The City on a Hill

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 7 Love

2011-12-11T07:02:00.000+01:00

Growth - Love

Perhaps this is the most important thing when dealing with growth. We understand how important it is in our own lives. Someone that is unloved and uncared for might grow up but how will they grow up? What will their actions and attitudes be like. That is why it is so good to know that we have a loving Father who loved us when we were still sinners and that He reached out to us when there was nothing that could make us attractive to Him. We totally don’t deserve His love, but He offers it to us anyway ... even when we were far from Him. Separated.

Rom. 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

It is because of His love that we have any opportunity for growth and that is a positive thing. He has given us birth or life, provided food - really everything that we need, He is patient with us, He gives us good things and encourages us in them. He gives every opportunity. It is an expression of His love! We are His children and He wants us to grow as any loving parent wants their children to grow.

Not only that but then Jesus, Himself, gives us the example to follow.

John 15:9 ¶ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

John 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Eph. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Eph. 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God...

When we look at 1 Corinthians 13 we see love in a way that the world doesn’t usually. In popular talk about love we see these things often turned almost on their head.

1Cor. 13:4 ¶ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

1Cor. 13:5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

1Cor. 13:6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

1Cor. 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1Cor. 13:8 ¶ Love never fails.

There are so many things that stand out here but one thing that especially seems to stand out is the statement that “love does not seek its own”! So often we look at love as something for us. It is about the way that we feel. It is about the richness it brings to our lives. It is about how “happy” we are. But here we see that love is not focused on self. It is focused on others and the good of the other. It is focused out, not focused in! It causes us to grow beyond ourselves, our needs, our desires, our benefit.

As God’s children He calls us to have His kind of love toward one another.

Col. 3:12 ¶ Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

Col. 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Col. 3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

In fact, 1 Corinthians 16:14 says

Let all that you do be done with love.

Basically this is done by letting Jesus fill our hearts and lives with understanding of what He has demonstrated for us and allowing that truth to penetrate every part of our lives.

Eph. 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Eph. 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—

Eph. 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Or as the next chapter put it...

Eph. 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

Eph. 4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

Eph. 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Which leaves us with 2 more verses to think about

Romans 13 says that we have a continuing debt of love to one another because love is the fulfillment of the law. Hebrews 10 tells us to consider how we can encourage or “stir up” one another to love and good deeds and it tells us that these are among the reasons that we need to keep gathering together. God wants so much good for us. It is based in His love toward us and His love then being lived out in us toward others.

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 6 Exercise

2011-12-10T07:39:00.002+01:00

Growth - Exercise

The advice that kids get if they want to grow is typically eat right and get your exercise! It is not bad advice! We all know that if we want healthy bodies we need activity and exercise. The Bible is in agreement.

1Tim. 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

Training our bodies is profitable and good for us but only some in this life and not at all in eternity. However, Paul says that godliness is good for both this life and the life to come. Bodily exercise does some very good things for us. In the same way, exercising godliness brings good things not only for our bodies but also for our minds, hearts and lives.

Yesterday we saw in John 5 how the people studied the scriptures because they believed that in them they would find eternal life. Yet, they refused to come to Jesus in exercise of faith and so their study had little deep effect. It does us little good to study and know things if we don’t use them. This is especially true of spiritual things.

A few days ago we also looked a some verses from Hebrews. There it says about maturity coming from the exercising of our senses to discern both good and evil. It means that we grow as we practice using the truths of God’s word applied in practical situations in our everyday lives. The point is not that we always get it right. The point is that we keep practicing so as to grow up.

Christian takes violin right now. He is learning but needs to practice to improve. However, his teacher, while very talented, is not above making mistakes, accidentally playing wrong notes or touching wrong strings. The teacher also needs to practice regularly to maintain and improve his ability to play well.

There is a story told about a boy who was apprenticed to a jeweler to learn everything he could about jewels and jewelry. The master gave the boy small tasks to do each day...cleaning and polishing the same jewels over and over. The boy felt like a slave and so he asked the jeweler when he would start to teach him. The jeweler patiently replied that he was teaching him. Then he gave him some more jewels to polish. The boy sadly began to polish them. As he did he looked up and told his mentor that something was wrong with these jewels. They didn’t look right. They didn’t feel right. The jeweler then revealed to the boy that indeed they were just glass and not jewels at all. It was by the constant practice of handling and observing that the boy had begun to learn the true from the fake.

In many ways that is the idea that we find in scripture. We test things. We see if they are from God. We do that by applying His word. We do that by seeing that when we follow His word that it is true and trustworthy. It often takes time and effort and repetition. It is exercising of faith. An exercise in trust. A practical exercise of seeing things from God’s truth and acting accordingly.

In Proverbs 3:5-12 it says

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

8 It will be health to your flesh,

And strength to your bones.

9 Honor the LORD with your possessions,

And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,

And your vats will overflow with new wine.

11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,

Nor detest His correction;

12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects,

Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 5 Study

2011-12-09T06:54:00.000+01:00

Growth - Study

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Be diligent, prepare for, work toward... the idea that is presented here also includes the idea of study ... in fact one translation puts it exactly that way. Study! Why? Paul tells Timothy to study so that he will rightly divide the word of truth. In other words so that he will know, understand and use the Bible correctly.

It is no different than anything else in life. We go to school to learn the right and acceptable ways to do things. It requires us to read, memorize, learn, understand and demonstrate understanding (read “exams”).

We see from the verse above that the main reason for study is about our relationship with God. We don’t want to be found to misrepresent Him or His word. As much as possible we want to be faithful to Him. It is not, as many people think, about being right or wrong. It is about what God’s intention is for people, His best.

There are many places throughout scripture that we are encouraged to study. It doesn’t always say “study” and often depending on the translation it might say study in one translation and have a different word in another. However we do see the idea of preparing, being ready, carefully considering etc.

Psa. 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You.

Prov. 22:17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,

And apply your heart to my knowledge;

Prov. 22:18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;

Let them all be fixed upon your lips,

Prov. 22:19 So that your trust may be in the LORD;

I have instructed you today, even you.

Paul encourages Timothy in a later part of the same letter to preach the Word and be prepared in all seasons for all that is necessary for careful instruction. Peter likewise tells his readers in 1 Peter 3 to be prepared to give an answer to anyone that asks us to give a reason for the hope that we have.

Two other quick thoughts. In Ezra 7 it tells us that Ezra had devoted his heart or prepared his heart to study the law. It wasn’t just an academic exercise but he studied to observe or apply God’s word. Ezra helped the people return to following the Lord after their captivity and to rebuild Israel.

On the other hand in John 5 Jesus is talking to the Jews and He tells them the following:

39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

The Jews had the scriptures and studied them, but then were not ready to believe them or do them. So their study did them little good. But God wants this for our benefit.

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 4 - Time

2011-12-08T06:54:00.002+01:00

Growth - Time

It takes a little time sometimes.... Rome wasn’t build in a day... It just doesn’t happen overnight... Anything worthwhile takes time and effort....

How many times do kids say “I wish I were older” or “I can’t wait until I grow up”? How many times do parents think, “take your time and enjoy each stage of life”? Let’s face it time is not a true indicator of growth but it is a required part of the growth process. It takes time to grow.

However perhaps we are not talking so much about time as we are about waiting.

Ps 27:14

14 Wait on the LORD;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!

We, our society that is, has perhaps forgotten what it means to wait. Everybody know that we have fast food, microwaves, high-speed internet, instant soup, minute rice, drive-thru, pre-cooked/pre-prepared, etc. So it is not surprising that we want things to happen, “now”! However as we look at God’s Word we see that there is a time and place for everything. And as we look at the world we see there are a lot of good thing, ideas, products and programs but they can be introduced at the wrong time. God has a right time for things and His time and ours are often different.

In the Bible we see people that had dreams, promises, projects, ideas desires etc that required them to wait for the right time ... until they or someone or something else was ready.

Some of the best knowns stories in the Bible are about people that needed to wait on the Lord.

Abraham - God gave him a promise. He sent him to a new land. He said I will make you a great nation and I will give this land to your decedents. However, Abraham waited 25 years for the promised son (and made a few mistakes trying to speed up the process). However, when God came to him and asked him to sacrifice Isaac, the long awaited answer to the promise, Abraham was ready because he had learned faith and learned that he could trust God.

Moses - He was not an ordinary child. God protected him from being killed as a child. In fact, he was a child of promise. He would deliver Israel from slavery. However, as a young man he went out and saw the problems of his people. He was passionately moved. He wanted to free them. He tried in his own strength. Yet, he ended up running for his life. He was gone for 40 years! Then God sent him back with what he would need to free Israel. It was during this time that Moses learned how to care for, serve and shepherd patiently and humbly the people that he would bring out of Egypt. He spend time in God’s school of waiting.

David - He was a young man (probably in his early teens) when God told Samuel to anoint him as the next king over Israel. He had great victories, big responsibilities, hard and difficult trials, pressure to rush ahead of God. Yet, David refused. Twice he could have killed Saul and taken the kingdom of Israel for himself by force. Instead he waited on God. It was many years later until he became a king and even then it was only part of what God had promised. Still, in the end God fulfilled His promise to David and David was known as a man after God’s heart. Did he make mistakes? Yes, but God also used that time to prepare and shape him.

Waiting on the Lord is hard. Time is a valuable thing that we don’t want to waste but we also see that God is not in a hurry, nor does He waste. He is more concerned with who we are and our relationship with Him and He is willing to be patient to see it be what it can and should be. We don’t like to wait but it is a part of the growth process and over and over in scripture we are told to wait upon the Lord.

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 3 - What Are You Eating?

2011-12-07T06:51:00.000+01:00

Growth - What Are You Eating?

We all know what mom says! If you want to grow you have to eat well! So pull out the salad and wash off the fruit! Make sure you cover the 5 food groups and all the essential vitamins and iron!

This is a fast week and were talking about food! Please have compassion!

No really we are talking about spiritual food. The Bible talks about it. It encourages us to feed and be strengthened. It also encourages us to be self-controlled and careful that if we eat or drink or whatever we do then we should do it to the glory of God.

So what kind of spiritual food should we be eating?

Well the first type of food the Bible talks about is milk! Some people like milk others do not. Some people think milk is for kids and babies and others regularly enjoy a tall cold glass of the stuff. But whatever the case the Bible talks about milk.

In 1 Peter 2:1-3, Peter writes

1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,

2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow by it! Now some people might think... well milk isn’t for me. I am not a newborn. That is not Peter’s point here. He is saying that if we want to grow then we have to start with a sincere desire for God’s word. Mother’s milk for the newborn is about the best thing a baby can get! There are so many good things about it. It has the good things the body needs. It gives the drinker the protection and benefit of the mother’s immunity to sickness. It is easy for the body to process and digest this milk. There are all kinds of benefits that come from mother’s milk and there are all kinds of benefits that come from the milk of God’s word.

Peter is writing to believers here in the first of 2 letters and over and over in these letters he reminds them of things that they already know and have already been taught. Why? Because they are important! They are a foundation. If they are forgotten or neglected then there is danger to the believers and to the Church. So he tells them, have a sincere, earnest desire for God’s word. Are we hungry for God’s word or is it just something we fall back on when we have a problem, a need or a few moments to rush through a chapter or short passage? Where is the Bible in our list of daily priorities?

Now the Bible also contrasts milk to solid food. Just as we hope a baby will, in the proper time, move from milk to solid food there are those things in God’s word that are basic and foundational and there are those things that are more complex or difficult. The Bible though is not saying that one is better than the other. It is simply saying that both are necessary and one must come before the other.

For example 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 says,

1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;

3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

It was not that the Corinthians had not had milk... it was a matter that they had not mastered it yet. In other words when we haven’t really learned a foundational truth then we have to go back and master it. It is important to the process of our growth.

In Hebrews 5:12-6:2

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

We see that there is a time to progress but sometimes there can be regression as well. Sometimes there needs to be a reminder. Solid food comes with time but time is also no guarantee that we are ready. There needs to be another principle of growth, which we will talk about later, exercise! In chapter 6:1-2 we see the some of the “elementary principles” that the writer is talking about. Sometimes we need to go back, look again, be reminded.

That is why Peter is not afraid to remind his readers again and again. When we earnestly desire the Word of God we will grow. And the hope then with having both milk and solid food is that we will grow up into someone “...who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 2 - Birth

2011-12-06T06:51:00.000+01:00

Growing - Birth

John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

You must be born again! Jesus tells this to Nicodemus, a teacher of the Jewish law. Nicodemus just doesn’t understand the importance of birth. He thinks it is just something that happened a long time ago and something that can never happen again. But he is not seeing with spiritual eyes.

The Bible talks about this spiritual birth in a couple of different ways.

2 Corinthians 5:16-19 - 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

When we were born spiritually or born again there was a change that took place. Our lives changed, our focus and what is important in life changed. We speak of a newborn as a new life. We celebrate that life and the possibilities that it represents.

1 Peter 2:9-10 - 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

We have been called out of darkness to walk in the light. We often talk about physical birth in this way as well. Seeing the light of day. Being born into a family in many ways defines who we are. In this “new birth” we are Christians or literally “Christ ones”. It is easy to forget who we are and what that means but birth, especially for the “one like Christ” defines who we need to be. If we forget that we forget who we are and what is important. Focusing on our birth then should focus our attention on what it means to be like Christ! Am I like Him? How am I like Him” How am I not like Him and what needs to change? What does our Heavenly Father want His children to look and act like?

Birth is also something that we celebrate. We celebrate birth once a year but really we celebrate it more often than that as well. Every time we consider what our lives mean or what another person means in our lives we are at least in some small way celebrating birth. When we have a party it is not just for presents or to be thankful for another year of life. It is also a remembrance of that day long (or not so long) ago. Something joyful happened. Something changed forever.

If we look at spiritual birth as just some past event we are in danger of losing ourselves - who we are! If we were really made to be a new creation and we brought out of darkness into life and light, then it is important to remember and celebrate that. It defines who we are, where we are going and what is expected of us. That is why the New Testament writers are always coming back to that foundation... that birth. We are children of the king. It is not just a place of privilege, but perhaps especially a place of responsibility, service and humility. Remember where we came from. Darkness. What has that grace give us? Light, salvation, freedom, hope! Our attitude concerning the gift that is life will greatly influence what we do with that life. “You must be born again” opens up to us all kinds of new and wonderful possibilities but it also mean that old things are past (and should be put in the past) making room for the new.

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 1 Spiritual Growth

2011-12-05T11:15:00.000+01:00

What is it that God has for me in the life that He has given me?

We can see clearly in scripture that God loves us. We can see clearly that He is and wants to be involved in every part of our lives. We see that God knows what is best for us and wants the best for us. Yet how often do we really spend time seeking Him?

Sure we pray. Sure we read His Word. His Spirit speaks. Are we listening? Are we ready to do what He says. God certainly has plans for us! Ephesians says He prepared good works in advance for us to do. But more than what we do and more than any good work, God is wanting our lives to be the best they can be. That sounds great, but sometimes what it means for us is not exactly what we envisioned.

We often take comfort in verses like Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

The Bible says you will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah is writing to a people that are in captivity in Babylon. To a people being punished for their failure to listen to and follow the Lord! He confirms to them that His plan for them is good. That their captivity is not permanent though it is necessary. He wants them to seek Him with all their hearts ... that is to seek Him with an intent to do what it is He is calling them to...not just doing something but obedience for their own sakes.

Too often we say we want to seek God but when what He reveals to us what we need most ... well sometimes that is inconvenient, uncomfortable and frankly requires us to sacrifice things or ideas we would rather hold on to.

We sometimes call this growing. It is something that we all need and something that should never stops In fact, typically when something does stop growing it means that it begins to diminish and fade. There is always something new to learn. There is always something that can be improved. There are always areas in our lives that are in need of correction, reordering and reassessing.

Growing is a process and we have all heard about “growing pains”. Often we think that growing is just a matter of time and waiting but really there are some steps that need to happen in our lives if we are to grow in a way that is good, healthy and meaningful. It takes time, effort and intent. It means seeking God with all our hearts. Still to listen. Ready to obey. Prepared to trust.

5 Days of Prayer - Day 5

2010-11-05T08:13:00.000+01:00

Psalm 142

A Contemplation of David. A Prayer when he was in the cave

We finish up with a prayer of David. We know that David was a man of prayer. He was a man that would seek for God, turn to God and depend on God in almost every situation. As a boy he took on a lion and a bear and he said it was the Lord that gave him the victory. He faced Goliath and again it is clear that his confidence for this situation and confrontation was a love for and an abiding faith in God. His life was in danger more times that he could count. He was on the run for a number of years. Years that would be described as anything but easy or comfortable. He was a fugitive on the run, walking a tightrope between his “friends” and his “enemies”.

This psalm was written for one such event in David’s life. There were a couple of times that we see him in caves. And it was in one of these times that he takes this psalm from. It is interesting that in the title we see it is a contemplation ... a Maschil ... a psalm for instruction. It seems that David took something important away from this experience and he writes it into a special psalm and a prayer.

Again a cry. That is what prayer is after all. Us calling out to God. Speaking with Him. Telling Him our hurts, fears, troubles. Seeking to know Him better and experience His friendship and care.

David says he was overwhelmed. He saw traps around him. He felt alone, without a friend. He was being chased, persecuted. He felt imprisoned.

Even so, as David considers he realizes that God knew his path. God was there with Him. He knew the situation. Even though every refuge had failed him he realized that God was his refuge. He knew that without God he would not survive, because he was not strong enough, yet he was convinced that God would deal well with him.

It is sad to note that at one point David cries out to God that “no one cares for my soul”. It is comforting to know that God cares, but it also seems a call for us to care for the state and the lives of others. To help them and pray for them. In the end David sees just this. God brings him out of his prison to a place of praise and a place where he is surrounded by the righteous, by those that care. And, he can say, “You will be very good to me”.

As you pray throughout the last day of this 5 Days we hope that it has been a blessing and encouragement to you. How good to know that God is not apathetic towards us and that He listens and answers our cries to Him!

Please Pray for..

1 Sunday - first Sunday service

2 worship, teaching/translation, kids, fellowship

3 faithfulness and growth

4 God would be glorified

5 Days of Prayer - Day 4

2010-11-04T07:15:00.000+01:00

Psalm 102

Prayer of the Afflicted, when he pours our his complaint before the Lord

As I read the beginning of this Psalm, I again see a very similar pattern to what we have seen in the first two Psalms the first two days. A cry to be heard. A cry to answer and to answer quickly. A need expressed. A situation that is difficult. But in this Psalm the author seems to be in especially dire circumstances. I see at first glance a psalm much like some of the others.

Spurgeon, on the other hand, sees not only a person in need. He sees not just a person born into a time of sorrow and enduring a time of suffering, but he sees a person “afflicted more for others than for himself, more for Zion and the house of the Lord, than for his own house.” He sees a man, a patriot, “moaning”, pained for his country.

Life is hard sometimes. Sometimes it is hard because of sin, but sometimes hard because it is just "life". We all have our own various problems. We all have our “enemies” that "fight" against us. They are not necessarily enemies because we consider them enemies but because they war against our life and soul. It seems that the person in this psalm has many of those, and petitions God concerning them. However, he also sees his country in a hard time and it bothers him.

We see that this person has a heart afflicted not just with his own difficulties but also with the difficulties of his nation. He has a heart afflicted with things that concern God. He knows that the current state of affairs is not what God has in mind. He know that God has a time and a plan for Zion, His kingdom. He wants for God to be feared and praised. We can get pretty self focused sometimes, and it is good to realize that there are others in the same place we are and perhaps we can help them. To understand there is a world of needs beyond ourselves. The author seems to realize this and it moves his prayer.

The writer reflects on God’s mercy, that His ear is attentive to those that need it most and that He will listen to their prayer. And as we read the verses 17-21 I can’t help but be reminded of what Jesus said in Luke 4:18-19. He read the prophecy of Isaiah saying that He had come to give good news to the poor, proclaim freedom to those imprisoned, to give sight back to those that couldn’t see, to free the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. These gracious words were spoken at the beginning of Jesus’ years of ministry. They were words telling the people what He had come to do and what they could expect of Him. He comes to us in graciousness and proclaims a future of hope.

The author of this psalm realizes that there is more than this life. There is more to life than riches. There is more to be freed from than just prison. There is a darkness deeper than blindness. There is slavery that is more oppressive. We truly are in need of God’s favor. The things of this life are temporary and God will change them. He desires to change them. Our writer brings our attention to these things. Is our heart affected by the things that affect God’s heart? Do we have in view what God has in mind? His prayer is that he, and we, would place our hope in and seek the eternal.

Please pray for

1 People that come to the Sunday service would be challenged and taught by God's word

2 For a place for us to meet and provision needed to meet there

3 For wisdom in knowing how to best help and encourage others

5 Days of Prayer - Day 3

2010-11-03T07:44:00.000+01:00

Psalm 90

A Prayer of Moses the man of God

I have been thinking a little about where I live. In fact, I can hear a conversation in the next room teaching our children about what country, what city, what street and the house number in which we live. It is the place where we live ... or is it. Well, it is and it isn’t ... it is kind of confusing. God called Abraham out of his dwelling place. First out of Ur. Then He called him out of Haran where he had gotten sidetracked. The book of Hebrews goes on to tell us he was an alien and a stranger even in Canaan, the land to which God had called him, and that he was looking for “the city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God”. Here Moses indicates that God is our place. He is the builder and the maker. It is not a temporal place. God is eternal. It is not a dwelling that will pass away or fail.

People are temporal and our sin causes our destruction. We last a moment in comparison to the mountains, and the mountains a moment in comparison to God. Our lives are a small thing in the framework of eternity, cut from what they might have been by sin and righteous judgment. The metaphors are familiar. Sleep. It seems you just lay down and it is morning. Grass. It grows quickly and dies quickly.

Because of this ... because we have 70 or perhaps 80 years of life, Moses prays that God would teach us to count our days... to consider them wisely. Sin ravages us. It steals away the best parts of life.

As Moses considers this ... as we consider this with him ... it causes a cry to rise in the heart. Forgiveness and compassion. Mercy and blessing. “Satisfy us early with Your mercy.” The earlier we realize our sinful state and look to this righteous and compassionate God the sooner we can find rest, rejoicing and gladness. Moses asks that God’s work would appear to His servants and His glory to their children. He understood something important about God. God as righteous judge can be a fearful thing, but that God’s heart is one of mercy, compassion and blessing. As Moses understands this he then calls people to consider and realize. He calls them to be wise. He calls them to blessing.

That is what the church is supposed to do, call people to consider, to understand. Sin and wrath are a fact our existence. However, God’s love, compassion, mercy and blessing are also available to those who will hear, consider and be wise. Who will return to an eternal dwelling.

Pray for...

1 Our team working together as a united body

2 worship and children's ministry development

3 English kids outreach

4 God to draw people to Himself

5 Days of Prayer - Day 2

2010-11-02T07:18:00.000+01:00

Psalm 86

A Prayer of David

“Dear Jesus, Thank you for this day, thank you...” Sometimes prayer can seem pretty repetitious. We have a tendency to start our prayers similarly, to pray similar things, to ask things that God has pretty much promised already. Yet, as we read this prayer it is not so different, at the beginning, from the prayer from day 1. Certainly there are different expressions here but in general we see a pleading for God to hear, a declaration of pure/holy actions and intentions and an assurance that God will listen and answer. There is a difference between vain repetition and repeated prayer. As David starts on familiar and solid ground he then branches out to encompass worship, reliance and request based on his need, experience and faith. Hear us, bow down Your ear, we trust in You for You are good and ready, forgiving and abundant in mercy. You will answer.

David is moved to consider this God to whom he cries out. We also consider along with the psalmist who God is, and what He is like. No other like you! No work like your work! You are so great that all will worship before You.

This is God, worthy of proclamation. Look at the great things that He has done for David.

Great mercy toward him
soul delivered from death - the grave, hell
full of grace and compassion, patient, abundant mercy and truth - even to those who refuse.

David wants God. He wants these things that God has given Him in abundance. He wants them for himself but he also wants others to see. He says, “Teach me your ways... unite my heart to fear Your name.” He connects that with glorifying God’s name. He connects with a personal testimony of what God has done for him. Then he asked God to show a sign. It is not for himself. It is for those that have refused God, who have not “set God before them”. He wants them to realize their wrong. It is our wrongs, our foolishness that we are ashamed of, however how often those things can be ignored or pushed off. David wished that people would know the God that he knew and be ashamed of their failure to turn to Him. To find the same mercy, compassion, long suffering and salvation that David knew. The same peace with God.

