance?

I pray for your faith. I pray for your unbelief. I pray for your pain. I pray for your fear. I pray for your wounds… there is so much healing I long to see in your life. Perhaps you will learn to trust again, yet the means is itself the end. I don’t know the how; I wish I could show you a plan. I can’t. You just… go. Reject the lie that you go alone, for you do not. Nevertheless, the how is in going, there’s no other way. It takes risk, don’t think it won’t. That’s what trust is. That’s the nature of faith itself. That is real action. Until you go it’s really just words. Action proceeds from belief- can’t you see that? I fear you believe lies that will not allow you to trust, moreover, they lock you in fear and taint every word I have to say as if it’s somehow said with a harsh tone or with uncompassionate eyes. The worst is that I cannot combat those lies in any other way than this: I really do love you and really wish you’d come. There is nothing but tenderness in this voice, for there is nothing but love I have for you and nothing but blessing I wish for your life.

This has held you so long. I don’t know the root. I don’t know the origin. Who spoke to you these lies? I see the fruit of it. I see the fear. Why can’t you see it’s a distortion? Why won’t you find out for yourself instead of ignoring it all, throwing the whole thing out, and trying to run away? This is our nature in bondage to fear- we act in extreme caution and declare it discernment. It isn’t. We guard our hearts without right and call that healthy protection. It isn’t. We avoid real conversation in the name of wisdom. It isn’t. We want to be ready on our terms and I’m sorry, but in real freedom we don’t have that option anymore. I just don’t understand. You push and pull at the same time. Why? You cry for help, yet in my response I meet eyes that ask, “Why are you here?” All I can dare respond is, “Because I love you.” You know something? It’s true, and it’s not that I choose to, or that I want to, or that I should, but that I just can’t not. Hear this- if this fear does not kill you, it will certainly prohibit you from truly feeling the joy you long for. I guarantee it, and it’s not out of frustration that I speak. It is out of the sincerest desire for you to know exactly the joy that God desires for you in freedom and honest, pure love… because I love you too.


Love,
Me