PRAY BEFORE THE PHONE RINGS

Our daughter was in bed, but her husband was doing an extra good job of rattling the walls.  (This family has six people and, believe me, they all snore.  Of course, they tell me the same thing.)  Anyway, back to the story.  Terri got up, went out to the living room, and decided to read.  As she was reading, she felt the urge to pray for son number two, Joshua.

Terri figured she was to pray for Joshua getting ready to leave for his adventure of higher education.  So she did.  Another urge to pray, but this time she also felt the need to pray for his protection.  So she did.

A few minutes later the phone rang.  “Mom I am okay, but I had a wreck.”

PRAY BEFORE

PRAY BEFORE THE NEED:

Have you ever had to sudden urge to pray for someone?  It is like a small voice in your head.  A stirring of your Spirit. 

Maybe you decided to put that person on your list for later.  Maybe you stopped and prayed immediately. 

When the call to pray is felt, there is a need.  An immediate need.  It cannot wait till later.  Even though you do not know the need, immediately lift the person up to God.

PRAY BEFORE YOU STUDY:

I wish I could say I had a regular routine for spending time studying and reading the Bible.  There is one thing I know.  If I start my study time by turning to a passage or turning to the next page in a study, it will not go well.  The scriptures will be words on the page and the study will bring more questions than answers. 

When I pray before I study, before even opening the Bible, the scriptures seem relevant and the study leads me in the right direction.

PRAY BEFORE YOU DECIDE:

Big decisions – scary!  Every decision has a consequence.  Do not want to brush your teeth?  Get ready for cavities.  We make decisions all day long.  Some are common sense and others are routine, until we have to make a big decision.  Is this the right person to marry?  Should I take a new job opportunity?  Should we move to another town?  What church do we go to?  As we face big decisions, we think about it.  We look at all the options.  We might even make a list with columns for Positive and Negative.  Then we decide.  I do not know about you, but, whenever I have made decisions that way, they usually do not turn out.  Way too many times I have made major decisions without praying about them first. 

When I pray for guidance before making decisions, I will see the path to the wise choice.

PRAY -----

PRAY CONTINUALLY      1 Thessalonians 5:23

I do believe that says it all.  

When should we pray?   CONTINUALLY of course.

NEEDED:  FOOD TRUCKS AND PORT-A-POTS

Mother:  I do not want you going, but if you are determined, at least take this to eat.

Son:  Oh, mom.  I am not a baby.   I am sure I will be able to find something to eat. 

Mother:  You are not an adult either and you will do as I say or you will not go.  I have packed the bread and fish so no one will know ‘my mommy packed my lunch.’

Son:  Ok.  But don’t wait up.  I have heard so much about this man that I want to hear everything he says.  Yes, mother, I will be careful.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”  He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Then Phillip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

John 6:5-9, 13

It was fun to close my eyes and picture Jesus quietly teaching about the kingdom of God.  Quietly healing those that needed healing.  Jesus having compassion on them.  After all, He is their shepherd.  What would it have been like to see the crowds leaning forward to hear every word?  What tears fell as a loved one was healed.  How amazing to be hungry and be fed.

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It was not so fun to close my eyes and picture Jesus arriving outside a town today?

Mother:  I do not want you going, but if you are determined, be sure and have your debit card and charge your phone. 

Son:  Oh, mom.  Really!  Quit being a helicopter mom.  I always have my card and you honestly think I would let my phone run down?  Besides, I have the solar charger with me.  I wonder what food trucks will be there.  Sure hope they bring in the fancy port-a-pots.  Some of them are ..

Mother:  I am not a helicopter mom!  Remember you are still my little boy.

Son:  Gotta go.  There will be a lot of traffic.  Don’t wait up.  I have no idea when I will be home.  I do not want to miss a thing!

Can you imagine the entrepreneurs that would follow Jesus around today?  Food trucks.  Port-a-Pot services.  Vendors selling chairs-in-a-bag.  Phone and iPad charging stations.  People selling vials of water guaranteed to be from the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized.  A few shysters selling tickets to the healing line.  (Of course they were never around when the people realized they did not need a ticket.)  And the religious leaders taking notes on what Jesus said and keeping track of each healing.  The local stations would have reporters hoping to get a story for the 11:00 news.  The stage crew.  The sound crew.  The list could go on.