Of course these are things that we also have experienced from the hand of God. Like David our prayer should rise, not only for our own salvation or blessing but, for the realization of others the compassion mercy and patient love of God for all people. “Teach me Your ways ... I will walk in Your truth ... I will glorify Your name...” May we be taught that we may walk and proclaim the ways of God for His glory. May our lives be a good sign. As a result may many know the help and comfort of God!

Please pray...

1 God would be proclaimed - that He would prepared hearts for Himself

2 Spiritual strongholds and barriers removed

3 wisdom concerning a place to meet, provision for that place

4 preaching/teaching to be in the Spirit's power

5 Days of Prayer - Day 1

2010-11-01T07:48:00.000+01:00

Psalm 17

A prayer of David

Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! The cry rings out and begs to be heard. Listen to me! This is important! This needs to be heard. I need it to be heard. Whether it is a messenger of the king or a cry for help, such a cry looks to be heard. Its hope is that those to whom it is directed will listen and respond. That they will find the cry to be good and right and worthy of response. In truth, whenever we cry out to God we hope that He will, not only hear (yet we believe that He will), but we hope also that He will find our prayers to Him just and worthy. Each time we approach to Him we, of course, cry out wishing to be heard. However, there are those times when we especially want God’s attention. A desire of our heart. His answer to our prayer.

It is appropriate as we begin our week of prayer that we have this cry and desire in our hearts to be heard. That we examine our prayers, our reasons and our ways as we approach to Him. Of course, we have the added comfort that we approach God because of the righteousness that we have been given in Christ. He is our strength. The one that keeps us in our ways. The one that keeps our feet from slipping and shows the path before us so that we won’t stumble. It is because of His great and precious promises that we can approach with confidence. He is one that we can trust and He will never fail to keep faith with us as we walk in trust toward Him. Trust because He is trustworthy but also trust with actions and attitudes match with His commands, ways and desires.

We are the “apple of His eye” and even as Jesus longed to gather Jerusalem under His “wings” He loves us and longs for us. If we will be gathered then He will overshadow us.

This is important because we see that we are not without enemies. Even more than the warrior enemies of David, who fight with weapons that maim and kill, there is a spiritual enemy. He is a lion and a destroyer. He would frustrate and tear apart all that we are and all that God wants to do in, for and through us.

Therefore it is appropriate for us to realize as we consider any spiritual endeavor that it must be a work of the Spirit of God. It must be done in His power and protection or we will surely be overwhelmed. As we desire that God would establish a work - a work directly opposed to the attitudes and principles of the enemy and the normal cravings of life - then God must be its author and architect.

Finally, we see the final line of this prayer of David. “I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” More than anything we do, accomplish or don’t accomplish, plan, achieve or experience, it is more important who we are and will become. God doesn’t need people to do anything for Him. There is nothing that we can truly add to Him. However, He desires us and fully desires that we awake in His likeness, As we live and do we must keep in mind that He desires us. He takes us through steps of faith to makes us more like Him.

Please Prayer for

1. A work of God's Spirit in us and in Maribor to establish what He wills and desires

2. Wisdom for all aspects of this new ministry - worship, Bible study, translation, kids ministry

3. God's Protection and Power

4. To seek God and not the work - to be satisfied only with Him and His likeness

30 More Days Results

2008-10-01T14:13:00.002+02:00

Thank you to all of you who stood with us in prayer during this past month. We know that prayer is the source of our strength and that if anything supernatural and spiritual is to be accomplished it will only be through prayer and petition. We pray that God would be moved by your prayers and ours for the people, places and things that were prayed for over the past month. However, we covet your continuing prayers for us and for these requests.

Jesus told His disciples to pray the Lord of the Harvest to send out labors. If we are sick James told us to pray. When Paul and Silas were wrongfully imprisoned they praised and prayed. Paul prayed for open doors and words to preach the gospel. The apostles and the church came together for a prayer meeting to ask for boldness to preach and miracles to proclaim Jesus. Isaiah and Jeremiah prayed for the restoration of a nation. Elijah prayed for people to know that God is the true God. Elisha prayed for eyes to be open and shut. Jesus told us to pray for our daily bread .... the list could go on.

One missionary put it this way... is the language hard, fast and pray. Are the people unresponsive, fast and pray. Are you sick or tired, fast and pray. Are there lack of resources, fast and pray. Are you hungry, fast and pray. Fast and pray.

Not to us, not to us oh Lord but to You alone be the glory...

30 More Days Participation

Like last year we wanted to share with you the results of our month in prayer.

This year we saw similar participation to last year. We had an average of about 6 visits per day. That means that we had as few as 4 visits one day and as many as 15 visits on any one given day. Like last year we also offered to send out a daily email with the contents of the blog. We started out with 5 and expanded to 7 who followed the blog by email during the month. Therefore we had a daily participation on average of 11-13 people though the blog and email. There were also some that have participated through printed versions that were unable to through electronic means. The following then are the totals for the 30 More Days.

Visits

Total 247

Average per day 6

This week 43

Last year the totals were

Total 345

Average per day 7

This week 51

Blog

These blogs will remain online and will be available for encouragement and as reminders of prayer in God's word. Many of these requests are also ongoing and can continue to be prayed for over the weeks and months to come. We hope that this time in the Word and prayer have been encouraging and profitable.

God bless and Under the Mercy

The Howards

30 More Days... Day 30

2008-09-30T07:56:00.001+02:00

Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly.
Jonah 2:2 And he said:
“I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction,
And He answered me.
‘Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
And You heard my voice.
Jonah 2:3 For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
Jonah 2:4 Then I said, “I have been cast out of Your sight;
Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’
Jonah 2:8 “Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the LORD.”
Jonah 2:10 So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

So now. Let’s follow Jonah overboard! Jonah is in a mess of trouble. He has run away from God. He has caused a lot of trouble for others. He has found himself overboard in a storm that turned sailors green. He has landed inside a great fish.

A lot has been said about Jonah’s experience inside the fish. It has been suggested that there were worse things involved in his “accommodations” than just discomfort. Aside from likely being dark, cramped and smelly there were likely a host of other unpleasantries. Jonah would have been trapped in a, likely, tight space. With every move of the fish it is likely that he also experienced a new discomfort. The dark and the smell would have been the kind that, especially after a couple of days (more likely a couple of minutes or hours), would have been felt and oppressive. Some have suggested that perhaps the stomach juices of the fish would have burned and splashed as the fish moved and swam. This would have left sores, wounds and marks that scarred the prophet for the rest of his life. All of this, a tiny picture of the suffering and horror of hell.

It is a frightful picture and yet that is only the part in the fish. As we read his prayer we realize that his experience prior to getting swallowed was no picnic either. First he fought the waves and the storm. He was tossed around by it until he sunk beneath them. As he sunk into the deeps, the waters closed around him and the pressure increased. He experienced being tangled in the seaweeds as they wrapped around his head. He felt their rough stringy surface around him. He felt his life begin to leave him and only then did the horror of the fish come into view, gapping maw ready to swallow him.

Jonah makes the statement “ I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction...” Actually, it is, perhaps, a bit of an understatement. It is amazing that it took Jonah so long. He seems so unconcerned. He is apathetic. He is apathetic to others and he is even apathetic to himself. How much God has to put him through to wake him up! How much he has to go through just to cry out even for himself. The sailors cried out at the storm alone. They made vows to God quickly. Jonah waits. He suffers. He is unmoved. Only then does he call out. Only later does his heart change at all that he prays and promises to pay the vows that he has made. Only then does he look for salvation.

It is extremely ironic that in all of this Jonah becomes the “sign of the prophet Jonah” to Jesus’ unbelieving (wicked and adulterous) generation. It is ironic that what we see here in this part of Jonah’s life is a picture of Christ’s burial and resurrection. It is ironic that what the prophet suffers for himself out of disobedience is a picture of what Christ would suffer out of extreme obedience to the Father and not for himself but for us. The very thing that Christ tells the pharisees and religious leaders is the sign for them to believe is the very one that showed the hardness of the prophet’s own heart. The ones that listened to the sign of Jonah, the Ninevites, would be witnesses against those that refused Christ because they believed Jonah’s preaching while the Pharisees rejected Jesus.

Even in the prophet’s stubbornness and apathy we see amazing grace. There is grace for the prophet. There is grace for Nineveh. There is grace for a future generation if they will just believe. Though prophet is slow to pray, though he is loathe to preach, though he is apathetic to grace for himself and the need of grace by others, still he becomes a picture of ultimate grace. God ready to sacrifice His Own for the world of “strangers”. God ready to extend salvation to a sinful people.

How often are we like Jonah. How often our compassion sleeps and our prayers for others slow to pass our lips. Yet Jonah for all his lack of compassion and grace was an great picture of God’s compassion, grace and salvation. He was a picture of God’s great salvation. His prayer reverberates with what Christ would endure for us, for an unbelieving world. The pain of suffering. The rejection of the Father turning away - being out of His sight. The journey into “Sheol”. The pain of death. Only, then, to rise again a testimony of God’s call to faith and repentance, a witness of God’s grace, mercy and compassion.

Jonah prayed for himself. Jesus prayed for us. Jonah cried out in affliction brought on by his own disobedience. Jesus cried out for us, Father forgive them. Jonah saw the salvation of God and his preaching became the opportunity for the salvation of others. Jesus, rose and became our salvation.

Often as believers we can get focused on our lives. We pray about our needs. We react to our afflictions. That is good. Jonah was also right to call out to God. If at no other time at least he cried out in affliction to the God who saves. But, we contrast him with the sailors and we see unbelievers with greater concern, care and compassion than the prophet. We look at him and see thankfulness for the great grace given him, but apathy and a lack of willingness to see that grace passed on to others. We see him as a sign of the Messiah and yet an anti-type in him as well. He is apathetic about other and angry about the death of a plant. We see him forgiven much and yet not loving much. As we look at Jonah it is good for us to ask how much like Jonah can we be, are we? Are we apathetic or concerned, are we stubborn or gracious? What drives us to prayer?

Prayer Request
* Please take time today to pray for the world. Pray for Maribor. Pray for Slovenia. Pray for your city, town or village. Pray for America and the coming elections. Pray for your pastors and your church. Pray for someone that you know who doesn’t know Jesus. Pray how you can be a witness and testimony to them and the place where God has placed you.

30 More Days ... Day 29

2008-09-29T08:17:00.001+02:00

Jonah 1:10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
Jonah 1:11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
Jonah 1:12 And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”
Jonah 1:13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.
Jonah 1:14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, “We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.”
Jonah 1:15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
Jonah 1:16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.

Jonah and the big fishy. A disobedient prophet, a ship, a storm, a fish, a revival and the only preacher that I can think of that wasn’t thrilled that his preaching brought revival. We pretty much know the story well. Jonah receives word from God that he is to go to Nineveh. He is to go and cry out against it for all the wickedness of its people. He doesn’t like this assignment. He decides to go the opposite direction. As he runs from God he takes to the sea. This is a big mistake as God sends a storm. It is a big enough storm to “freak out” even the sailors. Jonah goes/throws overboard. He becomes fish food. He has a “lovely” underwater hotel (terrible view) for a few nights. He goes to Nineveh, preaches, the people repent and everyone is “happy” except, of course, Jonah who sulks and pouts about his dead weed lean-to.

That can be, of course, our attitude as we read it. This is the story. We know it so well. Can you believe this guy? Of course, there is a lot in there. This is God’s word after all. It is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It’s dangerous to play with knives. However, they can be most useful as well.

Often as we read this story we focus on Jonah. After all that is who the story is about. Ok. Jonah runs. Now he is in the ship asleep. Now the captain finds him in the deepest part of the ship. Jonah, your lucky today... the lot falls to you (oops). Jonah what do we do with you now. Jonah, “throw me into the sea!” And, in our rush to follow Jonah overboard we miss something. At least, I missed it a long time. I just never thought about it. I was focused on Jonah. However, the author leaves the floundering Jonah just a second to give us an insight into sailors. The sailors dilemma. The sailors struggle. The sailors compassion. The sailors fear. The sailors prayer.

What’s that? Prayer! From pagan sailors?

As we read these few lines we still can get a pretty good picture of these sailors. They are in the middle of a storm. They are afraid for their lives. They realize that the cause of the storm is supernatural. They have determined that Jonah is the cause and Jonah is good enough to confirm this. When they ask him what to do so that the sea will be calm he tells them. And as we look at them I think most of us would be quick to say, “ok, off you go”. These men, on the other hand, try in the middle of all this to row back to land. They get to the oars and put their backs and efforts into trying to save Jonah. It is only when the sea and the tempest become even worse that they give up on that.

Then, before they are willing to throw Jonah into the sea, they still pray. They pray to God, who they don’t know. They pray asking for grace at what they are about to do. It is an act that they know and feel is wrong to the depths of their souls.

Jonah was a terrible witness of God’s greatness to these men. He was running. He was the cause of their suffering and danger. Any loss they incurred was his fault. It affected their livelihood and their ability to provide for their families. Basically, he was unconcerned what effect his actions would have on them. Yet, we see them showing concern for Jonah. We see them praying for forgiveness for “his innocent blood”. We see a compassion and a concern for Jonah’s life that he has shown to neither the people of Nineveh nor these sailors. He is caught up in himself.

The prayer of the sailors is simple. Please don’t take us down with him. Don’t let his sin affect us. They realize something that Jonah, at least, hasn’t shown any concern about. The fact that our actions affect others. Our sins have consequences that go beyond ourselves. So, they pray for mercy not to get caught in his wake.

Then they also ask not to be charged with killing Jonah. They have an understanding that we sometimes have lost. The importance of a life. Many times our attitude toward life is “kill it if it isn’t convenient”. If it gets in my ways and in the way of my plans then it is okay to terminate. They know that this is not the case and so they pray that they not be held accountable for Jonah’s life.

Finally, they pray acknowledging God’s will. God, it is undeniable that this is what you wanted to be done. We have tried everything else we know and it hasn’t helped. So they were in the end submitting to God’s will. This was something that Jonah had not yet done. Here they were submitting to God’s will and Jonah is still in defiance.

Jonah goes overboard. The sea becomes calm. It is a supernatural storm and has a supernatural ending. The sea goes calm! God suspends His judgment. He answers the prayer of the sailors. God has heard and answered them. He is ready and willing to save. He has shown Himself glorious to these men. And we see an amazing reaction. They fear the Lord. They are convinced of His power and justice. They are amazed by His righteousness. They offer a sacrifice to God. They make promises to Him. They bind themselves to Him.

It is amazing that the prayer of the unbeliever can be so powerful and effective. It is amazing that it can be so Godly and true and that their reaction can be so sincere when they see God’s actions and answers. They didn’t just pray and forget. It has moved them into a new relationship with God. God has used the situation to show His greatness and grace to His beloved creations and brought them to Himself. Jonah could have learned a thing or two from these men about prayer and about promises. He could have learned a thing or two about knowing and fearing God and care and concern for others. We can too.

Prayer Request
* Please pray that God would continue to work in Maribor to prepare hearts and minds for the gospel. Pray that the hard rocky ground would be made ready and prepared. Pray for God to remove the strongholds that keep people apathetic to and skeptical to God and a true relationship with Him Pray that God would build His church here.

30 More Days... Day 28

2008-09-28T09:50:00.001+02:00

Jer. 32:16 “Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying:
Jer. 32:17 “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
Jer. 32:18 You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them—the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
Jer. 32:24 “Look, the siege mounds! They have come to the city to take it; and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword and famine and pestilence. What You have spoken has happened; there You see it!
Jer. 32:25 And You have said to me, O Lord GOD, “Buy the field for money, and take witnesses”!—yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ ”
Jer. 32:26 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
Jer. 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?

When I was in high school there was a comedian named Arsenio Hall who did one of those late night TV shows. About the only thing interesting on the show was a segment that was called “Things That Make You Say ‘Hmm’”. In fact, I don’t remember anything more about it, nor can I say that I really watched it. I guess it is just evidence of the kinds of foolish, useless stuff we get loaded with if we aren’t careful. Anyway. This segment was based on things that people said or did or signs or other things that when you looked at them they didn’t see quite right. They were strange. They were funny. They were anything but logical. Therefore, they made you say “hmm”.

This is one of those “hmm” situations. Jeremiah has been prophesying “gloom and doom” for a while now. Specifically, he has been saying that God is going to hand the city of Jerusalem over to the king of Babylon and that it will fall to the siege. Of course, this is hugely unpopular prophesying ... especially to the King of Judah, and he has Jeremiah locked away for it. While Jeremiah is in prison, God tells him that his cousin will come and offer to sell him a field and that he should buy it. This is exactly what happens and Jeremiah surmises that this is all from the Lord so he buys the field.

After having bought the field and sealed away the deeds of ownership, after having obeyed what God had led him to do Jeremiah prays for understanding.

Jeremiah was saying “Hmm”. He does it in a very respectful way, but there is still no doubt that he is saying “Hmm”. God there is nothing too hard for you. You have brought your people out of Egypt. You brought them into the land as you promised. They have disobeyed and refused to follow You. Now you will turn them over to the king of Babylon. The city is turned over to the king of Babylon. So, what is with buying the field? It doesn’t seem like a very good investment in a time of national crisis and poverty when everything is scarce and expensive, and money could be needed for other uses.

An amazing thing has happened here. Jeremiah has obeyed God when it makes no sense at all. God has given Jeremiah insider information. Jeremiah has the “inside track”. The city will fall. The real estate market is about to burst...collapse. Foreign interests are about to take over and claims to land and heredity is likely not to be recognized for very long. But God has also given Jeremiah a tip. Buy! So Jeremiah does it.

How often I want everything to make sense! How often I want to be able to see the logical outcome of a course or action! How often I hold back or can hold back because things don’t add up. Jeremiah was in just this position. He obeyed before he knew why. He acted before God revealed everything to him.

God doesn’t always reveal the whole picture to us right away. He takes us step by step looking for us to be obedient to Him. This puts Jeremiah in stark contrast with most people of his day. They wanted to see. They challenged God’s prophesies and warnings. Here Jeremiah simply obeys because God said so. He doesn’t have to know everything. Just have the assurance that it is from the Lord.

His prayer reflects his faith and at the same time his lack of understand. God there is nothing to hard for you, but this city is given over to Babylon. Both are true but I can’t make them fit together.

God answers Jeremiah. You have said it exactly Jeremiah! There is nothing to hard for me. You are right and that is all the answer. Yes I will give the city away. The real estate market will crash. Foreign interests will take over. However, that is not the end of the story. I will also bring Israel back to this land. I will establish them in it and give it to them. Jeremiah, because of his faith had secured for his heredity an inheritance in the land. It was a testimony, not only of God’s intention for the restoration of the people of Israel, but also of God’s blessing to those that in faith obeyed Him with a sincere heart.

Prayer Request
* Pray for the coming month. There will be many things happening. The University semester will start and with it new opportunities for our Student Bible Study, and prayerfully, opportunities for new outreach. Olya is planning on starting a mommy’s english group. Christian’s B-day will bring opportunities to see friends and invite people. We will probably have a couple of game nights. We will host Amy Hill and she will visit and help us during her “round the world ministry trip”. There will also be a host of other things as well. Pray for the activities and for us to make good use of those opportunities.

30 More Days... Day 28

2008-09-28T09:50:00.000+02:00

30 More Days... Day 27

2008-09-27T09:34:00.001+02:00

Jer. 17:14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.
Jer. 17:15 Indeed they say to me,
“Where is the word of the LORD?
Let it come now!”
Jer. 17:16 As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You,
Nor have I desired the woeful day;
You know what came out of my lips;
It was right there before You.
Jer. 17:17 Do not be a terror to me;
You are my hope in the day of doom.
Jer. 17:18 Let them be ashamed who persecute me,
But do not let me be put to shame;
Let them be dismayed,
But do not let me be dismayed.
Bring on them the day of doom,
And destroy them with double destruction!

Have you ever had to be the bearer of bad news? You see it on the TV shows... the doctor coming out of the operating room to the family that hopes for the best and fears the worst. Or there are relationships... you are the friend that carries the dreaded “Dear John” message to rejected. The messenger that brings word of catastrophe or trouble.

This was Jeremiah. That was his job. That is what God had called him to do.

This was, kind of, the lot of a prophet. It wasn’t always bad news. Sometimes it was very good news. Sometimes the messages that came were very positive and promising. Yet, Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet and it is not hard by that to guess what kind of news he most often had to deliver. It was news of God’s judgement. It was news, as we saw yesterday, of God’s refusal to listen anymore to this people. It was news that Jerusalem would fall to the Babylonians. It was not popular and no wonder. It was not the sort of thing that people wanted to hear. And as happens so often in these cases the messenger becomes the object of anger and ridicule, suffering and injustice.

Shakespeare expressed the idea of shooting the messenger in a couple of his plays. It was the tendency of people bearing bad news to get into trouble for the task given to them. It is such a common idea that it has become a set phrase in our language.

This was the position that Jeremiah finds himself in. He is a messenger. He brings the word of the Lord to the people. And lately what God has had to say has been mostly bad news. At the very least it has not been what the people have wanted to hear. For God’s word is almost always full of promise, but also calls on us to turn from our wrong ways and desires to do what is right. A lot of times people don’t want to hear about that part. Jeremiah has been faithful to bear these messages to the people, but he has also experienced the negative responses to those messages. He is an easy target. You can’t exactly argue with God, but Jeremiah is a good scapegoat for the anger and unease of the people. They label him a troublemaker. He disturbs the peace and incites unrest. At least that is the way they see it.

It is not so different today. People that stand for truth and goodness are often labeled in this way. How many pastors lately have been labeled as “agents of intolerance” simply for preaching the Word of God. How many Christian have been labeled as prejudiced for holding to their beliefs in God’s word. When people don’t like the message they tend to attack the messenger. It is an attempt to bully into silence. It is an attempt to sterilize from one’s life all that they don’t like or wish to accept.

As Jeremiah has stood up and delivered God’s word to the people, he has come under such fire. So he cries out to God. He asks for defense. He asks for deliverance.

As Jeremiah prays he recognizes that he has been hurt. He has suffered damage and fear at the hands of the people. He prays for healing and knows that God can heal. He prays for salvation, knowing that God can save. He has suffered the skepticism of the people. They question his words. Not all that he has said has yet come to pass. While this is good for them, still they mock and challenge. They approach him with disbelief. “Let it come”, they say challenging the veracity of his message. It doesn’t sound so far away from what we see in the world today either.

Jeremiah knows that God’s grace and patience is all that holds back His word from coming to pass. So he prays. He has not spoken his own words or his own opinions. He has been faithful to speak only what God has commanded. He has not been vengeful, nor does he seek vengeance on the people. He speaks not out so much out of anger as he does out of concern (not to mention command). But, he certainly does not “have it in” for this people. His conscience is clear that he has done what is right and has been faithful neither speaking from himself, nor failing to speak what he must.

Having done this he can now ask God to be his help, his protection. He asks God that they not be able to “shoot the messenger”. God is his only possible refuge. So he cries out asking God then just to be faithful to His word. It is for more than his life or protection that Jeremiah is pleading. He is asking God to fulfill His word so that the people may learn and understand the truth. They have held to the errors of their “fathers” believing them rather than God. They follow human ideas, philosophies and logic. Now may they see that God’s truth is above that.

It is the tendency of the world to mock. It looks for any excuse not to believe that what God says is true and best. Yet God says that He will confound the wisdom of the world with foolishness and the strength of the world with weakness. We have a responsibility to speak the truth in love and leave the rest to God. That is what God has called His people to do.

It is hard to Jeremiah to stand in the face of such opposition and disbelief. He has not sought this position or calling. God has placed it on him. But, rather than failing to speak and warn he stands firm. Even when it seems useless he continues to warn the people. So when the times get tough he also cries out to God for strength and deliverance.

Jer. 17:14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.

Prayer Request
*Pray for Tamara. She has gone through a lot in the past years and has lost so much. She finds herself alone and often going without. But various believers have been able to find ways to help her. She is from a Russian background and so there has been a way for us connect with and help her as well. She has been attending the Baptist group and received a lot of help from them as well. Pray for her understanding of the gospel and for provision for her needs.

30 More Days... Day 26

2008-09-26T09:13:00.002+02:00

Jer. 7:16 “Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.

Jer. 11:11 Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them.
Jer. 11:12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble.
Jer. 11:14 “So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.

Jer. 14:10 Thus says the LORD to this people:
“Thus they have loved to wander;
They have not restrained their feet.
Therefore the LORD does not accept them;
He will remember their iniquity now,
And punish their sins.”
Jer. 14:11 Then the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for this people, for their good.
Jer. 14:12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.”

It has been interesting how our days have come together. It has been interesting that the topics often seem to fall in order. Yesterday we looked at the praying of prayers over and over and how even in fall after fall, rebellion after rebellion God listens. He waits. He warns. He calls us back. He gives forgiveness after forgiveness and chance after chance. When we come to Him in repentance. When we come to Him openly and honestly He judges fairly but also with compassion. Yet we said that His mercy cannot be an excuse for us to increase evil that grace might abound. God calls us to repentance.

