Our son Seth, is not yet speaking more than a "Mama", but that does not mean he cannot communicate. Yesterday evening, I said, "How about I take Anna and Seth for a sled ride in the snow." As soon as I said that, Seth came running to me. He lifted up his arms to tell me to pick him up. When I did not pick him up fast enough, he started to cry.
I said, "Kimberly, could he really have understood my offer to take him sled riding."
To which Seth replied with a loud cry and pointed to the door. "Why, yes, I guess he did understand" and more importantly I understood him.
He cannot yet use words but he is a very effective communicator. In fact, you might argue that his cry is better than words. His cry is loud, strong and confident..."Daddy, I want to go sled riding...you better not be jerking my chain...put on my hat and boots and lets go!" So, we bundled up and went out into the snow-ice and had a blast until...I told him it was time to go back inside...and then, once again, Seth's cry spoke louder than any words.
Do you ever feel like you don't know how to put your prayer into words? Do ever encounter a time when you don't even know what to pray for a situation? Does it ever feel like any words you could come up with are just not enough? If you have ever felt like that, let me ask you one more question: Who said you have to use words to pray? What if a wordless cry reaches the ears and heart of the Father just as good and even better than our most eloquent words.
That is what Romans 8:26-27 says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."
Did you catch that? You do not have to figure out what to pray. Prayer is not about a magic formula of the right words. Prayer is all about relationship...it is you pouring your heart out to God and opening your heart up to God. Some of the best prayers a person may pray are those that use no words. If, I as an earthly father have my ears in tune to my child's cry, how much more does your all-loving heavenly Father hear you when you cry out to him "with groans that words cannot express"?
Go ahead and pray what you cannot say...Did you hear that? I hear the Father running to your cry...now, just lift up your arms and let him pick you up into His.
As you pray today, I ask that you remember a 32 year old woman in our church family and a member named Mickey and her husband Jeremy and son, Justin. Mickey is very ill and in the Critical Care unit. I know they would value your prayers...words or cries on their behalf will be just fine!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
"Travel Far"
I have been told if you can say what you want to say in a few words, don't ruin it by using a lot of words, so my thoughts are brief today:
An old African proverb says, "If you want to travel fast, travel alone. If you want to travel far, travel together."
In a culture that pushes us to travel fast, may God help us to go against the current and settle for nothing less than traveling far together.
Romans 12:15 describes what it means to travel far together when it says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn."
An old African proverb says, "If you want to travel fast, travel alone. If you want to travel far, travel together."
In a culture that pushes us to travel fast, may God help us to go against the current and settle for nothing less than traveling far together.
Romans 12:15 describes what it means to travel far together when it says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
"Let it Snow"
Finally, it looks like we could get a good, ground-covering, beautiful snow. I know some of you will not appreciate my enthusiasm, but after all the rain and ice we have had, I say, "Let it snow!" In my opinion snow has a beautiful peace about it. Snow makes a gray, cold winter day look bright. And, have you ever noticed how snow seems to quiet everything?
Someone this week emailed and to ask if I was OK. They explained that I seemed strained and stressed on Sunday. Though I was surprised that this person noticed, I could not deny the truth of their observation. My life is just like yours, some times life casts a winter gray over everything. As I watched a our brother in Christ die at age 43 and hugged his wife as she sobbed that cold winter gray swept over me. I felt it again, as I waited for the surgeon to tell me how my wife's surgery went. You know what I mean, don't you...you've felt the cold, winter gray sweep in with the call of another debt collection agency or with the slamming of a door ending another fight or walking into the house to spend another night alone...It's life...in life there is a season for everything as Ecclesiastes says...why would we expect spring and not winter? Seasons of winter blow through every life, the questions is what do we do when winter comes? Will we simply lay down and freeze? Will we be swallowed up in the gray? What will we do?
Why not pray for snow? If it has to be winter, why not ask for snow?! "Father, for the one who is experiencing a season of cold and gray, I pray for snow. Like snow covering the earth, cover us with your presence. Give eyes to see beauty where it seemed there was none to be found. Like snow's quiet fall, let your peace fall on us. Hush us. In the quiet let us hear you. We understand that in this life you said we would have trouble. We accept that. We stop acting like some how we should be exempt from it. Instead, we look to you and say, if it has to be winter, then, Lord, let it snow!"