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THREE QUESTIONS

If Jesus came to your town, known only as a teacher and healer, would you be there?  Would you want to hear for yourself?  Would you want to see for yourself? 

If Jesus came to your town, as the risen Christ, would you be there?  Would you want to hear for yourself?  Would you want to see for yourself?

If you go to see Jesus, would you want to see Jesus quietly teaching and healing, as the Shepherd to His Sheep or would you want to see Jesus surrounded by food trucks and lights and little bottles marked “From the Jordan River” and an ATM machine?

This is NOT a put down on contemporary services or today’s music.  I like energy in the service and I listen to today’s contemporary hymns.  What this is (and honestly, I usually do not know where a blog will go until I am done) is a warning about how we worship.  God does not care if we come to church in jeans or dresses.  God does not care if we read the Word from a printed Bible or one on the iPad.  It is okay with God if you keep your hands securely at your side or if you raise them high. 

But God does not want our worship to be a show.  The place where we worship should not be determined by a spectacular scene set up for a series of messages or if cappuccino is available or because it is the newest church in town.

God cares that we worship.  That we worship HIM.  God did not send Jesus to put on a show.  God sent Jesus to save our souls.  To be our way. 

MORE QUESTIONS

Are you hungry?

Do you know where to go to be fed?

Do you know you have a Shepherd that watches over you?

Do you worship the God that sent His Son to be your Savior?

All you have to do is talk honestly to God.

Then listen and He will guide you.

MISDIRECTION

MISDIRECTION:

a wrong direction

the act or an instance of diverting

the state of being misdirected

This word popped into my mind this morning.  Made we wonder:  Am I misdirected?  Am I putting my energies in the wrong direction?  Am I not doing something I should?

Then another image popped into my mind.  A scary image --- the devil. 

If you know me, other than reading this blog, you know I am pretty outspoken.  Ok.  Very outspoken.  I stand up for what I believe and will defend my opinions.  Misdirection – how does that apply and what am I supposed to learn?  It would be so much easier if God would just show up at my door and say, “Mary, we need to have a talk.”

“You see the devil quoted the first part of a scripture.  That is an old trick called misdirection.  His goal is to make you think you can do anything you want.  Is that true?”

No!  The scripture continues “--but not everything is beneficial.  ‘Everything is permissible for me’ – but I will not be mastered by anything.”  So, if I use the suggestions from the devil, am I doing it right or am I following him instead of YOU.

“My child, you already know the answer!  What happens if you follow the misdirection of the devil?”

I might win my point – achieve my goal – but I will have a new master.  I do not want a new master!

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MISDIRECTION:  A TOOL OF THE DEVIL

The whole truth – Facts are facts, right?  Not really.  Paper lays still.  Good facts can be put front and center while other facts are buried in the fine print. 

A secret agenda – Oh my.  This should be a no brainer!  If secret meetings are required and agendas have to be kept secret, a new master is being obeyed.

The devil’s help list – What is wrong with getting outside help?  Maybe nothing.  Maybe everything.  Are the people giving advice honest? Or are they looking out for themselves and willing to do anything to win?

You are right – When a mind is completely closed, the devil has used misdirection perfectly.  Why?  Because the person will no longer see others as people to respect.  Only people to dominate and control.

They are sheep and will never believe you lied to them – People are easily swayed.  They will listen to the loudest voice and remember the best graphics.  People do not want to believe the person they have coffee with or the person who has kids on the same little league team or a person they sit next to in church would lie to them. 

The Bible says –The devil loves this one!  The devil will point out the exact words to make actions seem perfectly acceptable.  AND if it is in the Bible, it must be okay. 

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The word misdirection has helped me understand what I am up against.  What you are up against.  What we are all up against, as we stand up for what we believe.

The word misdirection has helped me understand the tactics my opponent might use.  I have never felt the urge to be right at all cost and pray I will never allow the devil to be my master just to get my way.

Yes, I am taking a stand in my community.  Writing this has strengthened my resolve to fight an honest fight, to respect those with a different opinion, listen with an open mind, to use all the facts, and, win or lose, to know “Everything is permissible for me’ – but I will not be mastered by anything.” 