Now it is kind of hard to look at the content of these prayers... because there is none. What is not said in prayer is more significant. It is something that we see people fear at various times throughout the Bible...

In these 3 chapters we see it 4 different times. Jeremiah...

“So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.”

Those are perhaps some of the most frighting words that we have yet looked at. Those are perhaps some of the most frightening words we could hear. That God is finished listening to prayer. That trouble is more of less all that is left and there will be no help from prayer in it.

Yet it seems to go against what we talked about last time. How is it that God would not hear? How is it that God, whose name is “Our Redeemer from Everlasting”, could fail to hear, listen and redeem?

We get some insight into this terrible state in these chapters and also in Chapter 15. In chapter 7 we see God calling to the people to amend their ways. He calls them to do what is right. But the people are breaking the law and worshipping other gods and then coming into the temple as well, when and how it suits them. God has warned and they have not listened. They worship the queen of heaven. Then 4 chapters later again we see God speak this way again. Again he calls them back. He reminds them of the covenant He made with them and warns again. However, they have a god for each city and an altar for each Jerusalem street. Then again in chapter 14 the downward spiral has continued and God again speaks to Jeremiah not to pray for these people.

They have not at all repented. They carry a form of godliness in the temple and sacrifice but they are far from God. God says enough. In chapter 15 we find that God has reached the end of His patience. It has taken Him a long time to get there but it has come. God now says

Jer. 15:6 You have forsaken Me,” says the LORD,
“You have gone backward.
Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you;
I am weary of relenting!

He has been here so many times. Now there is no more time left. They have pushed and pushed. Even grace has its limits. But there is something that we need to notice. We see the reason that God is doing this.

Jer. 15:4 I will hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

And here is what we need to understand. Manasseh was a wicked king. Arguably, the most wicked Judah had ever known. He reigned a long time and did a lot of awful things. He supported idolatry and practiced sorcery. He set up altars and defiled the temple. However, God finally gave him over to his enemies. He was dragged off into captivity and in his captivity he repented. He cried out to God. God heard him and returned him to Judah as king! After this Manasseh instituted all kinds of reforms. He was a good king and followed God the rest of the days of his life. He tore down idols and altars and brought back proper temple worship. God was gracious to him. While he was alive Judah also reformed. Yet Israel is to be punished for the sins of Manasseh! How could Israel suffer for these sins when God had extended mercy to and forgiven Manasseh? Because, while the man had repented the people had continued in his sins and their influence. The man was forgiven and lived in repentance. The people only reformed for the time of Manasseh’s final years and then after his death they turned back to all his old ways.

God is great in mercy. He is abounding in love. But we can take his grace for granted. People ask, “how could a loving God send people to hell?” The answer is, of course, that He doesn’t. People in failing to obey bring such punishment on themselves. They receive the wages of sin, which is death. They get what they have earned by their own works. We can also fall into this. But, God is forgiving. That is right! He is very forgiving. The incredible thing is that God has been willing to hold out His hands “all day long” to a stubborn and obstinate people. Grace. Mercy. Compassion. They all have their limits. We don’t know exactly what those limits are, but it is important for us to know that they exist. There is a time that such a point can be reached. Don’t pray for them. I won’t listen. It is an awful place to be. God is patient “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”. The Psalmist says, blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven and whose iniquity will not be held against him. This our God. Yet, God warns us not to harden our hearts, because there comes a time when He might refuse to listen.

Prayer Request
* Please pray for the training this weekend taking place for the Crisis Pregnancy Center. Pray for Sylvia who will be teaching this seminar for the first time. Pray for those attending that they would absorb the information and be equipped to use it in the lives of those know and meet and in volunteering at the center. Pray that all who wanted to attend would be able to come and would make the final effort to be there this weekend. Pray for Olya and I as we speak with others about our involvement and role in the center from Maribor (the center will initially be only in Ljubljana)

30 More Days... Day 25

2008-09-25T07:35:00.002+02:00

Is. 63:7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD
And the praises of the LORD,
According to all that the LORD has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
Is. 63:8 For He said, “Surely they are My people,
Children who will not lie.”
So He became their Savior.
Is. 63:9 In all their affliction He was afflicted,
And the Angel of His Presence saved them;
In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
And He bore them and carried them
All the days of old.
Is. 63:10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;
So He turned Himself against them as an enemy,
And He fought against them.
Is. 63:11 Then he remembered the days of old,
Moses and his people

Is. 64:5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways.
You are indeed angry, for we have sinned—
In these ways we continue;
And we need to be saved.
Is. 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
Is. 64:7 And there is no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us,
And have consumed us because of our iniquities.
Is. 64:8 But now, O LORD,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.
Is. 64:9 Do not be furious, O LORD,
Nor remember iniquity forever;
Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!

Neh. 9:16 “But they and our fathers acted proudly,
Hardened their necks,
And did not heed Your commandments.
Neh. 9:17 They refused to obey,
And they were not mindful of Your wonders
That You did among them.
But they hardened their necks,
And in their rebellion
They appointed a leader
To return to their bondage.
But You are God,
Ready to pardon,
Gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness,
And did not forsake them.

When you have a chance go back and glimpse through Isaiah 63:7-64:12 and Nehemiah 9.
It is these prayers which bring some confusion and great comfort. I read them and in so many ways they are similar. The people praying to God. They recognize His holiness, power, love, kindness, worth, goodness, mercy, grace, compassion, protection, guidance, revelation, provision, blessing, miracles, sovereignty and etc... They go back to their history. They go back and remember God’s acts on their behalf. They remember how God called Abraham. They remember Egypt and God’s mighty hand. They remember Sinai and the law. They are full of praise and remembrance. Yet they are coming at a time of moral low. They are coming when they have been sinful. They come, often, when they have been punished and then God punishes but even in that punishment is gracious. We hear their prayers and see their words. They show up often. They show up too often. It becomes repetitious and starts to sound empty. What more can be said about such prayers? We have seen them before. We have dealt with their content and ideas. We know them.

They are our prayers too. How often do our prayers look like this? How often do our prayers sound the same. We recognize all that the holiness and greatness of God entails. We remember His past mercies. We prevail on Him for the present asking for similar mercies. How many times?

How often have you prayed and felt that your prayers sounded empty. It was not that they weren’t sincere. It was not a formula. There is honesty and fear in those prayers. There is a desire to do better, to do what is right, to please God. There is a desire to live according to God’s design and desire. It is just that we find ourselves in that same place again. God we are here praying. We are here praising. We are here asking for forgiveness. We are here asking for mercy. We know we don’t deserve it. And after praying and praying. After petition followed by petition to God we wonder why He bothers with us. Why is His mercy is poured out again? Doesn’t it sound empty? Doesn’t it sound vain? We see these prayers over and over and we pray such prayers over and over.

It is confusing. Why should God hear us? Why should He listen and be attentive to such prayers when we have proven ourselves anything but faithful over and over again. It gets depressing and the weight of our sin and rebellion weigh on us. It doesn’t make sense. Yet, it does.

It is comforting to know that God is looking for us to return to Him. Fall after fall, sin after sin, God is waiting for us to cry out to Him. It is not that He looks lightly on our prayers, our words, our actions or our sins. It is that He loves us. He is full of grace, abounding in love, ready to bless, ready to forgive, ready to stand by those that call on Him.

They appointed a leader
To return to their bondage.
But You are God,
Ready to pardon,
Gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness,
And did not forsake them.

Is. 63:15 Look down from heaven,
And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious.
Where are Your zeal and Your strength,
The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me?
Are they restrained?
Is. 63:16 Doubtless You are our Father,
Though Abraham was ignorant of us,
And Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, O LORD, are our Father;
Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.

They could say these things with confidence. Even though they didn’t deserve it, this is God’s character. Slow to anger. Abounding in love. Ready to forgive and redeem. “Redeemer from Everlasting” is Your name! It is not a matter of how many times, but that we come to Him. We are not trying to frustrate His grace... take advantage of it. It is not an excuse to sin so that “grace may abound”. It is not that we should not strive to “be holy as He is holy”. It is not a matter of making promises only then to break them. We need to keep our promises. We need to wrestle, to “bring [our body] under subjection”. But also we need to remember, as Solomon prayed in dedicating the temple...

“When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin)...”

that we can cry out to God and He will judge in justice and mercy, compassion and truth. Our biggest mistake would be not to entreat Him. Our greatest failure not to look to Him and repent before Him. So they come bring prayer of confession and contrition. They come remembering who God is and calling out to Him. They come before Him honestly, openly. We see once more the incredible grace of God. If there were any temptation to think that we could somehow obtain by ritual and religion what only the grace of God can provide it should be quashed here. If there were ever a temptation to parade some “good works” before Him we can see they are “filthy rags”. It is when we come to this point that it becomes easier to then admit

We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.

Prayer Request
*Please pray for Robbie, Svetlana and David and also for Igor and Katya (plus one on the way). They are Slovene/Russian couples that we have met and gotten to know a little bit. They are kind of special to us and we identify well with them. Please pray that we would be able to be an encouragement, help and witness to them. Pray that they would be softened to the gospel. Pray for Katya as she is due in another month or so for safe delivery and healthy baby.

30 More Days... Day 24

2008-09-24T08:20:00.001+02:00

Is. 33:1 Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered;
And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you!
When you cease plundering,
You will be plundered;
When you make an end of dealing treacherously,
They will deal treacherously with you.
Is. 33:2 O LORD, be gracious to us;
We have waited for You.
Be their arm every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of trouble.
Is. 33:3 At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee;
When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered...

Is. 37:14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.
Is. 37:15 Then Hezekiah prayed to the LORD, saying:
Is. 37:16 “O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
Is. 37:17 Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.
Is. 37:18 Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands,
Is. 37:19 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.
Is. 37:20 Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD, You alone.”
Is. 37:21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me...

There is not one of us that doesn’t see times of distress in our lives. We have all had to weather various storms. There is not one of us that hasn’t been at one point or another in our lives treated unfairly. We have seen injustice. We have been attacked without provocation. We have had mean and hurtful words spoken to and against us. We feel those times deeply. We dread them and remember them with dread.

How did we get through those times? How did we weather the storm? When attacked did we counter-attack? When wronged did we repay? When schemed against did we counter-scheme? In what do we place our faith in times of hurt, heartache, attack and trouble? Are we ready to revenge ourselves? Are we going to fight or flee? Those may seem like the only 2 options. In fact, it is so against our nature to sit still and pray. It is so against our nature to “wait” upon the Lord. We have to do something. You can’t just sit. “God helps those who help themselves (this is not found in the Bible).”

In fact, we often see that it is when the people are most helpless, that God rises up in power. When the injustice seems unbearable, then we see God move. In Isaiah chapters 33 & 37 we see the people of Israel in distress. Nations have come against them. They have been threatened. They have seen injustice and experienced threats. While they still have their cities and their weapons, they are also faced with a superior force. All of their fight and all of their preparation still look like nothing compared to the odds against them. They pray.

It is important that we wait upon the Lord. We have seen that over and over again throughout these past days together. It is important that we rely on Him in prayer. Time after time, story after story, people and nations, tribes and armies have been brought to the end of themselves and cried out to the Lord and He has heard and answered.

What is most interesting to me here is not the need to cry out or that they did ... of course they should ... it is God’s timing that is interesting.

It is in these times of distress that we often have the most trouble with God’s timing. We remember King Saul when faced with a Philistine army, his own army frightened and fleeing and a prophet Samuel who was late to arrive. Saul offers the sacrifice that was not his to offer in a human attempt to hold the army together. God rebukes him for his presumption. There are many times when God seems slow in responding. He seems slow in keeping His promises. The people of Israel in slavery for 400 years. Throughout the Psalms we see phrase like “how long”. Habakkuk echos such cries when he sees the injustice around him. God where are you.

Yet, here we see two instances of people crying out to God. They wait upon Him. Everything is looking bleak. How can they survive. If God doesn’t act, that will be all.

God knows the hearts of men. There are reasons for Him waiting. He is mighty to save and He does save, but sometimes it seems long in coming. He does it so that when He does rise up that there is no pride left for the honest person to hold onto. He does it so that His name will be magnified.

We have this bad habit of thinking that God should answer us on our terms and timetable. That we know what is best. At least what is best for us. Hezekiah prays and his prayer, as we read it, seems more (if not at least as) concerned with God’s glory and Him being shown to be the gracious and glorious God that He truly is. In Chapter 33 the prayer is consists of more about proclaiming who God is than it is about asking Him to be gracious. Often people are concerned most with what is best for them. God is concerned with more than that. He is looking not only for what is best for us but what is best for all around. He is concerned with what shows that He is God in heaven and we are just on earth. That He is infinite and we are finite.

Christian is at that age when he is able to do things. He is learning about safety. How he should act in a parking lot. How he should ride his bike. How he should cross the road. He is learning well. There are those times though, that he thinks he knows better. There are times when he wants to be more independent than he should be at this age. Mommy and Daddy really do know better, but he thinks he knows something as well. It can bring about a conflict of words (often) and (sometimes) actions. He doesn’t want to and doesn’t understand why he has to wait on us. It is not so different with us and God.

So there are times that God puts us in situations that place us in a position where he can teach us and help us to understand His glory and goodness, his wisdom and understanding. Sometimes He is just waiting for us to get to the place where we finally call on Him and recognize Him for who He is. Sometimes He is waiting for us to seek first that His name be hallowed. When we do He is ready to answer, to shake the mountains and to extend His mighty arm.

Prayer Request
*Pray for us as we bring up Christian and Julia. We ask for wisdom, strength and ability from God to bring them up in a manner that is pleasing to and honors God. Pray for us as we make decisions concerning their education and development. Pray especially for Olya. Pray for them as they grow up in multiple cultures and languages to find ways to thrive in them.

30 More Days... Day 23

2008-09-23T08:10:00.001+02:00

Neh. 1:3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
Neh. 1:4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Neh. 1:5 And I said: “I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,
Neh. 1:6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned.
Neh. 1:7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.
Neh. 1:8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations;
Neh. 1:9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’
Neh. 1:10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.
Neh. 1:11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.
Neh. 2:1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.
Neh. 2:2 Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.” So I became dreadfully afraid,
Neh. 2:3 and said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?”
Neh. 2:4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Ezra and Nehemiah, they kind of go together. They worked together and lived as contemporaries. They had a common goal and a common heart in so many ways. In fact, some just sandwich the two books into one.

Nehemiah, we find, was the king’s cupbearer. He was a person who potentially had the ear of the king. He had a relationship with the king, yet it was one that he couldn’t and wouldn’t count on. So when news comes from Judah and Jerusalem about the state of the city and the temple Nehemiah couldn’t help but be sorrowful.

The news that came to Nehemiah was the type that confirmed his worst fears. The news was the kind that was a sign to all of Israel and Judah that God’s patience with and grace toward them had been stretched to the limit. If the temple stood, then in the Jewish mind (right or wrong), that meant that He was still with them and that they had His favor..at least some. The temple for them was a sign that God was with them. Even though they didn’t worship as they should, even though they disobeyed God and failed to keep the law, if the temple was standing there was still a measure of reassurance and security that God was accessible and favorably disposed to them. But news comes that Jerusalem is in ruins and the temple is desolate, defiled and broken down. Nehemiah knows that what God had promised had finally come to pass. If Jerusalem and the temple were still in ruins for all to see and it was a testimony to the Jews and all the surrounding nations of the depth of Israel’s sin and rebellion.

Nehemiah prays. He praises. He petitions. He confesses. He intercedes. He remembers God’s warnings. He reminds God of His promises. He asks God to hear his prayers and the prayers of others who desired to fear the Lord. He knows that he might have an opportunity to speak to the king. He might be able to bring this situation before one who had power to do something about it. However, he knows also that he dare not trust his position. He doesn’t dare trust that he, himself, will be able to prevail on the king by some power, strength or eloquence of his own. He knows that God must move the heart of the king. He had every intention of bring this before the king and make petition of him, but God would have to bring the merciful favor of the monarch. Kingdoms had been God’s instrument of judgment and so they could also be His instruments of favor. Still the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord (Proverbs 21:1).

In chapter 2 we notice that 4 months have passed from the time that Nehemiah hears about Jerusalem to the time that he appears before the king and has his an answer to prayer. So often we can miss this waiting period that can exist. We see the prayers of people asked and answered. So often they seem to get immediate answers. Gideon got his over 2 nights. Elijah and Hezekiah got their requests within minutes and seconds of their requests. Abraham’s servant experiences God beginning to answer before he finishes speaking. Here, from chapter 1 to chapter 2 represents a period of 4 months. Nehemiah hasn’t prayed and forgotten. He has prayed and waited in faith for God to provide. But 4 months is a long time to mourn and be in sadness of heart even though it is just the “turn of a page” from prayer to answer when we read about it. We forget just how long it probably seemed to him.

Now he stands before the king and the king notices that he is sad. The king knows Nehemiah well enough that he knows something is wrong and he shows concern. Nehemiah’s sorrow has been strong enough to show up physically in his appearance. Again this is kind of amazing. A king that has the burden and weight of ruling an empire. A king that has demands from every sector. A king whose time is highly prized and demanded. This king notices Nehemiah and that he is sad. Not only that but he recognizes that it is a sadness of the heart... not just a bad day, not sickness. He takes notice and speaks of it to Nehemiah when he might have ignored and passed over it as king and master of all the realm.

Now, we would think that Nehemiah would be pleased. Now, finally, he had opportunity to speak and request. But we see that he is actually dreadful and fearful. The answering of our prayers doesn’t always bring about great peace or comfort. It was a frighting thing to speak of personal matters to a king. What would he say? How would he react? Would he extend favor? It was hard. Now he must speak. Now he must ask a favor of a king. It was a serious thing and he was afraid. He could have wavered in his faith and purpose. He could have failed to speak when the opportunity arose. He probably took a deep breath, perhaps suffered a moment of indecision and wondered if he should really speak his heart. As he begins to speak he again prays even as he speaks to the king.

How often does God bring us to the place of answering our prayers but we fail to take courage and go forward in faith. How often do we turn and go the other way out of fear or doubt? How often do we stay silent when we need to speak, stay still when we need to move?

The king is favorable. He says yes. But he also has some tough questions for Nehemiah. How long? What do you need? Nehemiah is prepared. He has thought and prayed about this moment. It wasn’t just a “blank check” situation. The king would want to know what this would entail and would he be willing to provide the time, resources and labor to accomplish this request. Nehemiah is ready to give details and specifics about what is required and he has a plan to move forward. It is not just a general request. He has thought about the specifics and he is ready with an answer for the king.

So often we can get so focused on the request that when the answer comes we can find ourselves in a place where we find ourselves caught by surprise. We don’t know. We haven’t prayed about it and thought it through. Perhaps that is part of the prayer of faith. Not just making the petition but also seeking God for His plan, the steps and the details. Certainly God doesn’t always give us all the details and certainly there are things that we don’t know and can’t foresee, but it is good for us to consider the future. It is good for us to be wise, and yet not let our designs get in the way of God’s work.

Prayer Request
*We have a number of acquaintances with people that we have met, yet don’t know them well or have a lot of contact with them. There are people like Bojana and family, Joze, Dani, Natasha, Mateja, Boris and others. Please pray that God would give us the opportunity to get to know them better and open doors to share the gospel with them.

30 More Days... Day 22

2008-09-22T08:22:00.001+02:00

Ezra 9:3 So when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down astonished.
Ezra 9:4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel assembled to me, because of the transgression of those who had been carried away captive, and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice.
Ezra 9:5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.
Ezra 9:6 And I said: “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
Ezra 9:8 And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.
Ezra 9:10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments,
Ezra 9:11 which You commanded by Your servants the prophets...
Ezra 9:13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this...
Ezra 9:15 O LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we are left as a remnant, as it is this day. Here we are before You, in our guilt, though no one can stand before You because of this!”
Ezra 10:1 Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly.

There are things that when we hear about can cause a variety of reactions in us and among people. For example, when I was in studying at the University. It was election time and the first George Bush was running against Bill Clinton. It was a tight and hotly contested race but in the end Bill Clinton became President. I was on campus the morning after the election and one of my first classes that day was in the Humanities department. I believe the class was American Literature - though not quite what I had expected. It was American immigrant literature and most of it, quite frankly (in my honest opinion), was not terribly good. The mood on campus was pretty dark. There had been a lot of Republican supporters among the students and teachers. Most students were in a kind of stupor. A lot of the teachers were quick to grumble. Then there were the Humanities teachers. They were bright and cheerful. They were exuberant. Finally after 12 years there is another Democrat in the White House. On one side they sang a victory song, on the other a funeral dirge. Very different reactions.

Reactions though don’t have to be completely opposite to show the differences in emotion to an idea, event or action. For example, when was the last time that you (or I) fell on your face or tore your clothes, or pulled out some hair or trembled or fasted because of sin. When was the last time that we expressed shame and humiliation for our actions or the actions of our people before God.

I know, for myself, that I often comfort myself with the idea that these types of displays of sadness, contrition and so on were common and expected in that day and time. For us, in today’s culture, society and our understandings of acceptable behavior, we know that such displays would be looked upon as strange and excessive. We have a different way of expressing ourselves. We have a different way of expressing grief. We tend to be more reserved, less expressive. At least that is probably what we tend to think.

But, all cultural differences aside when was the last time we really felt bad, expressed grief and poured ourselves out before God. Don’t we tend to live in the comfort of grace? Don’t we tend to lean more on that and feel less remorse and less sorrow for the wrong that we do?

In Ezra’s day I don’t think it was all that different despite the cultural and social differences. They had gotten used to living the way that they did. They had become hardened to the lifestyles they saw around them. They had justified their sins and the sins of others. It didn’t really bother them all that much. It didn’t bother them as much as it should. Well, at least not until Ezra came on the scene.

I wonder if there weren’t some (and it seems that there were) that thought “Ezra, aren’t you over-reacting just a bit?” I wonder if there weren’t those that believed that and hated the things that were being done in contravention to the law of God, yet their reaction was far from that of sorrow or repentance. It was a shame. It was wrong. It was someone else doing these things, but that doesn’t concern me. If they want to do that and live that way ... well they have to answer before God.

This is not what we see in Ezra. He hears and sees and it really bothers him. He takes deeply to heart the sins and rebellion of the people. He sees it has not just affected “those sinners” but the whole nation has been displaced and ruined. He bears his own responsibility in the sins of his people, he does not push them off. He is brought to a place of mourning. He is brought to a place of grief and his inward and outward reaction testifies to that sorrow and repentance. How often do we do this? How often are we affected like this?

It is not popular. I admit it. It is hard and we don’t like to think about it. We like the grace. We like the mercy. But, we have forgotten how to mourn. I don’t like it. It is not me. I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to feel that way. I want to live in the grace, mercy and promise of God. And thankfully we see that here in great measure as well.

There are times when it is appropriate to cry out and tremble. There are times to consider and be astonished at the depths of our sin and rebellion. There are times to admit to God that we have failed terribly and to be ashamed.

It is not that Ezra forgets grace. It is not that he doesn’t recognize God’s mercy and compassion, nor does he forget that need toward other people. He admits that God has been gracious. He knows that just being back in the land is a great gift of God. The people are being blessed even as he considers all of this. However, he just cannot ignore and wave away the responsibility he and the people have for their actions and attitudes either.

We see as he mourns and prays and confesses that many people take notice. They see his repentance, sorrow and mourning and they join him. They realize, react and take action. They join to Ezra and yield to his judgment and authority (as a priest who knows and follows the law), ready to put things right and obey. What can happen when people are ready to grieve, cry, mourn and repent. Some might mock. Some might think it is an over-reaction. Some might join and cry, repent and revive.

Prayer Request
*Please pray for Sandra, Ales and Julija. Olya has had a relationship with Sandra for a while now. They visit and we have done many things together. She has a “religious” background but needs a relationship with Jesus. Pray for the softening of their hearts and an openness to the gospel.

30 More Days... Day 21

2008-09-21T08:03:00.002+02:00

1Chr. 5:18 The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war, who went to war.
1Chr. 5:19 They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.
1Chr. 5:20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him.
1Chr. 5:21 Then they took away their livestock—fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand of their sheep, and two thousand of their donkeys—also one hundred thousand of their men;
1Chr. 5:22 for many fell dead, because the war was God’s. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity.

As we noted yesterday, this passage is one of those things that is just kind of sandwiched into a genealogy and you might miss it if you blinked. God kind of gives a parentheses within the lists of names and records for us there a little gem for us to mine.