Someone this week emailed and to ask if I was OK. They explained that I seemed strained and stressed on Sunday. Though I was surprised that this person noticed, I could not deny the truth of their observation. My life is just like yours, some times life casts a winter gray over everything. As I watched a our brother in Christ die at age 43 and hugged his wife as she sobbed that cold winter gray swept over me. I felt it again, as I waited for the surgeon to tell me how my wife's surgery went. You know what I mean, don't you...you've felt the cold, winter gray sweep in with the call of another debt collection agency or with the slamming of a door ending another fight or walking into the house to spend another night alone...It's life...in life there is a season for everything as Ecclesiastes says...why would we expect spring and not winter? Seasons of winter blow through every life, the questions is what do we do when winter comes? Will we simply lay down and freeze? Will we be swallowed up in the gray? What will we do?
Why not pray for snow? If it has to be winter, why not ask for snow?! "Father, for the one who is experiencing a season of cold and gray, I pray for snow. Like snow covering the earth, cover us with your presence. Give eyes to see beauty where it seemed there was none to be found. Like snow's quiet fall, let your peace fall on us. Hush us. In the quiet let us hear you. We understand that in this life you said we would have trouble. We accept that. We stop acting like some how we should be exempt from it. Instead, we look to you and say, if it has to be winter, then, Lord, let it snow!"
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
"Press On"
Psalm 91:4 reads, "...his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."
This is a verse that has provided me with much encouragement and hope. It is one that seems to always come to mind just when I need it. It reminds me that God's faithfulness will always guard and protect me.
I especially value the image of God's faithfulness being my shield. A shield is not something you use to protect your rear end as you run away from the enemy. Rather you hold a shield in front of you as you move forward in the face of the enemies attack. No matter what circumstances of life or the enemy of my soul throws at me, I am reminded that as God's child, I am to never retreat. With His faithfulness as my shield, I am to press forward until I see God's faithfulness overcome in my enemy.
I was just thinking that may be today someone feels like they are in a battle. Your enemy is hammering away at you. You are feeling tired and beaten down. You are tempted to retreat or even worst just give up and let the enemy win. Please receive Psalm 91:4 not as empty words on a page, but as the living word of God that it is..."His faithfulness is your shield." Don't run! Don't stop! With his faithfulness before you press ahead. Don't give up until you see God come through. He will. It is coming. Press on!
This is a verse that has provided me with much encouragement and hope. It is one that seems to always come to mind just when I need it. It reminds me that God's faithfulness will always guard and protect me.
I especially value the image of God's faithfulness being my shield. A shield is not something you use to protect your rear end as you run away from the enemy. Rather you hold a shield in front of you as you move forward in the face of the enemies attack. No matter what circumstances of life or the enemy of my soul throws at me, I am reminded that as God's child, I am to never retreat. With His faithfulness as my shield, I am to press forward until I see God's faithfulness overcome in my enemy.
I was just thinking that may be today someone feels like they are in a battle. Your enemy is hammering away at you. You are feeling tired and beaten down. You are tempted to retreat or even worst just give up and let the enemy win. Please receive Psalm 91:4 not as empty words on a page, but as the living word of God that it is..."His faithfulness is your shield." Don't run! Don't stop! With his faithfulness before you press ahead. Don't give up until you see God come through. He will. It is coming. Press on!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
"1 = 120"
I admit I am not very good at math. Actually, I stink at math. I am very thankful that I am married to an accountant for whom numbers come naturally. However, the good thing about not being good at math is that I have no problem understanding God's math, even when it does not make sense to those who are good at math.
For example, in God's math 1= 120. Let me explain...about 5 years ago a woman and her son came to worship with us. She is a woman with a big heart, but very unassuming. She will do anything for anyone, but prefers to do it behind the scenes. She is gentle and quiet, but she is God's. And because she is God's, she lets God work through her in the way that seems to come most naturally for her. Through her relationships with family, friends and c0-workers, she exhibits the love of Christ and then, when God opens the door, she simply invites them to come visit her church family with her on Sunday. And because they love her and they know she loves them, they come. One by one...people she has invited have come. One person she invited sent me an email this week and shared that at her last count 120 people have visited Living Hope because of this one person. Many of them have not only become a part of the church but have for the first time discovered for themselves what it is like to live in a daily and personal relationship with Christ. Person after person numbered in that 120 now have their own stories of how God is radically transforming their lives.