OPEN MY EYES

2 Kings 6:8-23 is quite the story.  It has kings, a prophet (a man of God), frustration, a big army, eyes that see, eyes that do not see and wisdom.

Cliff Notes:  The king of Aram was at war with Israel.  He kept moving his troops here and there, but somehow the king of Israel always found out where they were setting up camp.  Poor guy was frustrated and was sure one of his officers was a spy.  No spy, but the prophet, Elisha, had a way of knowing these things.  Pretty sure it had something to do with Elisha being “a man of God.”  The king of Aram was more than upset to hear about Elisha and sent men to capture him.

The servant of the man of God arose to begin his day and thought it was going to be a normal day until he went outside.  The servant saw horses and chariots and a strong force surrounding the city.  And he was the one that had to tell Elisha. 

Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid.  Those who are with us are more than those who are with them”

Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.”

See what?  The servant saw hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

The enemies were struck with blindness, they followed Elisha to the king of Israel, the king was convinced not to kill them, instead prepared a feast, and sent them back to their master.  No more raids on Israel’s territory by the king of Aram.

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I am working on the 30 Life Principles Bible Study, by Charles F. Stanley.  Lesson 9 is titled:  Trusting God Means Looking Beyond What You Can See to What God Sees.  Dr. Stanley commented:

Elisha did not pray that his servant would stop seeing the enemy.  He prayed he would start seeing the goodness and provisions of the Lord.

 The servant saw hills full of horses and chariots of fire!

CHARIOTS OF FIRE!

HILLS FULL OF HORSES!

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The servant still saw the enemy.  He saw the strong force that surrounded them.  Now he also saw all those that were with them.  And they outnumbered the enemy.

Sometimes our eyes are closed and we only see the trial.  The struggle. 

Open my eyes that I may see.  What would I see when I am afraid?  When I am going through a trial?  What would I see surrounding my loved ones when they are struggling?

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What would you see when you are afraid?

What would be surrounding you when you are going through a trial?

What would you see surrounding your loved ones?

O Lord, open my eyes so I can see past the enemy.  Past the trial.  Past the suffering.  Open my eyes so I can see those that are with me.    Amen

PS        Remember, they outnumber the enemy but they also are there to celebrate the victory, to share in your joys, and wait with you while you rest.

A MAT, A HOLE, AND A HEALING

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.  They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.  Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.  Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”  He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.  This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Mark 2:1-5, 11-12

Capernaum was a fishing and agricultural community of less than 2,000 people.  Peter, James, John, Andrew and Matthew lived in Capernaum and Jesus stopped there often.  If he went there to get away from it all, he should have slipped in under the cover of darkness because the people heard he had come home. 

Jesus stayed in Peter’s home.  Most likely, it would have had small rooms surrounding an open courtyard, course walls, and a roof of earth and straw. 

This story makes me wonder.

A MAT – I wonder about the paralyzed man.  What was so special about him that others were willing to carry him around?  Did he have a way of telling a good story?  Was he a good listener?  Did he give good advice?  Was he someone they had known since childhood?  How and when did he become paralyzed?  Did he ask them to take him to Jesus or was it their idea?  How did it feel to be carried around on that mat when everyone around you could walk?

A HOLE – I wonder about the roof and the hole.  How did they get up there?  Was it safe to be on a roof of earth and straw?  How did they not fall through?  How come the pictures never show people with straw in their hair and brushing dirt off their shoulders?  If someone made an opening in the roof by digging through it, it would have been a bit of a mess below.  Did Jesus step out of the way when he heard the digging start?  And why didn’t someone stop them when they heard the noise overhead?

A HEALING – I wonder about the healing.  Did Jesus see their faith in their actions or in their hearts?  Or both?  What did the man think when Jesus told him his sins are forgiven?  Did he realize he could get up then or did it not sink in until Jesus told him to get up and go home?  What did it feel like to stand and be able to walk?  What were his friends thinking?  Were they giving high fives?  Or were there tears in their eyes?  How did it feel to witness this healing?  To be amazed?

I WONDER

Would I be willing to carry a friend?

Could I support that friend not worrying what others thought?

Would Jesus see my faith?

Would I believe when I heard “your sins are forgiven” and walk away from what paralyzed me?

A MAT.  A HOLE.  A HEALING.

I wonder……………….