This is one of those little passages in scripture that is pretty obscure and sometimes when you first look at it you kind of scratch your head and wonder “why is it here?” What can I get out of this? Why would God even bother with it? It seems so insignificant.

We have what we so often find in these genealogical accounts. We have some names, some numbers, some facts and figures. But here we also have a picture.

When the Israelites came into Canaan, before they crossed over the Jordan, they had already engaged and defeated an enemy. They had taken a land. When they did the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh had asked to inherit the good land on that side of the Jordan river because it was good land for their flocks and herds. They had not failed to go over and help Joshua and the rest of the children of Israel come into their inheritance. And when they had returned to their land after the conquest of Canaan they had gone to great pains (and almost civil war) to insure that they would continue to be counted among the tribes of Israel, the people of God for generations to come. They showed a devotion that when exercised later ... at this instance ... served them well.

At the time of this particular passage then these tribes were still a force to be reckoned with. They were still a powerful military force. We see that they were a standing army of 44,760. They were skilled warriors, powerful and knowledgeable in the use of weapons and warfare. They were not just capable. They were trained. They were “commandos”. They have strength. Apparently they thought they had enough strength and advantage to go to war. They went to war against four peoples...sons of Ishmael, tribes of people. We aren’t really told how the war went. We aren’t told that the fighting went back and forth. We aren’t told whether they were in danger of losing or not. What we are told is that in battle they cried out to the Lord and He heard them because they trusted in Him.

Great. Good for them. We have about 100 stories like this. Israel calls out to God in battle and He hears them. So what is the point?

Well, these men were capable. They were trained. They were skilled. They were able-bodied soldiers. They were many, a fighting force. Despite that they called out to God. They put their trust in Him. Whatever their abilities and strengths they still cried out to God and He heard them. They may have been strong but they didn’t trust in that strength.

We hear story after story where Israel faces impossible odds. We see time after time that God helps this people from a position of weakness and foolishness to be the come-from-behind victor. They are the underdog that we root for. They are the “Davids” standing in faith before their “Goliaths”. They are the ones crying out to God for salvation.

This is not the case here. Here they are a mighty, highly trained fighting force. They are taking the war to their enemies. They are not the underdog. They are not the weak. Yet, we see them cry out to God. They are not trusting in themselves and their own strength and training. They trust in the Lord.

In many ways, this is also the point of our 30 Days of prayer. No, it is not that we feel capable, highly trained, mighty, powerful or any of those other things. It is the fact that no matter what we do whether in weakness or in strength the battle is not ours. Verse 22 says the war was God’s. Really it was always God’s. He was the one that brought them into and gave them that land. He was the one that told them to drive out the idol worship before them. There is no doubt that these peoples were great idolaters because later these tribes fall into those same patterns and are rebuked and judged for it. But here their trust is not in the strength of their own arm (though they have some strength) but in God. They go to battle and they cry out to Him in battle. He gives them great reward and they dwell in the land.

All too often we can trusts our strengths. We can trust our eyes. We trust in our programs and our plans. We trust in our strategies, our abilities our education. We trust financial resources (if we just had enough money we could...would see...) We trust degrees and the ideas of men. We try in our might. There is a spiritual battle going on. No matter how often we realize that we are weak, we still tend to look for the plan, the idea, the strategy that will give us the advantage... the victory. Even when we know that we are outnumbered we can look to think, plan, strategize or muscle our way out of it. If I just fight. If I just endure. If I just find the right approach. Success will come.

We can learn a lot from these tribes. No matter what their strength or weakness they somehow kept in view that the war was God’s and they cried out to Him and He heard them. That is one of the many reasons that we are doing these 30 Days as well. We want to and need to cry out to the Lord. The mission is His. The “battle” for the soul is His. We pray that He will hear us and that we will be faithful to put our trust in Him.

Prayer Request
*Please pray that God would expand His work here in Slovenia. Pray that He would build His church. Pray for us to be faithful and trust in His strength and plan. Pray that He would bring people to us that are open to the gospel. Pray that He would soften hearts that are hard spiritual things. Pray for us to have boldness and wisdom to share Jesus, that God would stretch out His hand to do mighty things.

30 More Days... Day 20

2008-09-20T06:03:00.000+02:00

1Chr. 4:9 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”
1Chr. 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

For the next 2 days we are going to look at genealogy prayers. I call them that because, frankly, most people just aren’t into genealogies. When I spent time at JAARS we would show a video each week about a Bible translator to a tribe in the Philippines and how God worked to bring the people of the tribe that she worked in to Himself. She explains that her tribal “father” had been looking through her little New Testament that she had in her hut. He had started thumbing through it and came to Matthew 1. He was surprised to find a genealogy there. Her initial reaction to his finding was to tell him “yeah skip over that and get to the good part!” But for him the genealogy (for which their culture has 3 words) was a good part, a sign that what he was reading was real...that it was truth and not made up.

I can’t say that I get too very excited over genealogies. Reading lists of “the son of...” and “he begat” the rhythmic droning of the data streaming by my eyes ... it is as likely to put me to sleep as anything. However, I have found them worth reading. Often name after name bounces off my brain and I find little meaning, but occasionally I make a connection I never understood before. But, there is another reason. Every once in a while God slips a little narrative into the droning name. He places a gem that can be mined to the one diligent enough to look. That is how we find Jubal, Enoch and here, Jabez.

Jabez is now well known. Back in 2000 a book by Bruce Wilkinson based on this prayer hit the presses and sold huge numbers. Of course, not having read the book, I risk perhaps being repetitive and boring you. On the other hand I may also risk the negative reaction some people have had to statements or perceived statements made by Mr Wilkinson about this prayer.

Still this is a notable prayer in the Bible and it is one that falls within our 30 days of study together so ... let’s take a look.

We know almost nothing about Jabez. Everything we know about who he was and what he did... they are right here in these few verses. It isn’t much. However, for the little that is said about him, his prayer has made an impact.

Jabez has one of those great Old Testament names. I often wonder who would name their children this way if that is what the name really means. You are Jacob ... the deceiver. You are Jabez ... you cause pain! Then again we do have people in our life time who name their kids “Moon Unit”, “Dweezil” or “Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen”. Maybe Jabez wasn’t so bad after all.

We find that he was more honorable than his brothers. What this means is not really explained. How was it that he was more honorable. We can’t really say for sure, but he did pray... especially at a time when it seems possible that many were not. At a time when he was perhaps setting out in life and he shows dependence not on himself but rather on God. Perhaps it was that because of his name he was sensitive to the pain of others. We can only speculate. Whatever the reason he was more honorable than those around him. He had some kind of character.

We don’t know the circumstances or the occasion of his prayer. But we do have his words retained for us.

Oh that you would bless me indeed ... there is nothing wrong with praying for blessing. Each time we pray we are looking for some kind of blessing. If we praise we are blessed. If we ask we seek blessing. It is the nature of a relationship with God. We remember the priestly blessing from back in Numbers, “the Lord bless you and keep you...”. But as we read this I believe it is more than just a prayer that he would be blessed. It seems that he has blessing in mind that he might be a blessing to others. Some render it “Oh that blessing, You would bless me...” God let Your blessings flow to be true blessings indeed. He knows that every good and perfect gift comes from God. God is the source of any blessing and if we are to be blessed at all we must seek it from Him and not in ourselves.

He asks God to enlarge his territory. God expand the area of my influence. Again we have to ask with what aim? If he is asking for blessing indeed then the expanded area of influence should be one of extending that blessing to a wider area, a larger population. He is not just looking for “land, lots of land under star sky above...” If he is more honorable then his request is probably more honorable as well. He is looking to God’s promises to Israel and since he is praying to this same God then he should be seeking God’s will, plan and blessing not just for himself but for his people Israel.

He asks God to be with him. God I can’t do this in my own strength. Like Moses, perhaps he is saying God if you won’t go with us then we cannot go anywhere. We don’t want to go anywhere without you. God dwell with us. Again as we look at scripture from front to back we see that this was God’s intention all along. That He would dwell among us, among His people.

Keep me from evil and causing pain. What are the greatest commandments? Love the Lord you God... and love you neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm and is the fulfilling of the law. He is basically asking God to turn away the reproach of his name. I may be Jabez but that is not what I want to be known for. God let me fulfill your law and please your heart.

How could God not grant such a request? He prays within the boundaries of God’s express will. His heart and ambitions are right before God. His intention is not placed on himself alone.

As in every prayer we need to examine our heart. What is it that we are asking for and why. Are we asking with God’s heart. Are we asking according to God’s will? Do we have in mind the things of God or will we receive a rebuke like Peter’s. “Get thee behind me... you are not mindful of the things of God but the things of men”. The prayer is short. It is simple. However, it also carries with it a deep passion for God and spiritual truth.

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”

Prayer Request
*Please pray for Pastor Justin and his wife-to-be, Erin. They will be getting married 2 weeks from today. Pray for them as the complete the details and preparations for their wedding day. Also pray for them and the church through this time of transition. Pray for Erin as she moves into a new language and culture plus a new role in ministry. Pray for Justin as he will be caring for his wife and helping her to adjust and learn here while continuing to serve God and minister/shepherd the church.

30 More Days... Day 19

2008-09-19T09:10:00.001+02:00

2Kings 20:1 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’ ”
2Kings 20:2 Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying,
2Kings 20:3 “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
2Kings 20:4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
2Kings 20:5 “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD.
2Kings 20:6 And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.” ’ ”

Hezekiah is one of those kings that you get confused with minor prophets. Who hasn’t fallen for the one about turning to the “book of Hezekiah” only as you turn pages furiously to hear “just kidding”. Sometimes this story sounds a little bit like that. Isaiah the prophet goes to Hezekiah. “You are going to die.” Just what I want to hear from a prophet. Um-mm, are you sure you have the right person? Maybe you meant one of those minor prophet guys?

No, there is no mistake here. Isaiah is a prophet and a prolific one at that. He had a lot to say (well God had a lot to say through him) and he has a way of always being right. That was the mark of a prophet. He was always right. At least he had to be when he said “thus saith the Lord...” So seeing who is bringing the message and seeing what the message is, there doesn’t seem to be much hope for Hezekiah.

Hezekiah, you have been a good king. You made a lot of good reforms. You celebrated the passover for the first time in years. You restored the right worship of God in Judah and even beyond your kingdom into Israel. Revival has come as a result of your actions. Thanks. This is the end. Sayonara!

That’s it. That’s the message. Put your house in order. Death is coming.

This is one of those Moses like situations. God has spoken and spoken through His prophet whose word is sure. Even so, He is not beyond listening to Hezekiah’s prayer. He is not beyond being entreated. Hezekiah shows great hope in the mercy of God. He shows great importunity. He is not afraid to call out to God. He will still plead with Him. We see Hezekiah turning toward the wall. He cries out to God in his sadness. He is sad and he shows it but he doesn’t let that sadness or bitterness keep him from crying to God. He cries out to God asking Him to reconsider. He cries and weeps bitterly.

God loves us. We are His children. Just as we are not unaffected by the tears of our children He is not unaffected by our tears either. I hate to see my children cry. It happens. Sometimes it is necessary or unavoidable, but I don’t like it. I love to be able (if love permits) to dry those tears away and the remove cause of them. I love to provide for them the desires of their hearts. God is no different with us. It is not Hezekiah’s plea that he has been good that moves God’s heart any more than such a cry from our little ones is likely to move ours. We know better than they how good they have been. It is his tears and that they are directed to God alone that move the heart of the Father. In verse 5 we see part of Isaiah’s message was that God had seen Hezekiah’s tears. God is quick to answer. Isaiah hears from God before he leaves. Go back! Tell Hezekiah I have listened to his prayer. In fact, God gives him more than just an answer for the sickness, but also for the nation. I will deliver it from Assyria. It must have been on Hezekiah’s heart even if it wasn’t on his lips and God sees that as well.

It is always incredible that God loves us so much. He is moved to compassion by the tears of His children. He is merciful and gracious. He hears and answers. He gives more than we ask or expect.

There is one caveat. There is one problem. God had come to Hezekiah before he died, warned him and told him to put his house in order. It was also an act of mercy and grace. He was pointing out something to Hezekiah and it would have been good had he perhaps paid a little more attention. Instead of only having several days, God warned Hezekiah that he had 15 years. God had added that much to him. However, we have some verses that suggest that Hezekiah wavered a bit.

2Chr. 32:25 But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up...

His remarkable recovery and the blessing of God hearing him blocked out the message that God had given him. Instead of being humbled, he was lifted up with pride. Instead of putting his house in order he put it on display... an example of a “blessed” man. It is the danger of God answering our prayers or the prayers of another. The person can come to think that they carry some kind of special favor with God. God must be pleased with them. They become lifted up in what was given as a gift of grace. In the end when God confronts him with his pride, Hezekiah does humble himself before God. It is, however also interesting to note that Hezekiah’s son went on to reign longer than any other king in Judah. Manasseh reigned 55 years! However, we are told that he was also one of the most evil kings of Judah. He undid all of Hezekiah’s reforms. He re-instituted the worship of idols. He practiced sorcery. He probably killed Isaiah. Isaiah, according to tradition, was sawn in half. It took a trip to Babylon in chains to turn him to God and then God had mercy on him. Hezekiah had been told to out his house in order. Yet, Manasseh goes his own way. We can’t blame it all on Hezekiah, but we can wonder why and how it happened. God listened to Hezekiah. Did Hezekiah listen to God? We entreat God. Can we be entreated by Him?

Prayer Request
*Pray for Borut, Petra and their daughter Ana. We have enjoyed wonderful times with the family. Olya especially enjoys her friendship with Petra. They have been hurt by some past “religious” experiences. Pray for their healing in these things and that we would be able to be Godly friends to them. That love & friendship (especially God’s love) would overcome the legalism they have known from their years in the Adventist Church.

30 More Days... Day 18

2008-09-18T08:17:00.002+02:00

2Kings 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
2Kings 6:16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
2Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2Kings 6:18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
2Kings 6:20 So it was, when they had come to Samaria, that Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and there they were, inside Samaria!

Hidden in plain view. I have this ability to lose things in plain view. It is right there in front of me and I can’t see it. I am looking around for someone that I am supposed to be meeting and not see them until they are right on top of me waving and getting my attention. Now I am happy to say that this is not always the case. The fact that it happens more often that I like is bad enough.

We all seem to have this little problem from time to time. In aviation this idea is known as “open field myopia”. It happens when you have a relatively clear, uniform sky in front of you and you are not careful to “keep up your scan” of the sky. What happens is that your eyes, because the have no real focal point, relax and begin to focus on a spot about 18 inches in front of you. When this happens, you can be looking out the window all you like and not see any other airplane. You have to actively, systematically scan the sky so that you don’t get lost in this error.

In a way, I suppose this is what we see here.

Elisha, the man of God after Elijah, the man of God. Like Elijah, Elisha occasionally got involved in politics. In this election season it is good to remember that God often calls His people to be involved in these processes and to have a good and godly influence on them ... but that is another topic. We are talking about prayer.

There has been a time of war and the Syrians have been causing trouble ... well, they wanted to cause trouble, but Elisha kept telling the king of Israel where the Syrian army was and what it was doing. This, of course, gave the Israelites a distinct tactical advantage. Talk about having a “God’s eye view”. The king of Syria was sure there must be a “mole” among his advisors, but then he is told, “no it is just Elisha”. Maybe it is just pride, but I would think that if a guys sitting in a town some distance away was able to track my troop movement without leaving home that I might be tempted to admit defeat. God is working against me and nothing good can come of this. However, that is not his reaction. He sends his army after Elisha. I don’t know how exactly you plan to sneak up on a guy that always knows what your next move is, but that doesn’t seem to bother this king or keep him from trying. He sends a great army of horses and chariots off to Dothan where Elisha is staying. Again I am a bit amazed by the tactics. This Elisha has been telling the king exactly where to find enemy troops and camps, however, maybe if we go up by night.... Yeah, that might work!

Actually if they had only been after Elisha’s servant it would have worked. His servant gets up in the morning. He probably set off about his work. He probably walks outside the door of the place they are living or looks out the window, and his jaw drops to the floor. That will wake you up faster than your morning cup of coffee, but it is also probably worse on the heart as well. I can almost imagine him running back to his master. Big... big ... big ... big ... big problem... big! He is totally surprised. Fortunately for him, Elisha is not. Not only is he not surprised, but he already knows what the next step as well. The servants wants to know what do we do? That’s it! We’re done! There is no escape! There is no sending coordinates to the king of Israel. No cell, not sat. phone. There is definitely no calling in an air strike. And, I am sure that the next words that Elisha has to say to his servant must have sounded incredulous. There are more with us than with them.

Again you can almost see the servant doing the math. One plus one.... and if they would just hold still maybe I could count them but I am pretty sure that it takes more than two to surround Dothan. I am sure that even stopping to consider any population in Dothan would not have encouraged him that the odds were in their favor. This is where prayer comes in.

Elisha prays. He asked God to open the eyes of his servant.

What a beautiful picture. How often do we only see the physical, logical, everyday solid objects that surround us? How often are we tricked into thinking that this is all there is to it. We can be so blinded to the spiritual world. It is here that we most often lose the battle. The things around us, the cold hard facts and figures ... they are all that we see and understand. This is why Paul has to remind us in Ephesians that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. He tells us in 2 Corinthians that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty to pull down strongholds and cast down imaginations - anything that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. He encourages us not to look on outward appearances. The enemy can overpower us if we look at what is seen, even though we have so much power at our disposal. Elisha already sees the truth of the situation. He is not concerned. He knows that he has no reason to fear. He also knows that the servant doesn’t see things as he does. That is why he prays. He prays to God for his servant to see as he sees. He wants the servant to see the truth that he knows so well. Ultimately it is God who must open the eyes. It is God who must reveal the truth. The prayer is simple, yet full of concern for another. Please God let him see!

Suddenly the perspective of the servant must have changed. They are not the ones surrounded after all. It is this great army that is surrounded and without hope of escape. What an army he and Elisha have protecting them. Chariots of fire fill the hills. Horses of fire stamping and ready for the fight. Now he knows that he has nothing to fear, even when the charge of the enemy comes.

There is however another problem. The enemy sees only with physical eyes. They believe that they have the superior force. There will be a confrontation. They will charge. They are like the pharisees. They think they see and understand. They claim to know better. They will attack. So again Elisha prays and asks God to strike the Syrians blind. The servant had his eyes open so that he could see the spiritual strength in which he stood. The army had their eyes blinded so that they would not trust in their perceived but anemic strength. They are led to Samaria where again Elisha prays that they will see again. They now see that their situation truly is hopeless. Again we have a beautiful picture. It is the mercy and compassion of God. Rather than run these troops into a spiritual massacre He takes all their strength and shows them the true hopelessness of their own strength. Then just when all seems lost they are fed, they are shown mercy and they are returned unharmed to their homes and families.

Each prayer has its purpose. For the servant it is a prayer for one whose faith is faltering. He sees the glory of God and is given a fresh look on all his struggles. For the army it is a pray for mercy for those marching to their deaths. It is a prayer to show them that all they are trusting in and holding onto are lies, yet they can find mercy from God. They are rushing to destruction only to have someone lead them to life (ironically the very one they are attacking), but first their sight, their strength ... what they trust in ... must be shown for what it is, nothing. Then their eyes can be opened so that they can see. Grace. Mercy. Compassion.

Prayer Request
* Pray for our friends Miro, Mateja and their daughters Lia and Enja. We have enjoyed our friendship with them and continue to do things with them. Christian loves spending time with the girls and they are happy to see him as well. They know why we are here but are not really open to spiritual things. Ask that God would soften their hearts and open opportunities to share the gospel with them. Also pray for them as they consider buying a house or building one and all that goes along with such an endeavor. It can be a stress and unknown to know what is best.

30 More Days... Day 17

2008-09-17T09:14:00.001+02:00

1Kings 19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
1Kings 19:3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
1Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

Elijah the prophet. Elijah the man of prayer. Elijah, the man who saw the dead raised. Elijah, the man who called down fire from heaven. Elijah, the man who prayed and the rains were withheld and came again. Elijah the mighty man of God.

Elijah the depressed.

Elijah has gotten kind used to having God’s ear. He has gotten kind of used to praying to God and having God answer his prayers. He has seen God do mighty things. After the past 3 1/2 years of running, after the famine induced by lack of rain, after the contest on Mt Carmel, after a mighty victory, after the coming of rain on the land once more, perhaps Elijah felt that it had all been for nothing. All of the hardships he had suffered...useless. All the conflict and confrontation ... for nothing. No real change has taken place. His life is still threatened. He has no one to stand with him. Jezebel has no hesitation, no qualms, about threatening his life. The people have not risen up to repentance. What is the point of it all. What good has it all been.

Elijah runs again. We see him undertake quite a trip. He travels south out of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom, through the Southern Kingdom to the southwest corner of Judah. He leaves his servant there and then travels another day out into the wilderness that lies in the direction of Egypt. He runs and comes to a place where finally exhausted (probably more emotionally and spiritually than physically) he sits under a tree and prays. He prays for death.

This is one of those times that we can look to and be thankful that God sometimes chooses to say “no”. We have already seen God say “no” to Moses. While God doesn’t come to Elijah and say “no” and “don’t ask me again” we do see that ultimately the answer is “no”. Actually, in retrospect the whole situation is kind of strange. Elijah has gone to a lot of trouble to come to a place far away from danger only to ask for death. Had he really wanted to die, all he had to do was stay where he was! Jezebel would have been more than happy to accommodate him. In fact, she had taken a vow to that effect. She wanted to make Elijah “like one of” her dead prophets of Baal. Elijah could have stayed. He could have become a martyr. He could have died proclaiming the God of Israel, a public testimony of his devotion to God and a witness to the people that God was worth dying for. He could have been an example to the people of Israel that they should stand up, even in the face of death, to do what is right and serve their God. Instead he has gone to a lot of trouble to stay alive, only to ask God to let him die. He has failed. It has all been for nothing.

We can all get to feeling sorry for ourselves. We can all get “fed up” with life and feel that it is all for nothing. As the depression overtakes us we come to God in a pretty fatalistic manner. We are no different than Elijah or again (more to the point) it shows us that Elijah was truly a man like us. We can see the difference between his effective prayers of a righteous man and prayers that are far from prayers of faith. God refuses to “hear” such prayers. Instead he does just the opposite. He feeds Elijah with heavenly food. He strengthens him so much that he can go 40 days in the strength of that food.

God is making a point. When it is not by might and not by power but by His Spirit then God is there. There are many impressive things in life. Fire from heaven is impressive. The plagues of God and the judgments of God are convincing. However, this is not always the way that God works. He can work in those things and often those things are impressive, but empty. On the other hand God can also work in the quiet of the heart. He works in the hidden and weak things to confound the wise and the strong. Elijah has had a bit of “pity party” for himself. He thinks that he is alone. He thinks that it is all a lost cause. He is ready to give up. I am the only one left. I have been very zealous, but for nothing. God sets the record straight. No Elijah, you are not the only one left. I have worked openly through you, but I have also worked as a “still, small voice” among 7000 others who have not bowed the knee or kissed the mouth of Baal. Your prayer is flawed. Your journey not my will. Why are you here? Why are you running? The results are mine, not yours. Take courage Elijah. It hasn’t been for nothing. Others stand with you. Others take courage from your obedience, even when you don’t see it.

As Elijah sees this, he is then ready to once more follow God step by step, day by day. He can be used once more by God to accomplish His plan and proclaim His word. He can see that the results belong to the Lord. He can see that the best things aren’t always seen. They aren’t always loud and impressive. Just imagine for a moment if God had listened to Elijah’s request. I am ready to die. No Elijah you aren’t. I still have things I want you to do. I still have a plan that I want you to be a part of. You still have lives that your faithfulness can influence. Besides, you’d miss out on one great chariot ride.

Prayer Request
*Please pray for the Crisis Pregnancy Training weekend coming up from September 26-28. Pray for Sylvia who will be (for the first time) giving the seminar/training. Pray for the people from Ljubljana, Celje and Maribor who will be taking part in this training. Pray volunteers to be a part of the center. Pray for the center to be able to open in the near future (finances, offices, resources) and that it would be an effective help to those suffering crisis and an effective witness. This training will be a big part of that.

30 More Days... Day 16

2008-09-16T08:19:00.003+02:00

1Kings 17:20 Then he cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?”
1Kings 17:21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.”
1Kings 17:22 Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.
1Kings 18:36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
1Kings 18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
1Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
1Kings 18:41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
1Kings 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
1Kings 18:43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” ¶ So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
1Kings 18:44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
James 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
James 5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Elijah. The man who prayed. He prayed and the heavens were shut up so that it didn’t rain for over 3 years. He prayed and fire fell from heaven and burned up the sacrifice, the altar, the water and the dust! He prayed again and it rained. He is remembered as a mighty prophet, a mighty man of God. He wasn’t always viewed that way though. When Ahab “greeted” him, he called him the “troubler of Israel”. James on the other hand calls him a man with a “nature like ours”. Some translations put it “just like us”.