To us 1 is small...1 can't do much...1 won't amount too much...but in God's mathematical system 1 can equal 120. For that I praise God and I say thank you to the one who let God use her to equal 120. God is using her one life and one simple invitation at a time to change the world one person at a time. Praise God and thank you, Amber Sweeney!
For example, in God's math 1= 120. Let me explain...about 5 years ago a woman and her son came to worship with us. She is a woman with a big heart, but very unassuming. She will do anything for anyone, but prefers to do it behind the scenes. She is gentle and quiet, but she is God's. And because she is God's, she lets God work through her in the way that seems to come most naturally for her. Through her relationships with family, friends and c0-workers, she exhibits the love of Christ and then, when God opens the door, she simply invites them to come visit her church family with her on Sunday. And because they love her and they know she loves them, they come. One by one...people she has invited have come. One person she invited sent me an email this week and shared that at her last count 120 people have visited Living Hope because of this one person. Many of them have not only become a part of the church but have for the first time discovered for themselves what it is like to live in a daily and personal relationship with Christ. Person after person numbered in that 120 now have their own stories of how God is radically transforming their lives.
To us 1 is small...1 can't do much...1 won't amount too much...but in God's mathematical system 1 can equal 120. For that I praise God and I say thank you to the one who let God use her to equal 120. God is using her one life and one simple invitation at a time to change the world one person at a time. Praise God and thank you, Amber Sweeney!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
"I Believe in Miracles"
Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe God steps into our realm of space and time and does the impossible? I do. Without any hesitation, I believe. I guess, I have seen too much evidence not to believe. Let me share with you four recent miracles in the life of our church family:
1) I believe in miracles of life transformation. So far, in 2008, eighty-eight people have made personal decisions to follow Christ. Praise God! That alone is a miracle! But I am more interested in what happens after the initial commitment...here is one example...he and his wife came to Living Hope for the first time in September. He has some church background and she none. After the service he said to me, "I need God to make a lot of changes in my life." We talked, he prayed, God came into his life. He said, "as we prayed it was like a weight was lifted off of me." His wife then prayed and Jesus showed up in her life as well. It is now December and they are here very Sunday, but more than that God is doing the miracle of life-transformation in them. Not only they, but those who know them best can see the difference. There is no greater miracle than one person finding God's love and hope personally. I believe in miracles!
2) I believe in miracles of physical healing. Regularly, people come to the Gathering or write the Prayer Chain for us to pray for them for specific needs...often those needs are physical and often we have seen specific answer to prayer. For instance, last Wednesday at the Gathering a women asked us to pray for her. She was having surgery the next day. One of the big concerns were pre-cancer cells on 9 different cysts. The surgery happened the next day and the doctor saw her after to share that he could not explain it but all 9 cysts and their pre-cancer cells were gone. They were there and then they were not. I believe in miracles!
The same kind of thing happened this week. One of our members asked the Prayer Chain to pray because tests revealed an aneurysm on her sister's aorta. Today the doctor called to say what was there, is now gone. How did that happen? My answer is...I believe in miracles!
3) I believe in miracles of peace and calm. Every bit as powerful as a change of circumstances, such as a physical healing, is a change of one's spirit, when the circumstances do not change. For instance, someone called this week and said, "Chad, its been three weeks now of peace and joy. When we did the service about accepting what was in our control and putting into God's hands, what we cannot control, I did just that. I fully gave the situation to God. The situation is still going on, but I am not worried and upset. I have peace and joy." The person can even begin to see how God could change the situation. I believe in miracles!
Luke 1:37 comes from the Bible's Christmas story. It says, "For nothing is impossible with God!" The Christmas story is all about the greatest miracle in the history of the world: Our God came down to us to do for us what we could not do for ourselves...he came to give us relationship with himself so that we can truly live now and even live after we die. The only questions is...do you believe?