Perhaps the biggest problems during Elijah’s time were a king named Ahab and queen named Jezebel. It was because of their wickedness and idolatry that God sent Elijah. He called on Elijah to pray and shut up the rain for a long time. Of all the events of Elijah’s ministry, perhaps, none is so well known, told and re-told as the face-off on Mt Carmel with the prophets of Baal. Challenge. Drama. Impossible odds. Fire from Heaven.

After 3 1/2 years of hiding out, Elijah comes back into the open. He must now go to Ahab, a king who has been searching for him high and low for all this time. Ahab has sent agents and emissaries all over looking for this “troubler”. He has made foreign governments take oaths that they are not hiding Elijah. Yet, we really don’t see any hesitation or fear as Elijah once again emerges out into the open. Nor, is there any hesitation as he challenges the (false) prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. He openly mocks them. Fire from heaven isn’t enough. He soaks the sacrifice and the altar, the wood and ground around it. He doesn’t sound like a man just like us.

On the other hand Elijah has had a track record of listening to God and seeing Him work. God sent him, he went. God told him, Elijah prayed. God hid him, he hid and was safe. God fed him by the ravens, he ate. The brook dried up, God provided. The widow had a handful of flour, the three of them ate a long time. Over the past 3 1/2 years Elijah has been faithful to carefully follow God’s directions and he has learned from experience that God is true to His word. God is faithful to provide. God is good ... all the time!

Even when God allowed the widow’s son to get sick and die, Elijah had already seen God work in impossible ways. He had been seeing it for some time, yet here is a chance for that faith to grow. The story is interesting. Most of us probably know this one as well. He has been staying with the widow and she has been feeding him. The oil and flour continue to be there even though it is impossible. However, one fateful day her son dies. Elijah takes the boy, prays for him and God resurrects the young man. The the woman makes an incredible statement.

“Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth.”

Here is a woman that recognized Elijah as a man of God from the first. She gave him the last of her food trusting that God would honor the man’s word. She has seen the oil and flour there day after day when she had used it up the last time. Yet, only now does she state that now she knows he is a man of God.

The widow was not unlike the people of Israel. She has seen over and over again. She has been provided for day after day and yet, there is such small faith. So little belief. It is almost a sign to Elijah. A way to help him understand the nature of the people. They have seen so much, but at the first sign of trouble, at the first chastisement of God, they start to wavier.

Therefore when Elijah stands upon the mountain he can call to the people and ask “how long will you wavier between two opinions?” He can identify what obstacles their faith might face. He has not missed the lessons God has taught him during his long years of hiding. The people have their history, their traditions and their background. They are caught between that and the prevailing political climate and popular culture - Baal worship. God has brought trouble on Israel so that they may once more know the truth and not wavier. Elijah has already been prepared through his experiences to meet the needs of others. It is because he has been faithful. Each day he had to make decisions. Do I trust God? Do I do as He says? Is He able? Will I be safe in His hands? Can He provide? Can He do it? He has found God to be unerringly true and faithful. But Elijah didn’t just wake up one day and walk to the top of Mt Carmel to challenge the prophets and see fire fall. God has prepared him and brought him to this place.

Even his prayer then becomes one of letting the people know what he has come to know. That God is God in Israel. He has not been displaced or supplanted. Elijah speaks the truth. He has no aims to deceive or dominate the people. His concern is that they would know and worship God. That they would know He is true as Elijah has come to know that He is true. In the house of the widow, Elijah’s cry had been that of Ahab.

“O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?”

“Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”

The difference, of course, was that Elijah cried out to God. As he did, the widow knew that the word of God was in Elijah’s mouth. Elijah has simply wanted to help this woman. He wanted to ease her grief. God wanted her to truly believe, not just live and survive. Now having experienced this, Elijah also wants not just to ease the grief and suffering of the people of Israel, but that they would truly believe. He has caught God’s heart in prayer for the people. However, his prayer doesn’t end there. He goes on then at the end of the chapter to pray for the coming of rain. The people have seen and proclaimed that the Lord is God. Now Elijah will pray that rain will be restored to the land. His concern and care for their physical, as well as their spiritual, well-being blossoms. It doesn’t matter that Ahab is still king. It doesn’t matter that Jezebel is still queen. The people know that the Lord is God and that He makes Himself and His truth known. What they do now is choose day by day if they will walk in that truth, as Elijah did, or not.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. He was a man like us. He had to follow God step by step. He had to be faithful. He had to learn from God and be taught His words so that he would know what to say and what to pray. His prayer is unremarkable. He only asks that God would hear and convince His people. The results on the other hand...

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Prayer Request
*Please pray for our friend Miha. He is a teacher and this week has an opportunity to teach a class about the Bible and religion in his music school. After “advertising” the class in school he has had 70+ people sign up (they expected maybe 15). Please pray for him as he teaches to have wisdom and for the students as they ask questions that God would work in many lives through this opportunity.

30 More Days... Day 15

2008-09-15T08:26:00.001+02:00

1Kings 8:22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven;
1Kings 8:23 and he said: “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You,
1Kings 8:28 Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today:
1Kings 8:29 that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, “My name shall be there,’ that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.
1Kings 8:30 And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.
1Kings 8:54 And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the LORD, that he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
2Chr. 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2Chr. 7:15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.

For a children’s book it is a truly momentous event. Bob the builder may be sick but the tractors and trucks have succeeded in getting the road open on schedule. All the vehicles line up at the side of the road as Wendy takes the scissors and proclaims the main artery into the city open for use! The tractors are euphoric. They completed their work. They did an excellent job. It is time to celebrate.

For 7 years Solomon and the people of Israel have been involved in a momentous building project. It is a bit bigger than getting the road through town built. It is the temple! Solomon’s temple. It is one of the Wonders of the Ancient World. So much mastery and excellence have been poured into this building and no wonder. It is the house of God.

Therefore, the ceremony of dedication must be no less excellent and splendid. There is a great feast. There are many people gathered for the event. There are sacrifices. So many sacrifices that they can’t be counted. The ark and all the furnishings of the Tabernacle are brought up by the Levites and all the people in a kind of holy parade. These things are brought into the new Temple and put into their places. The Lord comes and fills the Temple. The priests can’t go back in to continue their ministry. God is there. Solomon steps up and blesses the people and then in their sight he kneels and prays, arms stretched up to heaven.

It is a prayer of dedication. He is praying for everything that he hopes that this temple will be and symbolize to the people. That this is only a symbol is clear from the opening paragraphs of the prayer, but all the same this place is to have an important role and place in the lives of the people of Israel. Solomon may have spent years building this building. He may have spent millions and hundreds of millions in gold, silver, bronze, precious materials, labor, wood and much more. However, the place this building is to have in the hearts, minds and lives of the people is much more than the cost of the materials and labor. It is much more than artwork and craftsmanship. It is much more than aesthetics or serene environment. It is the place that God dwells among the people. It is the place that God will put His name. Now it is time for Solomon to dedicate it to use and as he does there are ideas he wants to convey. There are dangers that he sees. Most importantly God must ultimately agree to be there or it is just a pretty, empty building.

As he prays he begins by affirming that this project was not their idea. Had it been then they would most certainly have been expecting a lot from God to come and put His “stamp of approval” on it. The only reason that they could build this house is because God had okayed the work. David had desired. God had said no! But then, He went on to make a promise to David about his family. He blesses David and then confirms that you will not build this house, but your son will. Ultimately, this is a God initiative, done by God’s allowance. So really He is only asking God to bless what He has already said they could do.

The second thing that he prays is about the building itself. It was important to the dedication. This building was to, practically, become the center of Israel. The Israelites would be so proud of this (and later) temples. It was to become a part of their national identity. So deeply was it engrained into that identity that 2000 years after its destruction in 70 A.D. the people and the land still suffer from its loss. They long for the day when it will be built again. However, the danger was that this building would become more important than the one to whom it was dedicated. Solomon prays knowing, that for all its beauty and greatness, it is nothing compared to God. It could not contain, encompass or even begin to express the greatness of God who places His name there.

Solomon prays, despite all this, that God would still pay attention to this humble shack and listen to the prayers offered there. After this much of the rest of the prayer is focused on asking God to hear. Many times throughout his prayer Solomon asks that God would hear from heaven, His dwelling place, and answer their prayers. He realizes that God will not dwell there. It is not a house for God. God will still reign from heaven, not from this house. He simply asks that God be attentive to the prayers made in this place. However, he goes beyond that. He realizes that, unlike the pagan gods, God is not confined to the area of a temple or land. So Solomon asks also that God would be attentive to prayers prayed in this place, toward this place and also in other lands toward this place. He knew that God would dwell among His people and go with them always. The people should not think that God would not hear them because they were far away. However, remembering and praying toward the temple would help them remember who their God is, what He desires and requires.

Solomon realizes that this temple is a picture of forgiveness for sin that is available to all who will turn to God and call on Him. Over and over he prays that God will hear prayers and forgive sin. The temple was a picture of all that Christ would do in the heavenly tabernacle not built with human hands. The gift of God through faith. Forgiveness to all who turn in faith to God. Notice that Solomon did not pray for God to pay attention to the sacrifices offered in or toward that place. He asks God to hear the prayers. It was not so much a house of sacrifice, as it was to be a house of prayer. It was something that the people failed badly to understand. So Solomon dedicates and intercedes that God would now, as He promised, place His name there and that it would be a house of prayer to seek God’s face.

As we think about dedication of ourselves and things in our lives we have some wonderful guidelines for seeking God’s blessing... for dedication to Him

First, we can only expect God to bless that which He has ordained and ordered. It is His will we need to be seeking. If He has not “built the house, they labor in vain that build it” Every part of our lives can be praise to Him, from eating and drinking to corporate worship - every part.

Second, God is bigger and wiser than our prayer and dedication. We can actually limit God in our prayers by placing Him in a “building” the size that we can understand and see the ends of. We have heard it time and again but “God is able to do more than we ask or think”. Unfortunately, we can get to the place where we limit God to a place, a time, a way of working, a will to work in miraculous ways and so forth. God is bigger, indescribable, uncontainable.

Another thing we can do is forget that God is a God who dwells among His people. Sometimes we feel extremely limited in how we can pray if we are in the wrong place or the wrong situation. Solomon’s prayer reminds us that it is not our place or circumstances that are important in God hearing us. It is important that we turn to Him and pray to Him.

Finally (for us today) is that God is not looking so much for our sacrifice. He is looking for our prayer. He doesn’t need anything from us, but He wants our hearts. He looks for us to turn to Him, humble ourselves before Him, to be obedient to Him. Then He is happy to hear, forgive and heal. The best part about all this then is that for us God’s temple is not a building that stands in some physical location. We are the temple of God and His eyes and ears are open and attentive when we call to Him.

Prayer Request
* Zoran, Nada and Indi. Friends of ours that we have spent time with and gotten to know. We have a good relationship with them and they are very dear. Nada has even gone to church with Olya once. They are super people! They come from a catholic and orthodox background but don’t go to church at all. They are always ready to help and just good folks all around. Pray for their salvation and open doors to share the gospel with them. Pray for hearts ready to listen to God’s voice calling to them.

30 More Days... Day 14

2008-09-14T08:51:00.003+02:00

2Sam. 22:1 Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.
2Sam. 22:2 And he said:
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
2Sam. 22:3 The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold and my refuge;
My Savior, You save me from violence.
2Sam. 22:4 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;...

2Sam. 22:50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.

Often when we come to God in prayer we come with an agenda. When we speak to Him it is because we want something. Sometimes we refer to these as “grocery list” or “laundry list” prayers. Okay God, little business meeting here... we need to get this, that and the other thing done, and, oh yeah, we need this list of resources. God doesn’t mind. He likes when we come to Him. He likes when we share what is on our minds and in our hearts. He likes that we bring to Him our cares and concerns, our problems and petitions. In fact, even in our conversations with the people around us, even the people closest to us, we often speak with them because we have some agenda. We want something from them. We value something in them that we want to share. But sometimes, sometimes, we just want to tell them something. We just want to tell them how much they mean to us.

What we see here is a prayer song. David is just going to express who God is and what He has done. It is first and foremost to God. David speaks it to Him. But it is also before other people for them to hear and understand.

David has come to a point in his life, where, after many years of struggle, survival and tough choices, God has brought him to a place of rest. God has brought him through countless years, adventures, dangers and threats. David has seen his share of hardship. Now, things are “looking up”. David is out of danger. Saul no longer chases and threatens. David has been through wars and campaigns. He has survived a couple of rebellions, attempted coups and many other close shaves. Through all this time God has been his foundation, his support, his help, his guide, his hope, the basis of his principles and ethics, his protection, his strength and his deliverer. David just wants to express to God all his love, thankfulness, appreciation and praise for all that God has done. He has no other agenda than just this. He pours out the words of this song he has written directly to the Lord, directly to God who is worthy of all praise.

This probably does not happen enough. I know I find it so hard just to go to God with praise and thanks. It is not long before the needs, concerns, plans and desires of my heart are once more on my lips. It is not long before my thoughts well up and drown out that praise and thanks. As I remember His greatness and consider His power I find myself praying for that power to be made known. As I think about His strength, I find myself praying for Him to bring it to bear in some situation or circumstance. As I think about His power to protect I find myself asking Hism to please continue. There is nothing wrong with this. We need to rest in the Lord and the power of His might, the assurance of His greatness and goodness. Why though can I not just praise and thank. He deserves this. David finds a way to go on for about 50 verses to do nothing but praise and proclaiming the inexpressible about God. His God.

As we come down to the end of the prayer we find that David did have an agenda after all. He spoke these words before the Lord, but he also reveals right at the end that there is another purpose for this song. His agenda?

2Sam. 22:50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles...

He is not just thanking God or praising Him. He also had a purpose to proclaim Him. It is odd though David’s choice of words. He doesn’t just wish to praise, nor to proclaim God to Israel. He also wants God to be proclaimed among the gentiles. He is desperate that the gentiles should know the inexpressible things of God and how very good He is. To know how He stands in such stark contrast to their false gods. This is what praise does and why it is so worthy. As the heart dwells on God and praises Him a proclamation is made that even unbelievers cannot help but see and hear.

Prayer Request
* Pray that God would establish His church in Slovenia and Maribor. That people would see His true greatness. That they would see beyond the bricks and buildings, the rites and rituals to see the importance of honest and true relationship with God. That they would open their hearts to Spiritual things and the gospel. That they would turn to Him. That the spiritual strongholds would be torn down, the spiritual stupor taken away and the fallow ground broken up.

30 More Days... Day 13

2008-09-13T09:36:00.001+02:00

2Sam. 7:18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
2Sam. 7:19 And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord GOD
2Sam. 7:27 For You, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, “I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.
2Sam. 7:28 “And now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.
2Sam. 7:29 Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord GOD, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

If something sounds to good to be true ... then it probably is. This is a maxim that we typically learn at a young age. However, despite this, we are still drawn in by it. I remember the letters coming in the mail... “you may already be a winner!!!” I remember the commercials ... “it cuts through a cement block wall and can still slice a tomato like this...!” I remember trading baseball cards with my friends ... Somehow it always sounded like a better deal before we actually traded. But, for some reason hope keeps bringing us back for more. We want to believe it but we also know “if it sounds to good...”. We know from experience that “you get what you pay for...”.

In the preceding passages David has expressed to Nathan the prophet his desire to build a “house”, a temple, to God in place of the Tabernacle. David loves God. He has followed and trusted God all his life and God has preserved him and blessed him. David, in thinking of all that God has done for him, realizes that while he lives in a palace, the worship of God is still going on in a tent. That David should, even in symbol, live “better” than God was a shame to him.

At first, Nathan thinks this is a great idea and tells David to do all that he is thinking. However, this is human thinking and God comes and tells him to tell David, this is what the Lord has to say about it. David has wanted to bless the Name of God, but instead he ends up being the one who is blessed by God. That is always the way it is and will be.

God promises David that He will establish David and his house to rule Israel forever. God reveals to David things that the average person never knows about the future and those that come after them. David is in awe that God would reveal such things and make such promises. He comes before God and prays.

I get a picture in my mind of David kind of sitting or kneeling in a kind of disbelief ... stupefied if you will. He is happy, euphoric, and yet for a moment struggles to get a “handle on the situation”. What should he even say and how should he begin. Then, as his mind and thoughts settle, he begins his prayer.

God who am I? What is it about me and my family that is so special? Why should You would take notice? It was all too good to be true, and yet it was. David the shepherd, taken from watching the sheep to be King Saul’s personal musician. This was as high an honor as most people could wish for in life, but David is still very young. Many never achieve so much in all their lifetime. Then as an young man he defeats a veteran warrior giant. He rises to national hero, trusted soldier and leader. He becomes a hunted outlaw. God preserves him through all of this, distinguishes him and makes him king over, not just Judah but, all of Israel. David has come through countless battles and God has given him rest. All of this has been overwhelming, amazing! If that weren’t enough, now God has made an incredible promise to David.

Even as he considers this he still doesn’t know what to say. Even more, he knows that God knows him so well that He knows what is on David’s tongue before he says anything. Not only that, but God also knows all of David’s weaknesses and shortcomings, his imperfections and problems, yet despite this God still promises.

David can only conclude that God’s reasons for doing this are His own. It can’t be because of David, any accomplishment or obedience of his own. It must be for God’s purposes. That is just fine with David. Some of us might look at such a promise with suspicion. “God only blesses when He gets something out of it.” “He has ulterior motives.” Of course, such thinking is flawed and misses that which is most important. But this is not David’s way of thinking. David is excited that he gets to be a part of it. He is excited that God has chosen him. It is a privilege and not a right. That he should receive anything from God’s hand is amazing. That God would make him any promise is incredible. That he is able to enjoy the blessing and that his family after him will also be under God’s blessing and correction. He can think of no better thing. If he wanted something from God for his own sake it would be less, but because it is for God’s sake and the sake of His name, David knows that it will be best for him as well. He rests not in his own judgement about what it means to be blessed but in God’s. He entrusts himself to God’s hands.

David again looks at the position that he has. He is king over the people that God has chosen for Himself. That makes him unique among a unique people and that is going to be preserved.

As he comes toward the end of his prayer he again is a little stupefied. He is overcome with the “too good to be true” aspect of all this. God has promised me!?! David will not strive to achieve what has been promised. God, since You have chosen to do this then please do it and may You get all the glory and praise in it. It is too good to be true, but if You said it ... it will happen.

David reminds himself again that God is not a trader in the marketplace or a snake oil salesman. What He says is true and He will keep His word.

After this prayer David goes back out and wars against various enemies. At the beginning of this chapter it says that God had given him rest from his enemies. However, the first thing that we see in chapter 8 is that David goes out on a number of military campaigns. He extends his territory and the wealth of his kingdom. I am almost sure he goes out in the strength and confidence of this promise God has made to him that he might leave a legacy to his children as a testimony to God’s promise and to glorify God. He does it in the power of God’s strength so that he can be a blessing to His children and leave an offering to God.

All of us who know God can point to promises that He has made to us. He has revealed many things in His word and by His Spirit. Even if those were the only promises that we ever knew they would be great and awesome. However, sometimes we fail to be amazed. Sometimes we fail to remember all His promises to us. They seem almost to good to be true and we fail to “go out” in the strength of those promises. We can fail to appreciate God for the goodness of the promises he has made. We can get stuck in the mundane of life or the refusal of requests we have made of God. We can fail to praise God for all His goodness. We can fail to ask Him to remember His promises to us and rest assured of those promises being fulfilled. We can fail to be stupefied before the Lord. We get stuck in a “too good to be true” attitude when, in fact, God is too good is true.

Prayer Request
*For about a year we have been praying about starting a Bible Study for Families with young children and Young families. God has opened various opportunities toward this, yet the interest of people to attend - the starting point has been lacking. Pray that we would have wisdom toward starting such a group and that God would bring the people together so that we can start meeting and studying God’s word. Pray that God would build a good group open to studying God’s word and interested in spiritual things and then continue to grow the group as He sees fit.

30 More Days... Day 12

2008-09-12T08:52:00.002+02:00

1Sam. 2:1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD...

Answered prayer brought more prayer... a prayer of praise.

Hannah had been in grief. She had shed more tears than she cared to remember. Now, that sorrow has been turned to joy. That weeping turned to laughter and gladness. She has prayed. She has promised. She has received from the Lord the desire of her heart. She is in the process of fulfilling her vow. Now she lifts up a heart of praise to God. She recognizes His mighty works.

If you go and read 1 Samuel 2:1-10 you can see her full words of praise.

First she acknowledged the Lord as the source of her salvation and victory. The previous chapter states that this was no miraculous conception. It happened in the normal course of life and in the normal way. There could have been a temptation to attribute Samuel to natural rather than miraculous causes. Perhaps to take at least partial credit. How often after we pray for something and see it answered in a more natural way do we tend to doubt. We tend to wonder if it was just “chance”, “coincidence”. Hannah proclaims the victory and provision to be God’s alone

Second she acknowledges God’s holiness. She proclaims that God was holy and good in all that He did concerning her. She does not feel used or resentful for any of the years of grief she suffered. She focuses on His grace rather than daring to implicate Him as indifferent or impassionate to her previous suffering. Oh, God, You finally got around to answering my request. I guess I can praise You a little now, but it is about time.

Third, she recognizes God’s just judgment. He knows more than we do. He sees, hears, understands and does according to His wisdom. Before she might have had grief and in that sorrow, perhaps, questioned God, as we often do in those situations, now she proclaims His knowledge. People judge from appearances. God judges from truth.

Fourth, in verses 4-8, she lists a group of paradoxes. The strong made weak but the weak helped. The rich hungry but the hungry satisfied. The living dead and the dead resurrected. The barren full of children and the fruitful now weak. She is of course referring to the wrongs she had suffered at the hands of her husband’s other wife and others. How she had been tormented by her. But she left the situation up to God. She called out to Him in her distress rather than taking matters into her own hands. She has left judgment to a righteous God who sees, hears and knows. She doesn’t allow bitterness to keep her from God’s presence. God is able to take any situation and turn it on its ear.

I had a professor in university that told us students that the number grades that we received didn’t mean anything. He could make those numbers mean anything that he wanted them to mean. That was his power as a teacher. The students had spent a lot of time trying to figure out what they needed to get that desired letter grade. Ultimately, the final decision was in the professor’s hand. They need only do their best and leave the rest up to him. If a university teacher has that kind of power, how much more the God of the universe to challenge and change the “curve”.

She praises God for the victory she has received. She recognizes what later would be stated with even greater clarity. Not by might and not by power but by My Spirit. She knows that it is not from her or because of her. She recognizes God’s favor and grace toward her. She doesn’t deserve what she received from the Lord. She recognizes that there is no strength in her to have effected such a blessing. She gives God all the praise for every part of the blessing that He has given her. She takes no credit. She gives no complaint. Her praise resounds in her prayer even as she leaves Samuel to the service of the Lord and returns home, knowing that she has no better hands in which to leave her son.

Prayer Request
*Please pray from the Student Bible study. We meet each week and have been studying through the book of Acts. We have seen God work in lives and His word impact them. We have seen people turning increasingly to the scripture for questions they have. Please pray that people would continue to come and grow. That schedules would not get in the way of them attending. That we would have wisdom for which day to meet as the new semester approaches in October. Pray for new people to come out and attend regularly. Pray for Darja, Matjaz, Mateja, Miha, Katarina, Andrej, Damian, Tadej who have come at least once and most more often. Pray for outreach in meeting new people.

30 More Days... Day 11

2008-09-11T08:16:00.001+02:00

1Sam. 1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish.
1Sam. 1:11 Then she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
1Sam. 1:12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth.
1Sam. 1:13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

Has there ever been something that you really wanted? Has there ever been a pain in your heart, a grief that just wouldn’t be soothed? You look around you and you know that you are so blessed. You have more than many, and at least as much as most. You know that you are blessed, yet there is still something you desire above all of that? This was Hannah and this is often us as well.

Hannah was a lucky woman. She was blessed. She had a loving husband. She had plenty of everything she needed and more. She was able to give to the Lord the “best” sacrifices and enjoy the time of sacrifice and feast before the Lord with abundance. Yet, God has kept Hannah from having children and this was a terrible sore spot for her. It was also used by others to destroy her praise and thankfulness. Fortunately, she also had those that encouraged her to remember God’s blessings and to take joy in her God.