1) I believe in miracles of life transformation. So far, in 2008, eighty-eight people have made personal decisions to follow Christ. Praise God! That alone is a miracle! But I am more interested in what happens after the initial commitment...here is one example...he and his wife came to Living Hope for the first time in September. He has some church background and she none. After the service he said to me, "I need God to make a lot of changes in my life." We talked, he prayed, God came into his life. He said, "as we prayed it was like a weight was lifted off of me." His wife then prayed and Jesus showed up in her life as well. It is now December and they are here very Sunday, but more than that God is doing the miracle of life-transformation in them. Not only they, but those who know them best can see the difference. There is no greater miracle than one person finding God's love and hope personally. I believe in miracles!
2) I believe in miracles of physical healing. Regularly, people come to the Gathering or write the Prayer Chain for us to pray for them for specific needs...often those needs are physical and often we have seen specific answer to prayer. For instance, last Wednesday at the Gathering a women asked us to pray for her. She was having surgery the next day. One of the big concerns were pre-cancer cells on 9 different cysts. The surgery happened the next day and the doctor saw her after to share that he could not explain it but all 9 cysts and their pre-cancer cells were gone. They were there and then they were not. I believe in miracles!
The same kind of thing happened this week. One of our members asked the Prayer Chain to pray because tests revealed an aneurysm on her sister's aorta. Today the doctor called to say what was there, is now gone. How did that happen? My answer is...I believe in miracles!
3) I believe in miracles of peace and calm. Every bit as powerful as a change of circumstances, such as a physical healing, is a change of one's spirit, when the circumstances do not change. For instance, someone called this week and said, "Chad, its been three weeks now of peace and joy. When we did the service about accepting what was in our control and putting into God's hands, what we cannot control, I did just that. I fully gave the situation to God. The situation is still going on, but I am not worried and upset. I have peace and joy." The person can even begin to see how God could change the situation. I believe in miracles!
Luke 1:37 comes from the Bible's Christmas story. It says, "For nothing is impossible with God!" The Christmas story is all about the greatest miracle in the history of the world: Our God came down to us to do for us what we could not do for ourselves...he came to give us relationship with himself so that we can truly live now and even live after we die. The only questions is...do you believe?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
"My Strength or His Spirit?"
I heard this story many years ago. It is one that sticks with me because I think I relate to it pretty well.
A father asked his son to move a large rock in their yard. The boy was determined to do it. He ran to the rock and pushed and shoved with all his might. The rock did not budge so he pushed all harder...his muscles straining and sweat forming on his forehead. His father was watching and said, "Your not using all your strength." The boy said nothing. He just pushed all the harder. Again, the father said, "You're not using all your strength." The boy pushed even harder but still did not budge the rock an inch. Again the father said, "Your not using all your strength." Finally, the exasperated boy shouted back, "I am too. I am using all my strength but I cannot move it." To which the father replied, "No. You're not using all your strength because you have not asked me to help."
This morning, God put Zechariah 4:6 in my face, "Not by might nor by power, but by my
Spirit, " says the Lord Almighty.
I don't know about you but I am guilty of pushing and straining and sweating to try to make rocks move and getting no where. Over and over again, I have to relearn the old lesson that I am not using all my strength until I stop depending solely on mine and ask God to add in his. In my might and power I can see what I can do, but I am increasingly hungry to see what God's spirit could do if I would depend less on myself and more on him.
God, forgive me and God help me.
A father asked his son to move a large rock in their yard. The boy was determined to do it. He ran to the rock and pushed and shoved with all his might. The rock did not budge so he pushed all harder...his muscles straining and sweat forming on his forehead. His father was watching and said, "Your not using all your strength." The boy said nothing. He just pushed all the harder. Again, the father said, "You're not using all your strength." The boy pushed even harder but still did not budge the rock an inch. Again the father said, "Your not using all your strength." Finally, the exasperated boy shouted back, "I am too. I am using all my strength but I cannot move it." To which the father replied, "No. You're not using all your strength because you have not asked me to help."
This morning, God put Zechariah 4:6 in my face, "Not by might nor by power, but by my
Spirit, " says the Lord Almighty.
I don't know about you but I am guilty of pushing and straining and sweating to try to make rocks move and getting no where. Over and over again, I have to relearn the old lesson that I am not using all my strength until I stop depending solely on mine and ask God to add in his. In my might and power I can see what I can do, but I am increasingly hungry to see what God's spirit could do if I would depend less on myself and more on him.
God, forgive me and God help me.
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