So, the war raged within her. On the one hand she has a deep desire that goes unsatisfied, and those that hurt her with it. On the other hand she is conscious of God’s blessings and loves Him. She is full of sadness and praise. She is full, yet she is empty. The constant struggle wears at her heart and at her spirit. She recognizes all the goodness of God in theory and yet is full of grief in heart. God allows her to wrestle with that grief. He allows her to explore it and finally to bring it before Him.

Hannah prays in her grief. She is so overcome with it. It goes to the very depths of her being. It consumes her, and she will cry out until she is heard. She calls out to God.

Again we often look at this passage and as we see her prayer, we might be tempted to think of it as her “making a deal” with God. How often have people testified that when they came to the end of themselves that they cried out to God making Him a promise if He would just answer them. I don’t really think, though, that Hannah is making a deal with God, nor do I think that God is into making deals with us. I do think that God uses such situations to reveal Himself to us and to take us beyond ourselves. He knows that first He must get us past ourselves and then He is able to take us to a place where we are not only blessed, but even more, are able to be a blessing.

Hannah might have been praying for herself, at least, that is what she might have had in immediate view. What she didn’t realize is that God used that desire to have her pray not only for herself, but also for her people. This is not about making deals. It is about God’s concern for Hannah and His concern for a larger group as well. He will bless both. He has brought her to a place where she is now ready, not to seek only for herself, but also, that in that desire, God would be glorified. Before, her intentions in having a child were good I am sure. She would have loved the child no doubt. She would have reared it in a Godly manner. She would have taught the child God’s word. She was, after all, a worshipper. However, the child still would have been hers. Now, she has come to the place where she totally relinquishes all claim to him. She makes a prayer of total dedication. She holds nothing back. In doing so, she prays not only for blessing for herself, but (not realizing it) a great blessing on her people. God will grant her request and she will have great joy in her heart. She will realize her desire.

She will also have the blessing of seeing God grant more than she asked or thought. That is what happens when we relinquish our desires to God. He might fulfill that desire, but later when we look back we see that a desire relinquished to Him gives benefits that we never anticipated. God is greater than our hearts. He has more in mind than just fulfilling the desire of one. He wants that one to be concerned with things beyond themselves. Through this child, God would bless and lead the nation. Prophecy, the Word of the Lord, would once more be heard after years of silence. God would speak to His people and bring them back to Himself.

There was one more step though. There was the prayer. There was the brokenness. However, there also needed to be the follow through. Hannah had made a promise. You have to wonder though if she ever considered not fulfilling it. There does seem to be a bit of hesitation on her part. God has granted her desire. Will she hold on to “her” Samuel or will she truly lend him to the Lord? She has prayed. Now she must follow through. How it must have wrenched her heart to give up this long awaited desire to serve in the tabernacle so far from home. But in giving him to the Lord not only was she blessed but all Israel.

There is nothing wrong with praying for our own desires. There is nothing wrong with bringing the grief and sorrow of our heart to God. He waits for us to do so, and often He takes it and turns it into more than we intended. When we come broken before Him He can turn our sorrow into dancing. He can turn our mourning into laughing. More than than, He can do more than we asked or thought and let the desire and sacrifice of our heart be a blessing to many.

Prayer Request
*Olya has been trying to start a “mommy’s group” for mothers and small children for English development. There is a good bit of interest and she has gotten together with a couple of the moms several times but something seems to get in the way of it being regular. Please pray for this group that she would be able to start it again this October and meet regularly. That the group would foster good relationships and open up opportunities to share the gospel. That Olya would have wisdom to know how to organize the group that it would be useful and meaningful for those who attend. That Olya would have wisdom to know how to teach English to very young children in a way that is fun and useful, as she is used to teaching adults.

30 More Days... Day 10

2008-09-10T09:24:00.001+02:00

Judg. 15:16 Then Samson said:
“With the jawbone of a donkey,
Heaps upon heaps,
With the jawbone of a donkey
I have slain a thousand men!”
Judg. 15:17 And so it was, when he had finished speaking, that he threw the jawbone from his hand, and called that place Ramath Lehi.
Judg. 15:18 Then he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?”
Judg. 15:19 So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out, and he drank; and his spirit returned, and he revived.
Judg. 16:28 Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!”

Yesterday we saw Samson’s parents, but today we see Samson himself. Samson was a bit of a problem child. He was reared up in a good God-fearing home. He was taught the ways of the Nazarite and the Law of his people. He had a good example at home. Yet, he still went his own way. He was a bit of a “wild child”. However, God also used him. God also directed him and brought Samson to places of His choosing, so as to free the people of Israel from under the Philistine oppression.

Often, it seems that Samson is willful and goes his own way. Often, he seems like a very unlikely candidate that God would hear and answer his prayers. Yet, we have two examples of times that Samson called out in prayer and God answered. Samson is not the only one that was an unlikely candidate that God would answer his prayers. We also can feel less than worthy of being answered, yet we desire that God would hear and answer and provide.

Probably most of us remember well the story of “Jawbone Hill”. Samson is betrayed by his own countrymen and turned over bound to the Philistines. Surrounded and hearing their shouts of victory against him, God’s Spirit comes upon Samson. He kills 1000 men with a donkey’s jawbone. With jawbone in hand he proclaims his own great victory and throws the bone away.

As the euphoria of victory and the adrenaline of battle wear off, he is overcome by thirst. What he began in the Spirit he finished in the flesh. His “victory verse” proclaims all of his accomplishment and nothing about God. Here God shows him how weak he really is by himself. Samson is overcome by his thirst. He is faint and drained. Without life giving water he fears his exhaustion will overtake him. The 3000 men of Judah who betrayed him are nowhere to be seen, whether out of fear of Samson or cowardice in the face of the Philistines. Samson cannot rest in his own strength, nor in the help of other men. God humbles him. He comes to see himself as he really is without God. Samson must call out to God. Where a moment ago he had proclaimed his own victory, he must now give glory to God. You God have given your servant this victory. Will I now die? God brings him to the end of his own strength so that he must rely on God’s. And there God provides water to live. Here God shows His glory and mercy.

Unfortunately, this will not be the only time that God has to bring Samson to the end of himself so that he will pray and give glory to God. Samson is self-willed and proud. He knows that he has God’s blessing but he uses it for himself. He stands for himself in the strength that God has given him rather than for others, and he continues until it leads to his downfall. He comes to rest in his strength and blessing so much that he continually puts himself in dangerous situations confident that he is untouchable. This happens to the point that even when God’s strength leaves him he is not even aware of it.

The Philistines capture Samson. They put out his eyes. They make him a slave. Then finally, one day, they make him a clown. He is their amusement. He is the symbol of the victory of their gods. He has nothing left. Yet, with all of this and at this low point he remembers God. In a prayer of unworthiness he asks God to “remember” him. God had never forgotten. His desire had been for Samson to deliver Israel and judge it before Him. Samson had other things in mind and abdicated that call. At the end though, Samson cries out to God. He asks God to empower and strengthen him once more. Even here he is asking for himself, yet God also uses the occasion to accomplish His own purpose as well. God is ready to listen. Here was a man who had wavered in selfishness, but God was ready to hear his prayer.

It is a shame that Samson’s prayers were so selfish. God might have accomplished so much more in and through him had he relied on God’s strength. His life might have been so much more meaningful. His is remembered in Hebrews among the men and women of faith, yet he is also often remembered as much for his vices as he is for his triumphs. It is good to know that God is ready to sustain us. He is ready to remember us. He is ready to hear and answer us. We should not wait until the last moment, until God has brought us to the end of ourselves, to turn to Him, to seek Him, to rely in His strength and to be victorious in Him. He is ready to listen and remember if we will seek and cry out to Him, but He wants to accomplish so much more in us than just answer our personal needs and desires.

Prayer Request
*Please pray for our English game nights. Approximately once a month we have a game night and invite people that we have met that are interested in English. Pray that these nights would be fun, that they would help to build relationships with other, that they would open doors to allow us to share the gospel and that they would be a tool to see people come to Bible studies. Our next game night is Thursday, September 18.

30 More Days... Day 9

2008-09-09T08:08:00.001+02:00

Judg. 13:8 Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”
Judg. 13:9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah

If there was ever a problem child I guess you could probably say it was Samson. There were few children who had more potential, and who were a bigger disappointment than the man, Samson. It is not that Samson was a terrible person. It is not that he didn’t believe in God or that he lived less obediently than the average child of God. He had things in life that he struggled with. He made some poor choices. He struggled, at times, with sin. Which of these things do any of us not see in our own lives at places and times. But we are not looking at Samson...

We are looking at his parents. We see a couple with no children. There is more than once in the Bible that God comes to childless parents and tells them they will have a child of promise. I wonder if God doesn’t do this because He knows that the parents will often be all the more willing to “lend” the child to the Lord. This was the case with Manoah and his wife.

The Angel of the Lord appears to Manoah’s wife. He tells her that she will have a son and gives her some very specific instructions concerning herself. The instructions are the laws of the Nazarite. The child will be dedicated to God. Even before his birth, God has set him apart. The wife reports all of this to Manoah and we see Manoah’s prayer.

Again it is a simple, faithful and fervent prayer, and God hears and answers. The son to be born will be a special child. It is already clear that God has a specific purpose for this little one. Manoah is struck by the depth of responsibility that this entails. So he prays to God. He wants God himself to teach them how they can rear such a child and what God’s desire is for him.

It is great to know that God listens to us. Over and over we see people praying and we see God answering. Nothing is too small. Nothing is too big. God is ready to listen to His people. There is little that is more difficult than rearing a child. Our sin natures make sure of that fact. In fact, there are probably few parents, teachers or those that work with children in some capacity that don’t feel the difficulty and the responsibility that comes along with rearing up and teaching children. How appropriate it is then that we would follow Manoah’s example and pray for instruction and wisdom.

It is even more encouraging then, that God listens to such prayers. God has announced His intention for Samson. God has given instructions. God is also ready to come and teach and repeat those instructions. What are those instructions? They are that Manoah’s wife should be careful to observe all that had been commanded her. We really see nothing new in what the Angel of the Lord said when He appears the second time. They are given no new information. However, God is confirming to them their responsibility as parents to watch what they do. They are to be models in their lives for the child. It is interesting that God doesn’t mention so much what they are to have the child do as much as He mentions what they should do. God calls them to faithfulness and to teach Samson by example. They should not be as concerned with the rules they lay down for the boy as much as they should be concerned with how they themselves obey.

We see parents then that are concerned with their child. They pray faithfully to know how to rear him. They instruct him in the right ways. They, it seems, are faithful examples before him. Yet, we see the life of Samson and all that he does, especially those things that he shouldn’t do. Here we have an example of parents that seem to do all that they can do and yet, they see their child going his own way when he grows. I am sure that it broke their hearts. Still, they are faithful to help, instruct, correct and love their son even in their disappointments. Samson was probably not the son they had dreamed, hoped and prayed that he would be, though they trained him up and instructed him in the way he should go. However, in the end Samson despite all his faults, failings and fallings, stands in the power, strength and Spirit of God.

It is so encouraging to know that God hears and listens to our prayer and is ready to come and give, or repeat, to us all of His desire for us. It is wonderful to know that He is ready to teach us the how and what of life. He answers and instructs what we should do. He does this so that we and those around us might walk in His ways.

Prayer Request
* Prayer for Greg & Marcella Dill & Family. They are considering where God might be calling them to serve. The are considering Slovenia as a possible place of service. Currently, they are looking to become a part of PIONEERS and will attend Candidate Orientation in October. Pray for them as the get to know PI better (and vise-versa) and consider where God is leading them. Pray that God would lead them to the right place and right team - the place to which He is calling them. As we are building a team here in Slovenia we are praying that God would bring just the right people to grow and compliment the work here. Please join us in praying for that as well.

30 More Days... Day 8

2008-09-08T09:53:00.001+02:00

Judg. 6:12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
Judg. 6:13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
Judg. 6:17 Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me.
Judg. 6:22 Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.”
Judg. 6:36 So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—
Judg. 6:37 look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
Judg. 6:38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.
Judg. 6:39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.”
Judg. 6:40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.

This is probably not considered to be Gideon’s finest hour. It fact, many think that Gideon’s request for a sign showed a terrible lack of faith. As we read the text of the chapter, we see that besides God appearing to Gideon (Gideon suspects that this is God) and receiving a sign as God accepts Gideon’s sacrifice that then, Gideon goes on to lay out the, now famous, fleece, 2 times at the end of the chapter. In this, he requests God’s confirmation that He will really do what He said at first.

In fact, as I was thinking about this prayer, there were various scriptures and stories that came to mind in line with the idea that asking for signs was probably not the greatest show of faith and trust in God. There are places like Matthew 12 & 16 where the pharisees come to Jesus and demand a sign. Jesus answers and says,

"A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

But truly such a sign was given. Or, there is John 2 where Jesus is asked for a sign of His authority to clear the temple, and He tells them if the temple is destroyed that He will rebuild it in 3 days. There is also the story of Thomas as he refuses to believe that Jesus is risen until he sees and touches the wounds of Christ. However, when he sees and believes Jesus proclaims,

“...blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Now, here we have Gideon. He asks for a sign. He asks not to know God’s will, but for confirmation of God’s will.

Gideon, not unlike many of us, had grown up being taught the stories of how God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. But right now God’s hand is far from outstretched in favor toward Israel, or in disfavor against their enemies. Israel feels anything but the mighty hand of God over them caring for them and providing for them. In fact, we see that under the Midianites they have become impoverished. Now, the Angel of the Lord appears to him and says, “the Lord is with you...” Gideon harrumphs saying, if God is with us then where are all the miracles, the provision that our fathers knew and saw? We have been forsaken.

How many times have any of us thought back to the miracles of the Bible, the miraculous works of God in the Old Testament or the early church and wondered if God is really with us, and if so then where.... If we are honest with ourselves it is probably not so uncommon. We long to see “a burning bush type sign... but anything would be fine”. It is not that he does not believe. He confesses that God truly brought them out of Egypt but now he believes as well that God has forsaken Israel.

As the conversation continues, Gideon senses that he is speaking with God. He asks for a sign that he is being spoken to, and then full realization as the offering is miraculously ignited and consumed. He knows it is from God and moves forward cautiously in what God has revealed. He tears down the altar of Baal by night. It doesn’t go so well and he finds himself threatened with death, until, very un-supernaturally, his own dad steps in and protects him from the rest of the angry town.

His first foray into the will of God has not perhaps been the smashing success that he had envisioned. Now faced with the second, somewhat larger, task of defeating the Midianites he again calls out to God with his fleece for a sign. God answers, and Gideon prays God not be angry with him as he asks for the fleece sign once again before getting to work.

It is interesting that in Chapter 7 God gives Gideon one more sign to calm his fears. He gives it even though Gideon did not ask for it (though God knew that he needed it).

Was Gideon amiss in asking for a sign? Did he exhibit a terrible lack of faith? Should we ask for signs in prayer? Nowhere in this passage do we see Gideon rebuffed or rebuked by God. In fact, in Hebrews 11 he is first on the list of people also named, though the author didn’t have time to speak about their faith. A kind of “honorable mention”, if you will.

What we do see is a man struggling with experience and faith. He is struggling with the seen and the unseen. He desires to believe and yet is still struggling with assurance. He is not a skeptic. He is afraid. We all go through periods like this where we don’t know what we should do, how we should do it or may even question if it was really God speaking at all. If we are going through periods like this then I can think of nothing better that we can do than to seek God in prayer and wait upon Him. It is so good to know that we can be honest with God and seek Him. He understands who we are, and that He is so very patient with us.

Signs can be deceptive things and scripture does give warnings and rebukes at times for those that seek signs in defiance. However, signs are also useful and God often gives signs to His people. Sometimes He waits for His people to ask and other times He volunteers signs. The apostles and early church prayed for God to stretch out His hands to do signs and wonders that the gospel would be proclaimed. God gave signs to Moses so that the people of Israel and Pharaoh would know that God had sent him. We have signs given throughout scripture that are a picture to us of Jesus and salvation or confirmation or God’s Word.

So what about Gideon’s prayer? He asks for a sign. God grants the request. The point is that God knows us. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. He knows the state of our heart (better than we do). He helps us in and through those things that are hard for us and calls us to rely on Him for those things in which we might have some ability. He calls us to rely on Him in each and every situation. Gideon might take some time to “increase his faith”, but the disciples prayed for nothing less.

It is interesting then that once God answered Gideon we see no real hint of hesitation in carrying out God’s will. He sounds the trumpet. He gathers an army. The army is no real match for the Midianites, yet God tells him to release anyone that fears. He obeys. Many go home. We see no protest. God further whittles down the army. Gideon obeys. Again no protest is seen or heard. Then, on the eve of the battle, we see Gideon, even though fearful, ready to go into battle as God has commanded. God gives us an insight into Gideon. He is fearful, but he is also ready. Even then, God is ready to calm his fears and give him a sign to strengthen him.

Do we need to be careful with sign prayers? I believe we do. Do we need to take care that we do not demand or try to manipulate God? He is the King of kings! Does He care about and condescend to our weaknesses. He does! Does He call us to faith? Yes! Is the purpose of our prayer to know Him more intimately and ultimately to see His glory? Is their a readiness to obey God? Then let us pray to Him in purity and honesty of heart.

Prayer Request
*Nathan and Dawn Detweiler - please pray for this couple as they complete deputation and plan to join us in Maribor, tentatively in March 2009. Pray for provision of the rest of their support (prayer, financial). Pray for details that they will need to wrap up prior to coming and to also know what all those things might entail. Pray for their residency(visa) process to go smoothly and that they would be able to gather and submit papers in a timely manner. Pray for them as they prepare to leave family and move far away from those closest to them, and that they would adjust well and smoothly to life here their first term overseas.

30 More Days... Day 7

2008-09-07T07:59:00.001+02:00

Josh. 10:12 Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel:
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”

Impossible is impossible. At least that is what I recently read. That is generally the attitude of some toward miracles that we see in the Bible ... the virgin birth, walking on water, etc... The problem is that impossible is something that is usually defined by varying rules and standards, and often dependent upon what you personally happen to believe. Impossible is a pretty relative term. According to the laws of physics or natural laws something may be impossible or seem to be impossible. That is until someone figures out how to do it. Suddenly we discover other laws and other principle at work. We didn’t know about them before. With people certain things can be impossible, but with God nothing is impossible.

When we see this prayer it is very simple. “Sun stand still...”, oh, and by the way moon too.

Most commentators are agreed. This is one of the most amazing passages in the Bible on a cosmological scale. The sun standing still and not making any haste to go down. We have an (almost) 48 hour day (I’d bet there are a couple of people out there that occasionally feel that would be a real benefit). God listened to the voice of a man.

Joshua and the children of Israel have marched all night. They are coming to fight against a coalition of forces from all over Canaan. They are coming in response to a treaty that they made with the Gibeonites, even though it was made by deception. After having marched all through the night, Joshua and Israel arrive and attack this huge force, and it is routed before all Israel. Not only this, but as they run away, God Himself, fights for Israel and throws down huge hailstones. Now, if this were not enough, Joshua sees that the day is coming to a close. There is so much more left to do. If night falls the enemy will escape into the darkness and have a chance to regroup. They will live to fight another day. This is a decisive battle in the war for the promised land. It is the battle that breaks the strength of the enemies so that they will not be able to recover for years and years to come. So Joshua prays.

In the sight of all the people he stands up and speaks to the Lord asking that the sun stand still and the moon also.

Now there are many theories as to how this might have happened. There are many explanations of what might have taken place during these hours. Really, they aren’t so important. If we accept that God is God and can do what He pleases all problems fall away. If we believe that God is who He says He is, and that He created the Universe and all of its natural laws, then this issue really becomes a non-issue. So here is the point ... not how it happened or by what means, but that with men this was impossible. Whether you are talking about today with all of our technology and understanding, or you are talking about Joshua’s day and age, one fact remains. With men this was impossible and they knew it. For Joshua to stand up in the sight of all the people and pray to the Lord for the sun to still was either one of the greatest acts of hubris, foolishness or faith of all time. Yet, Joshua stands and lays it out before the Lord. God we need more time. And God listens.

It is such a simple prayer. There is no praise. There is no qualification of the request. There is nothing except the request itself in the form of a command. Joshua has a job to do and time is of the essence. Joshua utters these words and the world, the solar system, the Universe (for all we know) grinds to a halt - or at the very least slows down to a crawl (as some read it).

How many times have you wished that you could pray a prayer like this? How many times have you wished for just a little more time, a little more power or a little more provision? Yet, in our minds it is impossible. We couldn’t possible pray and see God move the universe, could we? We couldn’t hope to see a miracle on this scale, right? God wouldn’t listen to the voice of a man, would He? How often do we fail to pray for the impossible, simply because it is impossible. It doesn’t fit in with our theology or our experience.

Now I agree, this is not an everyday experience. In fact, verse 14 suggests that this was a special day like no other, that the Lord listened to the voice of a man. We may very well never see another day quite like that one. However, God does great things, impossible things in response to the prayers of His people throughout scripture. In Chronicles and Isaiah the sun’s shadow moves backwards for a sign to Hezekiah. At the prayer or Elijah the rain doesn’t fall on Israel for over 3 years. At the honest prayer of the penitent publican, his sins are forgiven and he goes away justified by the grace of God.

Whether we are praying for the sun to “stand still” or for a person to be forgiven of sin with man this is impossible. Yet, it shouldn’t keep us from praying. It shouldn’t keep us from asking. It shouldn’t keep us from seeking the victory that God has for His children when He fights for them.

Yes, impossible is impossible, but with God nothing is impossible.

Prayer Request
* For Calvary Chapel Celje and its weekly ministries. Sunday morning service, children’s Sunday school, weekly Bible studies (Maribor, Koinonia, Youth study), Retirement home ministry. English camp outreach & follow-up. Pray for Pastor Justin as he serves God and the needs of the church. Also for Justin and Erin as they are soon to be married. For all the details leading up to the wedding and for the adjustment of the couple and the church to a new season of life.

30 More Days... Day 6

2008-09-06T10:31:00.001+02:00

Deut. 3:23 “Then I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying:
Deut. 3:24 “O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?
Deut. 3:25 I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’
Deut. 3:26 “But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the LORD said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter.

Please, please, please, please, please, please, please... If you have kids around 3-4 (or older) you have probably heard this kind of pleading. Can I please! But I want it! But I really do! I really want it! Oh please! Please! And for one reason or another perhaps you were unwilling to grant their request. Perhaps it would have been inappropriate to grant the request because of their just prior actions. After all you shouldn’t reward bad behavior. Perhaps it was just the wrong time. No you can’t have ice cream right before supper! Perhaps it was just bad timing. “I just don’t think that at 3 years old you are ready to care for an elephant!” After all, (as they say in Russian) “if you love to sled, love to pull it up the hill!” There are any number of reasons that we might not grant the request of our children even if it is within our power and their responsibility. We are not being mean. We just know or believe that it is for the best.

Now imagine Moses. He is, the man of God, the prophet and a well know intercessor. In fact, we just saw how on many occasions he has prayed for the nation of Israel to turn away God’s wrath and judgement. He prayed and obtained a stay of execution for the whole nation at Sinai. He prayed and God told him to strike the rock or lift up the bronze serpent. He prayed and the fire of the Lord’s judgement that struck the edge of the camp was quenched. He prayed for Aaron when God was angry over the Golden calf and for Miriam when she was struck with leprosy as she spoke against he own brother. He has cried out for the people on many occasions and obtained favor from the Lord.

Now Moses pleads with the Lord and makes one of the few requests that is truly for himself. It is to this request that God says “no”!

It was one of the many times that the people had lacked something and failed to rely on God for provision. They disparaged the Name of God and His goodness. Instead of faith, they had once again come to Moses complaining and threatening. And as usual, Moses had prayed and consulted God. God told him to go ahead and speak to the rock. This has kind of happened before. The lack of water, the complaints and God telling Moses to go to a rock. The first time God told him to strike it with his staff, but this time Moses is only to speak to the rock. But Moses is angry with the people. He is angry because of their unbelief. He is angry because they have been in this very situation before and seen God’s provision and yet, he sees no increase in their faith. It is the same old story and Moses is tired of it. His frustration and anger get the best of him and he strikes the rock. When water fails to flow he strikes the rock again and then water flows. God answers Moses prayer for provision, yet tells Moses you have not glorified me with your actions and before the people. You will not go into the land with the people when they go in.

Moses’ unchecked anger and failure to obey cost him being able to go into the promised land. However, now the people are approaching the land. They have just won great battles against kings and lands on the far side of the Jordan. The land has been divided among the Rubenites, Gadites and half-tribe of Manasseh. God has begun to fulfill to Israel all His promises to bring them into the land. It is an exciting time. Much is happening. The culmination of all these years of wandering is beginning. It is understandable that Moses would want to see more. So Moses prays...

His praise for God is great. He admits that he has only just begun to see the greatness of God. Yet, Moses has seen much more than the average “hero” of the Bible. He has stood on the mountain of fire at Sinai. He has received the oracles of God. He has witnessed miracle after miracle and provision after provision. God has made the backside of His glory to pass before Moses. Moses’ face has shone with the glory of God’s presence. Yet, Moses admits that he has only begun to know God’s greatness and he wants to know God more. He wants to see His continued work and the fulfillment of the promises. It is understandable. The more we know of God and see of His greatness the more amazing He is to us and the more we would like to see. So now he pleads with God to let him even deeper into this relationship. It is a good and noble request. But God says “no”. He has to say “no”. Moses who has interceded so successfully for others is rebuffed himself. So much so that God says “Enough ... speak to Me no more of this matter”.

It seems to harsh. Why and how could God say no to such a request. Just as parents have their good reasons, God also has His (much more perfect) reasons as well. However, it is not conjecture as to the reasons that is important. It is the understanding that sometimes God says “no” and that even in that no there can be a lot of grace.

There is nothing wrong with Moses’ request. There were others on other occasions within God’s Word that sought mercy from God. Some obtained it and others didn’t. It is good to have an attitude of “who knows, perhaps God will be merciful” and the person that doesn’t have often doesn’t have because they don’t ask. But in this case God answers and He makes it clear that this answer is final. Moses needs to concentrate on something else. It is time for him to put his “house in order”. God answers with 2 final opportunities for Moses to see God’s glory. Rather than bitterness toward the people, endless, useless whining or withdrawn, offended sulking Moses pours himself faithfully and fully into these opportunities.

The first opportunity is that he is to encourage and strengthen Joshua for the sake of the people. So that he may lead them into the promise land. Moses could rejoice that a man that he has spent years training, encouraging and spiritually leading will now continue to lead the people even as he, Moses, can not. God provides a good and holy leader to take Moses’ place, and he can rest in the fact that the people are in good hands. He can rejoice not just in his own victories but in the victories of another and God’s continued faithfulness to His people.

The second opportunity is a more personal one. He will see with his own eyes (at 120 years old) the land that God has promised. He will see it from the top of Mt. Pisgah. Even though he doesn’t have the privilege of leading the people in he still receives much grace from God to be able to see, better than most, the good land before he dies. Even in this he begins to tastes of the fulfillment of the promise of God and enjoys much favor from Him.

Even when God says “no” and His purposes don’t seem clear, yet we can still find grace and mercy from the Father with much opportunity. We must refuse to sulk and question, but stand joyful in all the good things God still provides.

Prayer Request
*For Phil and Yvonne Brewer. Our team members leave to return to the US in less than 2 months after almost 2 years short-term assignment here in Slovenia. Pray for them to be able to finish up well and that God would give success in seeing the Crisis Pregnancy Center opened, that funding for the center would come in, that the upcoming training at the end of September would be well attended and go well and that all the details that still need to come together before they leave and for their return to the US would be provided by God.

30 More Days... Day 5

2008-09-05T08:21:00.002+02:00

Num. 6:23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
Num. 6:24 “The LORD bless you and keep you;
Num. 6:25 The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
Num. 6:26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
Num. 6:27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Just recently we were reminded of the prayer of priestly blessing recorded for us in Numbers in a message given at the mission conference we attended. It is a blessing or benediction that many of us are familiar with and not a few of us rush through at top speed at the closing of a service. There can be a tendency, in our familiarity, to speed through the words and miss the meaning as we often do with other well known verses like The Lord’s Pray and Psalm 23.

Last year when I was participating in the grape harvest (also see the blog post for Nov 14, 2007) we worked until lunch time and then sat down to a large meal. Before the meal the catholic family members recited “grace” for the food. The speed was incredible. It was obviously something they had said many times. Said normally it would have taken perhaps 45 seconds to a minute, but for them they got through it in 15-30 seconds. It was almost like a competition to see who could get through it first. I can’t say that I have never been guilty of such things though. Prayer at meal time (or on many other occasions) can become a “God’s neat, let’s eat” type event. There is a danger in familiar things. We can miss the meaning and the intent.

For the Jew, this blessing was a familiar thing. It was repeated often over the people. It was meant to be said daily, and was also said at many special events. It is a prayer commanded by God of the priest over the people. It is always possible that the people as well as the priest became too familiar with the words, so that at times the meaning was lost to the performance of tradition. Yet, there are great truth and meaning in these words.

As we look through the prayer we see Jehovah mentioned 3 times.
The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace
The fact that Lord is used 3 times is significant from the standpoint that many commentators point to the 3 persons of the Trinity being involved in the blessing of the people. In fact, the various blessings associated fit well with what we know of the character and personality of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Father is the keeper and protector. He takes care, provides, oversees and rules over all. The Son has made the Father’s face to shine on us. He has, by His graciousness on the cross, brought us back into right relationship with the Father. Grace being only available to us because justice was satisfied on Him on the cross. The Spirit is our comforter. He is the one that comes to us and reminds us of all that Jesus said and did. He is the seal that is the “earnest” of our salvation and the one that guides us into all truth.

However, beyond that we have some wonderful pictures and reminders of who God was to the Jew and who He is to us.

Often as we look at the Old Testament we get a picture of God as severe and almost mean. God’s punishment seems swift and harsh. He seems like the hardened old school master ready to whip out the “rod of correction” at every opportunity. Yet, here repeated each and every day, to remind them of God’s desire toward them, were the words bless and keep. God is a God of blessing and that is His desire toward us. His great love is there proclaimed to us as it was to the people each day. There is nothing that God wants to do more than to bless us in our way.

Not only that but He is also a keeper. He is a protector and He upholds us. He is not looking to hurt us but rather to guard us. Every parent knows that, sometimes, in an effort to protect a children that they must be in some ways restrained and limited. Boundaries are needed and appropriate. This can seem quite severe to the child and yet, all the while, God is simply blessing and keeping.

In fact, the next phrase takes this idea a step farther. In the message we recently heard, Pastor Damian evoked the image of “Make His face shine upon you...” using the example of a grandfather to his grandchildren. A grandfather’s face shines at the sight of grandchildren. He loves to see them and know them. He is warm and loving, and his face just shines toward them. It is a beautiful picture of how God also feels about us and just wants to shine His face toward us as well.

But God also is gracious to us. Each day we have evidence of His graciousness to us in the simply change of the seasons and the coming of the rain and sun. But that isn’t all. We also have the daily provision for our bodies and souls. If all that were not enough, He is also gracious towards us to salvation through faith for the forgiving of sin. His intent then is also to be gracious and good toward us.

Finally, the blessing is that God would “lift up His countenance” or turn His face toward us. Often we can feel forgotten. We might feel that God doesn’t see or we are not important enough for His attention to fall upon us. Yet, here the blessing is just that. God looking at us. He sees us even when we feel alone or abandoned. As Hagar who was mistreated and ran from Sarah realized, He is the “God who sees me”. Having received such understanding she was able to return and submit herself to Sarah even as God has told her. Knowing that He is a God who “lifts up His countenance upon us” allows us to live at peace. Just knowing that He is there can give us peace and let us rest because we are in His view. He give us peace.

The priests were to pray this daily over the people. They were to bless them and put God’s name upon them. God has made us a royal priesthood. Such blessing and proclamation should then also be made by us daily to bless the people around us. The priest would lift up his hands and proclaim the blessing that the Lord commanded, over the people. He proclaimed the Name and good intent of God over the people reminding them of God’s care for each of them. As people see our lives and hear our words, may we also bless them and teach them about God’s blessing for them that gives protection, love, grace, remembrance and peace.

God “put” His name on the people. His name proclaims who He is and His intent toward us. Ultimately, it is to bless. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Prayer Request
* That our lives and prayers would bless the lives of those around us. That they would see God’s mercy and love in us. That our lives would be full of worship and proclamation of God with boldness. That God would protect us and keep us from the attacks of the enemy that our lives would proclaim His blessing, love, protection, peace and provision. That people would see the goodness and greatness of God and come to Him through that blessing and truly know Him.

30 More Days... Day 4

2008-09-04T09:37:00.001+02:00

Ex. 17:4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do with this people?

Deut. 9:25 “Thus I prostrated myself before the LORD; forty days and forty nights I kept prostrating myself, because the LORD had said He would destroy you.
Deut. 9:26 Therefore I prayed to the LORD, and said: “O Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
Deut. 9:27 Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; do not look on the stubbornness of this people, or on their wickedness or their sin,
Deut. 9:28 lest the land from which You brought us should say, “Because the LORD was not able to bring them to the land which He promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.”
Deut. 9:29 Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your outstretched arm.’

What can we say? However hard you might think your job is Moses had it tough. Leader of a people ... sure ,but often as I look at all his experiences I wonder who would want the job. And, I guess, the fact of the matter is that Moses really hadn’t wanted the job either. But it was what God called him to do. God told him, go to Egypt, speak to Pharaoh and tell him to let my people go, bring my people out of Egypt. Moses said, I don’t speak well, why would anyone listen to me and you must know someone else to send instead. In the end God sent, Moses went and the struggles with Pharaoh were only the beginning of what Moses would experience in service to God and this people.

There was more than once that Moses was at a loss to know what to do with this people. Exodus 17 is only one example. If you remember, the people were without water and they came to Moses to complain to him about this.

Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?

It doesn’t seem to matter that they are free. They seem to have forgotten God’s miraculous plagues and protection in Egypt. The Red Sea seems to have escaped their recollection (where they had more water than they wanted). It hasn’t been the first time that “no good deed has gone unpunished”. Now, here they are again. We have no water! Moses this is your fault. Moses is in fear for his life... “the people are ready to stone me”. In the middle of all this we still see Moses’ heart as he cries out to God for this people. “What shall I do with this people?” It is not just concern for himself. He is concerned for their well-being and that they “know the Lord”.

We also see God’s heart in His answer. Go stand on the rock in Horeb. God says that He will stand there before him. Strike the rock! Hence, we have one of the many pictures of Christ being struck for the salvation of the people. God takes their sin upon Himself and the rock is struck. The life giving water flows.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink...” Jesus says.

God provides, the people see that God truly is “among them” and Moses glorifies God with his cry for the people and his obedience.

It is not just here but there are many times throughout Moses’ “career” that he intercedes for a “stiff-necked” and backward people. We see this time after time. In the passage in Deuteronomy Moses recalls several occasions that God was ready to destroy the people or broke out against them. God even once tells Moses that He will make a better and stronger nation out of him and his descendants. But Moses’ response is to fall before the Lord in prayer and intercession so that God’s anger will be turned away. We see that at one time he even spends 40 days without food or water in intercession for the people and for the glory of God to be made known. Not just for the people but also to the surrounding nations that they wouldn’t malign the Name of God.

We see here God’s heart in prayer. That we should cry out and intercede for people that they may realize God’s presence, that He would be glorified and that they should be forgiven and turned away from sin.

In human terms, Moses had every reason to say enough. Forget this people. They don’t deserve grace or any of the good things of God. They are stiff-necked and stubborn and hopeless. Yet, Moses cried out instead asking God to show him what to do and for the salvation of the people. So often we want to give up on those who most need and least deserve God’s grace. But, really, doesn’t that describe all of us? And often God puts us in a position where we could throw up our hands and give up without hope, or we could come to Him with all that we really can do ... pray.

Prayer Request
*That God would establish His Church here in Slovenia and especially in Maribor. That we would be able to see people come to worship God in Spirit and truth. That God would raise up a strong, vibrant Church that loves God’s Word, that is focused on Him, that worships and obeys God, that reaches out, that prays and that is a light to the world around it.

30 More Days... Day 3

2008-09-03T08:29:00.002+02:00

Gen. 32:9 ¶ Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’:
Gen. 32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies.
Gen. 32:11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children.
Gen. 32:12 For You said, “I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”

Every once in a while we face situations that cause us to be afraid. There are many things in life that can cause us anxiety, and nothing, perhaps, quite so much as when our life or the lives of our loved ones might be in physical or mortal danger. In fact, it often doesn’t have to be anything nearly so dramatic. It might be a change of job or moving to another place that raises our level of anxiety. It might be an “unknown” that stresses us out. In fact, there is a list of things that have been identified as causing life stress and anxiety. It is called the Life Stress Scale and it was developed by Holmes and Rahe, and it rates the stress related to both negative and positive events going on in a persons life. A person that scores high in this test might be a good candidate for developing a stress related illness. A lot of the items on the list we would probably agree with as being true stressors. They are things like, the death of a spouse, divorce, moving, changing work, change in financial status, etc, and can include things like vacation and Christmas (which may carry almost no stress for a child but great stress for the parents). However, I think that most of us would not necessarily place “following God’s will” in that list of life stress units. To many of us the idea of knowing God’s will and following it would mean lack of stress, yet this is not necessarily the case.

This is where we find Jacob. God has come to him and told him to leave his uncle’s land and return to the land of his fathers. He is to take his family, his flocks, his servants and all he has with him, and go back to Canaan. As he leaves Laban, he is pursued by him for several days, and had God not intervened, there would have been conflict. Then they travel on and as they approach the land of Canaan, Jacob sends messengers to his brother Esau to tell him of Jacob’s return. When the messengers come back they have news for Jacob. Esau is coming and with him are 400 men! If anything is likely to cause stress and anxiety I guess this time in Jacob’s life would rate high on the life stress scale. He is moving. He is leaving the security of all he has known for the past 20 years. He has trouble with his Uncle. His living conditions are changing (at least to a degree). He doesn’t know where he will live or how he will be received in Canaan. And now his brother (whose last attitude toward Jacob was to console himself with thinking about murdering him) is coming with 400 men. However, he is also in the center of God’s will because this is where God told him to go ... what God told him to do. Yet, facing this situation, he is not much comforted.

How often is it that God call us to something but the circumstances surrounding it carry a lot of opportunity for ... stress. Well stress, sure, but also faith. As we look at Jacob in this situation we see a man that has started out in faith, but when the going gets tough he starts to doubt. He begins to wonder. He begins to draw back. He begins to design his own schemes and escape plans. The problem is that Jacob doesn’t have many options and perhaps he did not like what he saw. Perhaps he began to see that this time he was not likely to be able to deceive his way or run his way out of this one. He has left a land that he can’t return to and he is entering a land in which he is afraid that death might await. If fact, it may be coming to meet him with 400 men.

It is a shame that we often wait until such times to call out to God and rely on Him, but we can also be thankful that at such times we still can call out to Him and know that He will hear. And so we see the prayer of Jacob

He is going where God has called. Jacob can have the peace of knowing that He is in the center of God’s will. God has told him to go and Jacob has followed. It was not exactly what he perhaps had pictured (in fact, nothing like it probably), but still at least he can know that he isn’t here from his own bad choices. Even if he were he could still call out to God, but that he is in the center of God’s will is at least some consolation.

He knows that all he has and all he has experienced in the past 20 years has been a matter of God’s grace. He recognizes God’s provision in all he has and all that he is. God has built his family and fortune out of nothing and if God can give it then God can also sustain it. He knows he doesn’t deserve it.

He asks God’s protection (somehow) and lays his greatest fears before God. He is open and honest and he pours out his heart to God.

He remembers and comforts himself with the promises of God, who has already told him that He will bless Jacob and make him into a great multitude. Even though Jacob is now wondering how that might look.

Unfortunately, and despite his beautiful and theologically correct prayer, Jacob continues to wrestle with God and man rather than resting in God. Despite his prayer he continues to fear, scheme and plan until God comes and takes away the last of Jacob’s options except for faith. Only then does Jacob finally go forward responsibly as appropriate to the leader of a family and a nation of promise. Yet, even then with fear.

We all find ourselves in these situations at times to one degree or another. We find our faith is small and our prayers are lacking. Yet, God is ready, as we cry out to Him, to answer, teach, bless and lead us through the situation, and our anxiety by His grace and mercy. We find that, in reality, we had no reason to be frightened. God is gracious to us and He hears our prayer. He remembers His promises. The question is will we pray and walk in faith or will God have to humble and hobble us as we wrestle with Him. Will we grow in our faith and learn to lean on God’s promises and faithfulness or continue to struggle with fear and anxiety.

Prayer Request

*That God would supply our needs ... the prayers, opportunities, resources, finances, strength, health & safety (especially for Julia and Christian), guidance and wisdom. That we would not be dependent on our own plans, but that we would walk in God's way. That the work would be done in the Spirit and not in the strength of the flesh.

30 More Days... Day 2

2008-09-02T08:07:00.002+02:00

Gen. 24:12 Then he said, “O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
Gen. 24:13 Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
Gen. 24:14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, “Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
Gen. 24:15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking...

It is likely that at some point in your life you have needed guidance in some decision you must make or job you must do. It is likely that at some point in time you have agonized over some dilemma when you have not been sure just what to do. There has likely been some important life event that has required wisdom. This is something we experience in the course of life and perhaps one of the more dreaded. What job do I take? Where should I live? Who should I marry? What career path do I choose? That is why it is so good to know that God gives guidance to those who ask!

Again it is probably a story that we know well. Isaac needs a wife and Abraham sends his servant to arrange the marriage with specific instructions concerning what to and not to do. However, this is also something that, truth be told, is just a bit foreign to us. After all, arranged marriages and household servants are not areas with which we have a lot of experience.

Put yourself in the sandals of the servant for a moment. Promise me, by God, that you will go and get a wife for my son (my only son, who I love!) What a huge responsibility. Do you feel the weight? It is bad enough when we have to make wise choices for ourselves but what about when we have to make them for others? This choice will affect no only Isaac, but the posterity of his masters house (the master that he loves) for ages to come. It is a difficult position to be put in and the man feels deeply the responsibility.

Having lived in his masters house for so many years and seeing the things he has seen, only one solution presents itself. Prayer!

His prayer. The servant prays to God because he knows that all good direction comes from the Lord. He knows that the task is beyond him. He knows what he must do. He knows what he is looking for, yet he knows that he will never find it without God’s providence. So this is very much a prayer of providence.

First he recognizes God. He acknowledges that God has made certain promises to Abraham and that God is a faithful God. He is sure that the God that Abraham has sought after in circumstance after circumstance is the same God that he must seek after. He has seen that God is faithful. He is also convinced that this same God must be the one to answer his prayer. As we come to God often we come to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, yet, I think, we doubt whether this God will truly direct us too. We want it to be Him but we are afraid that He will not hear us as He heard Abraham. Here we see that it wasn’t just Abraham that God answered and revealed Himself to, but to his servant as well. We have the privilege of approaching the same powerful, promising and personal God that the “great” Abraham did.

Second, his prayer is for himself and for others. He is not seeking God’s providence simply that he would “have success” but so as to be a blessing to others and that others truly may be blessed. Often we want God’s leading in our lives but we only have ourselves in view. Our personal comfort, our mission, our purposes. There is nothing wrong with asking for success, but that should not be the end of our prayer. We need to consider our role in the lives of others. How our actions affect them. How our decisions can bless them.

Third, there is “the sign”. Really it is an interesting “sign”. I think many of the signs that we ask for we want to be passive in them. We want them to just “happen”. But we see in the servant a willingness to move and be involved. He wasn’t just sitting back and waiting. He was out searching! Another thing about this sign is that it was far from supernatural. It was a natural thing. He wasn’t looking for God to prove Himself. He was honestly and realistically seeking God’s will. There was a well. There were girls coming to draw water. In other words, the servant had an idea of what he was looking for. In his mind he already had a way to test the “suitability” of the young woman that would come. He had thought about what would be good characteristics in a wife for Isaac. Perhaps he had a mental checklist 1. Lovely 2. Submissive 3. Hard working 4. wisely industrious 5. Hospitable 6. Chaste 7. Appropriate etc. But even with all those things in mind he still knew that he could only see the surface, but God would see the heart. No matter how well he looked to choose, still God would choose better. It is good for us to have an idea of what we are looking for and hold those ideals dear, yet at the same time give room for God to work, His hand to move. Then as God did this he would have assurance that had showed him the way ahead. Even later when the situation would get a little intense he could point back to the fact that God had led him and given him success so that he could finish his task and fulfill his promise. So that he could bless the hearts of his masters.

Fourth, we notice that even while he was still speaking God started to answer. God has His timing and He knows what we need and the exact moment that we need it.

Fifth, we see the man is patient and waits to see all of the answer before he moves forward. He is not willing to settle for anything less than God’s choice even if he must wait some time to confirm it to the end. Often we are impatient to wait and see God’s answers and be assured of His will. Then we rush ahead of God and wonder at the mess that we find ourselves in sometimes.

Gen. 24:26 Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD.
Gen. 24:27 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me...

The man who asked and received from the Lord also remembers to worship. He cannot do anything else. All the glory goes to God and to Him alone. The man revels in the goodness of God, first to others and then to himself. God has led the great man Abraham, but God has now led him as well. God will also lead us.

Prayer Request

* That we would seek God's will and desire that we would be a blessing to others, especially in being able to share the Gospel and God's glory with them. That we would wait on Him for direction and be praising Him as He leads. That God would open the doors He wants for the things He wants done.

30 More Days... Day 1

2008-09-01T10:19:00.005+02:00

Gen. 4:26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enoch. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.

Gen. 18:22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.
Gen. 18:23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Then men began to call on the name of the LORD! I can’t really think of any better place to start these 30 Days. People calling out to God! We know the history of the first 4 chapters of Genesis. God created man for Himself. He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. Man’s sin separated him from God. Things were going downhill fast! And then men again began to call on the name of the LORD. Exactly how this looked or what they said we don’t know. We are not given really any model prayers from chapter 4 through chapter 18. However, we do see that people called out to God. They came to Him with sacrifices. Those who did, sought Him and followed him. We don’t know what they prayed. What is important is that they did. God records this for us as a reminder that it is important and that He desires that we call upon His Name. It is important hat we seek His guidance. It is important that we have a relationship with Him. As we open these 30 Days it is important to remember, that is why we are here. We call up on the name of the LORD and seek Him in the best way that we know how. As we do we trust that our relationship with Him will grow.

Because of the nature of these 30 Days of Pray I think it is interesting that the first prayer that we will look at is Abraham pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah. Up until this time Abraham has set up a number of altars. He has called in those places on God’s Name. God has come to Abraham and revealed His promises to him, but now, in chapter 18, God is revealing something else to Abraham. In fact, we see God having a mini-counsel with Himself about sharing His next steps with Abraham concerning Sodom and Gomorrah. He does this not to reveal any question on whether what He is about to show Abraham is right but to reveal the nature of who Abraham is and Abraham’s reaction in prayer.

God is going to judge and bring judgement upon these cities. But within His counsel in the preceding verses God states ...

For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him...

The reason that God is now bringing this revelation to Abraham has to do with what those that come after Abraham will know and understand of God. It has to do with their reactions in relation to that knowledge. What was Abraham’s reaction? It was prayer, intercession!

When we look at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah we know that they were truly wicked. We also know that Abraham had little doubt of this fact. In his previous encounter with the king of Sodom, at the rescue of Lot, Abraham refuses to take anything from this king. He is actually rather abrupt and cold toward him. Yet now he comes near to God and intercedes.

At first glance we might think that he is only pleading for the righteous, yet instead of just asking that God would protect the righteous he asks God to spare the wicked for the sake of the righteous. Is Abraham aware of the sin. It seems that he is. Does he condone it or claim that it shouldn’t be punished? No, he doesn’t. Yet, he calls for mercy for them all, the righteous and the wicked. It seems strange until we realize God’s heart.

God is concerned with both justice and mercy. I believe that He comes to Abraham with this revelation because He knows what Abraham will do and He knows what He will do because He has already revealed His heart to Abraham for the wicked and sinful. He came to Abraham because through Abraham’s seed all the nations of the world would be blessed. It was through Abraham that the seed ... the Messiah ... would come. Through Him all the nations of the world would be blessed. They would be blessed with a divine mercy. Unlike the Jews later on, it seems Abraham had some deeper understanding of what that meant. So here we see him interceding for Sodom.

We also need to be concerned with the wicked ... the lost. Abraham’s cry for them is an example to us of how we need not agree, condone or pardon the sin, to cry out for mercy for the sinner. Abraham prays not just for the righteous, but also for the wicked. As long as there were righteous among the wicked, there was also an opportunity for a testimony to be given for the truth and for righteousness. Yet even Abraham knew that God’s mercy had its limits.

So what else can we learn from his prayer...

He came near - He boldly came before God and spoke on the behalf of the inhabitants of these wicked cities. Having stood with God and hearing from Him, he now draws even nearer and speaks with Him intimately and personally. God tell us to draw near and He will draw near to us (James 4:8). He waits for us to come. He loves it.

He proclaims God’s name and prays His character - He comes to Him in accordance with the righteousness of God. He rightly recognizes Him as the Just Judge of all the earth who will do right. He recognizes God’s heart, he intercedes yet he cedes to God’s righteous judgement. We must realize who God is and pray accordingly for God will do nothing outside of His character and promises.

He humbles Himself before God - he recognizes who and what he is and respects God’s greatness. He demands nothing yet asks boldly. We have the honor of calling God friend and Daddy, yet He is also King of kings. We are but dust.

He continues in prayer until he achieves his request or completely intercedes - He doesn’t just pray and forget it but continues to seek God until either he felt sure that there must be at least 10 righteous or he felt that he had done all he could to affect God’s heart and pray that God’s will be done. Many times we stop before we have exhausted ourselves in prayer. We stop crying out when God is still gracious to listen. We must continue in faith.

That God is willing to listen and wait until we finish interceding - we don’t see God grow tired, impatient or simply just leave in the middle of Abraham’s pleading but waits and listens to all that Abraham has to say to Him. He loves when His children draw near to Him and seek Him when He can be found.

Prayer Request

*That we would faithful intercede for Maribor & Slovenia and see God work in the lives to save many and to build His Church. That God would break down walls and spiritual strongholds to bring His light and life to this people.

30 More Days

2008-08-26T15:41:00.002+02:00

ITS ALMOST HERE!!!

Starting September 1 we plan to start “30 More Days of Prayer”

Almost a year ago we did what we called 30 days of Prayer. We asked you to be involved for 30 days in which we would we studying prayer though the book of Acts and praying for specific and general prayer requests. As we posted last year at the end of the 30 days last year, we had an average of about 8 visits per day to the blog plus there were some that we receiving hard copy paper updates that were distributed by others who felt the study and requests were important to pass on to those without computer savy or access.

As I have recently been preparing for an other 30 days and considering what we would like to see, I have been struck by some thoughts. The number of people that we have contacts with here in Slovenia ... I mean really good relationships and opportunities to witness... is roughly similar to the involvement in last years 30 days. Of course, we have many contacts with people and have enjoyed many opportunities over the past year - far greater than just 8-15 people - but the closest relationships that we have and the best opportunities to share into and build into peoples lives is roughly equal to the number of people that participated in our previous 30 days.

Now prayer is a powerful tool and we hopefully don’t underestimate its power or its influence. We know that the “fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” and is not limited to 1:1 ratios. The prayer of one can affect thousands and many more, however, we do also know that God tells His people to call out to Him We desire these cries of faith and ask you to consider being involved in the upcoming 30 days.

We would love to see this year grow to 40-50 people being a faithful part of these 30 days. So we ask you to consider if you will make a commitment (not to us but to God) to participate faithfully. We are planning to look at Prayers of the Bible. We will see what, when, how, etc. people in the Bible prayed and what happened when they did. Then we will have one or two requests each day to pray over - and of course you could pray again for the previous days as well.

So how can you get involved? Send us an email telling us of your intent to participate. Tell us if you would prefer being on an email list to receive the Bible study and requests or will be visiting the online blog each day. Go to the link http://pray4slovenia.blogspot.com/ and explore what is already there and then each day starting September 1, 2008 for the 30 Days of Prayer.

The Vineyard, the Vine and Picking Grapes

2007-11-14T10:19:00.000+01:00

The Vineyard - picking grapes

Last month I went picking grapes. Grapes are a big deal in Slovenia. In Maribor we have the world’s oldest fruit bearing grapevine. It has been recorded as giving fruit for the past 400+ years. It is in the Guiness Book of Records! The city celebrates the Festival of the Old Vine. They will have another festival to celebrate when the grape juice turns to wine. When people go out to pick the grapes often family and friends are invited to help. One couple was telling us of their first experience. Before they even started picking the grapes there was a huge meal and wine and drink and dessert. My experience was a little different. We went and picked grapes until lunch. Then they fed us to bursting with a wonderful meal and dessert. After that we continued to pick joking that we could walk up the hill and roll back down. It was a fun experience and there was much joy in the harvest.

This experience of picking grapes reminded me of the many references in the Bible to harvest, grapes, the vine and so on. It was interesting the way the grapes grow. Some of the clusters were quite large and it made me wonder what the one the spies brought back from the land of Canaan must have been like. Then some grapes were so full and rich and sweet and others were smaller and less wonderful. Often they were only one or two rows away or even just a couple of vines apart. Some vines were full. Others were empty. Some definitely represented 30, 60 and 100 times fruitfulness. Others seemed barely fruitful and on some there was nothing at all. I found out that some of reasons might be a variation in the amount of sun or the quality of the soil. Some of the vines had some disease or blight and so the grapes were also smaller or hadn’t grown. There were also some clusters of grapes that had gone right to raisins right on the vine, but you wouldn’t want to eat those. They were dry and useless.

Whatever the case it got me thinking about reasons for fruitfulness or the lack thereof. It was amazing how important the vine and its location was to the outcome of the harvest. The amount of sun, the quality of the soil, the nutrients in the earth. It made a big difference in the harvest. It just punctuates what John said about abiding in the vine. If the vine from which we get our strength is anchored in the world then the fruit will be like the fruit of the world...tainted by sin, passing away, bitter, dry and without purpose. However, if we are anchored in Jesus..in heaven then the fruit of our lives should also be lasting, full, abundant, bringing a joyful harvest. That is what it means to abide in the vine, that we draw our strength, our purpose, our values and decisions from Him who is eternal wisdom and love rather than from that which is finite and passing away. That which is finite and passing still has some of what it good in it but the results will be infinitely less satisfying and will soon pass away.

The Hardest Place

2007-11-13T08:57:00.000+01:00

The Hardest Place

13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
15 Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Elijah had just faced the prophets of Baal and Ashteroth on Mt Carmel. Fire has fallen from heaven. Rain has come after 3 1/2 years only at his word. The king has been seeking his life and now the queen, too is after him to kill him. He is alone. He is spent. He has been fighting a battle against godlessness for a long time. He is in a hard place.

Being missionaries sometimes we have people telling us that they could never do what we do. Sometimes we get placed on a bit of a pedestal ... an example of spiritual living. Then on the other side of things missionaries can wear, almost as a badge of honor, the mantle of serving the most unreached, hardest to reach people. It might be jungle obstacles. It might be an environment and culture hostile to any kind of proselytizing. Or, it might be hearts hardened with years of rejection or traditional acceptance of religion and religious ideas. I have heard people talk about what makes their part of the world get attention as an unreached place and I often find myself thinking: “well that is not that much different from where we are”, or “that is not so different from some parts of America”. Whatever the reason, it starts to seem that the area “I” work in is the hardest.

Actually the other day I was listening to a sermon that confirmed that this is pretty much true. The area that you serve in is the hardest area in the world ... that is, provided that you have been called there. There is something almost liberating about this if you think about it. Where it is that God has called you to serve Him will be the hardest place because the enemy also knows that this is exactly where God has called you to serve. The enemy knows that if God has put you there then it must be a place that God desires to work and do something. That is exactly what the enemy doesn’t want and so the fight begins.

Where is it that God has called you? What? You say you’re not in “full-time Christian service”. I beg to differ. Maybe you are not a pastor, teacher, missionary, or some other person that receives their paycheck through the Church or some kind of “faith support” but that doesn’t mean that God hasn’t called you and placed you exactly where He wants you. What would happen if every Christian sought God for that place that they have been called to and then served in that place faithfully day after day? What would that look like? What if that teacher going to school, that mechanic fixing cars, that secretary in their office, that factory worker working their shift, that average (or not so average) work-a-day employer or employee knew that God had called them to the place in which they now live and work and worked to please God rather than man? What would happen?

We as believers are in a hard place, a hostile environment. It is called the world and it is not friendly to us or to the message that we carry as ambassadors of God. But God has called us and committed us with a message. He makes his appeal through us.

19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Our message ... “be reconciled to God” is exactly what the enemy is trying to keep from those around us and he will do anything to stop us from being effective. He is happy to use a variety of means to keep us from the task to be sure. In some areas it is visible and felt. The spiritual forces of evil do not hide there, but there is also no doubt about the nature of the battle. On the other hand, in some areas it is simply about apathy. Rather than risk waking the Church to battle that he is sure to lose, the enemy is happy to lull them into a stupor of the everyday monotonous. There is the lie that “this is not where God has placed me for service”. If that is the case we need to seriously reconsider our place, because while the job might meet the daily needs, it is not the center of where God wants us. Being in the center of where God wants us does not mean that it will be easy or that we will even always particularly enjoy it. It does mean, however, that God will resource and supply in that place. As we are available, yielded and faithful God will accomplish His purpose. It may be the salvation of souls. It may be the building up and encouraging of the saints. It may be provoking one another to faith and good works. It may be meeting needs. It may be wrestling in prayer. it may be “iron sharpening iron”. It may mean being an example or just doing our best not to please men but God.

Sometimes we just want to give up. It is too hostile to keep on trying. Sometimes we don’t realize what we have been called to. Yet God has called us to a place and He is faithful to supply the strength to do His work, even in the hardest place.

Spiritual Strongholds

2007-09-21T21:50:00.000+02:00

Romans 1:19-23

19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man...

I went walking today. I do that often. It is a chance to get out and pray for the city and the different areas that God lays on the heart. It is a good reminder of the things that need to be prayed for, and often gives food for thought. It is nice to walk and converse with God asking Him to share His heart and also to move with His power.

Today it seems that everywhere I went there was another reminder that what we do is not about what so much is seen as it is about what is unseen. Though I have seen these sights before today was somehow different, more intense, more disturbing. What did I see? I walked up a hill and saw two older women praying ... to Mary. I passed them on the way up the hill, I saw the rosaries and heard some of the words. They arrived sometime after I did. they rang the bell of the shrine and the began to pray again to Mary. I had seen them once before. They had also prayed to Mary then but they had also prayed much more to Son and Father that time.

Last night on the playground we met a girl. She was happy and pleasant. She heard us speaking English and had been to visit the US... even our home state. So we chatted. As we told a little about us and what we do she revealed that she attended Kingdom Hall and wanted to help people study the Bible. Her religion made her very happy.

As I continued my walk today I went into the heart of the city. Again it is a sight that I have seen before on a number of occasions but coupled with the others it affected my heart and spirit. It was a Hare Krishna. He was setting up his music box, all his materials neatly arranged around him. Before long he would start to play the box and chant his mantra for the people passing by ... looking for inner peace and consciousness. Most people will probably give him a wider berth. But some, some might just wonder if there isn’t something to it.

I was grieved in spirit. I was bothered. All these people believing in some kind of higher power but exchanging God’s grace for man’s lie. One elevates Mary above her place and prays to her, exchanging the greatness of Christ for the frailty of mankind. One demotes Immanuel to an uncommon man (but a man all the same) denying His precious blood that saves us. One exchanges God for some higher power, seeking peace, but not the Prince of Peace. Begging enlightenment but walking in darkness.

We truly do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this age and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. We see that so many people here are so reserved to spiritual things in general and then that is contrasted with people lead astray by the enemy of their souls after things that cannot save or give peace. It saddens the heart and moves the soul. And we pray for the spiritual strongholds to be torn down. We pray for the blinders to be ripped away. We pray for a door to be opened to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus, so that people walking in darkness might see a great light. That they might not be lead astray but come to knowledge of the truth.

3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Cor 4:3-6

Please continue to pray with us as we seek to preach Jesus Christ.

Continuing Prayer Request

2007-09-20T11:36:00.002+02:00

*Continuing Requests*

* The tearing down of spiritual strongholds that keep people apathetic/closed to the gospel
- hard rocky soil
* Preparing of hearts to seek, hear and respond to the gospel of truth

* Contact and relationships with those whose hearts God is preparing, Open doors to continue to reach out to neighbors and acquaintances and also to meet new people
-we continue to grow our relationships with friends - slow process

* Contact and relationships with those whose hearts God is preparing in Maribor - for God to continue to establish ministry through us that will be meaningful, relevant and effective.

* Open doors to teach God's word and preach the gospel (especially University and young families)

* Student Bible Study - Meeting Students open to studying the Bible 3. Student outreach - meeting new people. that people be able to attend regularly.

* Language - continued progress in language - speech and understanding - wisdom on best ways to continue study and learning
-this one will probably never end
* Division - tool of the enemy to divide and conquer - used against believers and unbelievers, missionaries and leaders - makes it difficult to work either together or separately (ie together - no forgiveness; separately - not accepted as a brother or sister in Christ)

* Personal and corporate walk with the Lord - growth, praise and worship, guidance. Strength and wisdom for each day, faithfulness to do all that God asks, boldness, understanding, compassion and love

* Calvary Chapel Celje - for all aspects of their worship & service - leaders, worship service, preaching of the Word, children's ministry, fellowship, men and women's mid-week Bible studies, Retirement Home ministry, Summer English camps, direction in seeking a new meeting place

* Jim, Olya and Family - the organization of our time (family, ministry, friends etc), continuing language growth, building relationships with others, rearing Christian and Julia in the Lord, provision for needs, health and protection. Health and safety for our family and team

30 Day Results

2007-09-19T09:01:00.000+02:00

30 Days Results

These past 30 days have been an encouragement in many ways. We have appreciated having many stand with us daily, specifically praying for us and the requests we listed. We know that others prayed as they were able. Some promised to pray but told us that they would not be able to visit the blog. We had one person join us by asking for the blog post to be sent by e-mail daily. We have enjoyed daily times in God’s Word together as well as we journeyed through the prayers of Acts. I personally enjoyed the study and others have also found encouragement and challenge throughout the month. Thank you to all who prayed and participated in these 30 days. We appreciate so much your intercession for us Maribor and Slovenia. We can’t express enough how much it means and how important it is for us to be supported and lead in prayer.

Participation Report

So here are the results of how many people visited our site over the past month. We have the total number, the average number of people per day that visited and the number of visits for this past week.

On our prayer update list there are more than 120 names/e-mail addresses that we send out to on a regular basis. Prior to beginning 30 days we had approximately 6-7 responses from people saying that they would be joining us as much as possible each day and praying. Basically we had an average of 8 people visiting per day, which means that we had as many as 14 -15 people on some days and as few as 4-5 on others. We know there were others praying that didn’t and weren’t able to come to the blog and so were not recorded. We were very much encouraged by those who prayed and yet we also wonder how much more might have been accomplished if more people had committed to joining and praying with us daily. The following are the totals for the past 30 days.

VISITS

Total 345
Average Per Day 7
This Week 51

Perhaps, some thought “lots of other people will be praying, I’m not that important”, perhaps the technology frightened some away, perhaps there just seemed to be no time available, perhaps there was some other reason not to participate. Perhaps this is a time when we can all search our hearts and ask God how we value and believe in the importance and necessity of prayer.

Blog Report

The blog will remain here in cyberspace. You can still visit, read through the posts at your leisure, study through the prayers of Acts, see and pray for the ongoing prayer request, leave comments and your own prayer requests etc. We would love to have people continue to come by and check it out. We will probably be using it in the future as well and hope that it will be a tool to encourage the church and encourage prayer both for us and Maribor as well as for others.

30 Days - Day 30

2007-09-18T07:40:00.000+02:00

Day 30

Acts 28:8-9

And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. 10 They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.

As we finish up our 30 days together we also practically finish our look through Acts as well. Thank you so much for joining us through these days. These studies will remain on this page and be available should you want to look through them/pray through them again. We also do not think that this will be the end of this prayer blog. Some of you have commented on how you have enjoyed our month of study, and a couple have even said that they might like to continue on for a longer time. We would be happy to serve in this way as the Lord leads. As He directs we will let you know what is happening and any plans for the future use of this blog space.

I would also encourage you to check back over the next couple of days as there may be some small posts, information and prayer requests or other things that God may lay on our hearts.

Paul and all aboard the ship have now been shipwrecked. The wash up on the shore and just as God has promised to Paul, all of them have come safely to dry ground. They have survived the storm. They have survived the surf. Now they set about just trying to manage the tasks of their situation. There is fire for warmth. There is preparation of food. There is establishing of relations with the locals. Perhaps there was also salvage of what little might have been left from the ship. Their minds were on survival and the tasks of living.

So often it is easy to get caught up in the tasks of the mundane. There are things to be done. We have lists of things to do ... for work, for family, for others, for self etc. Sometimes we feel like we are just trying to keep our heads above water. Sometimes we are just trying to survive the day to day. There are things that must be done for us to survive ... to live ... to be ... to exist.

However, in the everyday mundane there are bound to be opportunities for the supernatural ... for the eternal. Even here as a shipwrecked castaway as he and all those from the ship work for survival we see the eternal coming through in all that Paul does. As he is collecting firewood it becomes opportunity to give glory to God. As they meet the local leader it is an opportunity not just to be served and helped but to serve, help and be a witness to the grace and power of God. Not only that but in that finding of the spiritual in the mundane there is also the provision for the mundane because of the attention to the spiritual. We see that as Paul moved to pray and serve that it became the impetus for all their needs being met and provided for.

We have spent the last 30 days in prayer. We have gone about the business of life. We have been occupied by the mundane. But it is our prayer that each of you realize that as we have spent time in God’s Word, in the study of it and in prayer that our lives have also touched the spiritual, the mysterious, the eternal ... the heart of God. We have seen numerous aspects of prayer and answers to prayer, and we hope that each of you have been challenged and encouraged in prayer ... not just for us or for Slovenia but in your own personal lives as well.

And now we want to give you a glimpse into ways that your prayers on behalf of the kingdom have been answered either directly, in part or in process. We don't’ know all that has been accomplished. This is only what we can see. May all praise and glory be given to God for all His wondrous acts and works.

Praise for answered prayer!

1) During the last 30 days we have made a couple of new contacts with people
---- Barbara - for English but may also be interested in attending Bible study
---- Parents of a little girl they wish to expose to English
2) Growth in our personal walk with God - this time has been a big encouragement to us and we feel that in some small ways we have grown closer to God
3) Have seen progress toward a Fall English Camp taking place - in progress
4)Phil & Yvonne’s health - Yvonne feeling better from sugar allergy. Phil made progress in reasons for some of his aches and pains ... some reasons discovered
5)The continued support and growth of friendship between us and Calvary Chapel in Celje
6) Sandra and Ales - gave birth to a baby girl. Mommy and baby are healthy and doing well after early delivery by c-section
7) We have had some good relationship building times with some friends and acquaintances - in process
8) Safe travel to and from Vienna, Austria. We were able to get Julia’s paperwork and registration all taken care of.
9) Darja - just got word that she passed the written part of an important exam ... just needs to complete the oral part Wednesday (please continue in prayer for that)
10) Olya will have opportunities to teach both English and Russian this Fall at a local language school as a guest to various classes.
11) Jim taught at Calvary Chapel - have heard people were encouraged and challenged
12) We have been for the most part safe and healthy and have not missed any opportunities because our kids have been sick - currently Christian has a slight cold and Julia had a fever but recovered quickly.
13) The steering committee meeting for the Crisis Pregnancy Center was well attended and some good progress has been made. Many people gave some kind of response to questions about what they might be willing to do...this info has not been fully processed yet. - the projector arrived safely and was a big asset to the meeting as well.
14) Opportunities are opening up for Jim’s parents to share about puppet and children’s ministry in several places here in Slovenia
15) As you have prayed we have sensed an increase in spiritual opposition so we can certainly say that your prayers have been “making waves” and affecting the spiritual climate here.
16) Yvonne gave her testimony and was able to share something even with the restricted amount of time allotted.
17) We see the way Christian and Julia are developing and are pleased with many things we see forming in their lives ... of course this is a prayer in process

Many of these requests were made on multiple days and on a continuing basis. There are also things that we haven’t heard back about yet. Beyond that there are things that we cannot see that have happened on an emotional or spiritual plane and that will only be revealed in time and with continued prayer. We hope that seeing these answers to prayer will also encourage you with how much your prayers affect you lives and the lives of others and encourage you to continue lifting up these requests for Maribor and us to the Father.

May God richly bless you!

30 Days - Day 29

2007-09-17T09:04:00.000+02:00

Day 29

Acts 22:17-21

17 “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ 19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’”

Acts 27:21-25

21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. 22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

Two passages. Two prayers. One answer hard to take, one request hard to pray.

These passages take place at two very different times in the ministry of Paul. One takes place at the very beginning of his ministry. The other much closer to the end. One shows the zeal of a heart to witness. The other shows maturity with a heart of understanding and care.

How many of us have prayed prayers only to have God sometimes say “no”. How many of us have had a desire only to have God say “now hear My heart”. Those are not answers that we like to get. If I can gauge how much we like to hear “no” by my son’s reaction to my “no” then I can guess that hearing that little word can be tantamount to heartbreak. Perhaps it is the death of a dream. Perhaps it is God taking us from what is good to what is best (though we may not realize it at the time). As Paul looked to begin his ministry we see that among God’s answers to his first ministry plans is a big “no”. Paul was a Jew. A man of status among the Jews. He had been very zealous even beyond the normal zeal of the Pharisees. He must have looked like the perfect fit to take the gospel to the nation of Israel. He knew the law. He knew the customs. He understood the history and tradition. He had an incredible testimony to share, yet here is God telling him “they will not receive your testimony concerning Me” and “depart for I will send you...to the Gentiles”. He had an incredible passion and desire for his countrymen. Yet God said “no” and Paul wanted to argue. He wanted to tell God all about his credentials to the Jewish people, yet God still said “depart”, and Paul went. God had something better in mind, but I am sure it was a hard “no” to take. In fact years later we still see Paul setting his face toward Jerusalem and the nation of Israel to go to them and witness of Christ. No is hard for us to take and yet when we hear it from God we need to realize that He says it with purpose. He says it with our and the kingdom’s best interest at heart.

The second prayer came much later in life. Paul has been in ministry for a long time. He has seen many churches planted. He has witnessed in prison and in the courts of kings. He has a lot of experience in both life and ministry. Now, he is once again a prisoner on his way to Rome to stand trial before Caesar. Paul has been on a lot of boats during his life of ministry, and as this one sails into winter he warns the crew and passengers not to be so hasty to set sail. Nobody listens to Paul. As the passage continues we find the boat in a hurricane force storm and nothing looks very promising for a happy ending. Yet after 14 days Paul stands to encourage all who are on board.

I don’t know about you or Paul, but the temptation for me to say “I told you so” and “your getting what you asked for” might have been pretty strong. I know I am going to make it... I have a court date in Rome set by God... but I can’t be too sure about the rest of you. But Paul in the midst of all this had his first concern for the passengers and crew on board, whatever their actions and respect had been toward him. Acts records for us that there were 276 people on board and Paul was concerned for every one of them. He wasn’t satisfied in prayer until he had been assured that God had granted his request for each of them. His heart beat with the passion of God’s love for people, even these people who have refused to listen to him. Sometimes that is the hardest love to give. You feel like saying “fine, don’t listen to me ... you’ll see!” Our hearts tend to harden and our offense tends to show. Our pride at being right gets in the way of helping people through a hard time of their own making. We don’t feel like praying for them or helping them, yet maturity in Christ demands just that.

We see this example in Samuel as well. The people asked for a king and Samuel and God both see that Israel’s demand is not a good one. Samuel tells the people that this is a great sin, yet at God’s allowance grants them their request. They have refused his council to their own hurt. Samuel could have been bitter after a life of faithful service to God and Israel but instead we see a servant heart. He had to pray for them. He had to continue to bring them the council of God.

Some requests are easy to make but the answers are hard to take. Other requests are hard to make but the answers are easy to accept. But easy or hard God wants us to seek Him all the same. Whatever the case we see that relationship with God in prayer is the way to see His heart and express His passion to the world around us.

Prayer Request Day 29

1) Nada, Zoran and Indi - Indi still doesn't sleep well (1 1/2 years old), they are in a process of buying land to build a house - has been a long process for them, salvation
2) Miro, Mateja and their girls Leah and Enya - Miro seeking new position at work, Leah, Enya & Christian enjoy playing together, Mateja back to teaching after summer off, salvation
3) Sandra & Ales - recovering from C-section, adjusting to life with a newborn, soon to be married, salvation
4) Marko, Jadranka, Ursala & Henrik - Ursala beginning high school, Jadranka has been our language tutor, salvation
5) Also for acquaintances - Michael & Katerina, Kirsten & her husband, Marija & Vladko, Anya
6) English students - Ana and Barbara
7) Others with whom we have occasional contact, new contacts, and that God would bring people across our path that are seeking and prepared for the message of the gospel

30 Days - Day 28

2007-09-16T07:24:00.000+02:00

Day 28

Acts 20:36-38; 21:5

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

5 When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed.

Much time has passed now since Paul set out into the area of Macedonia. In fact, he has been through many of these areas twice and has spent a good bit of time in Corinth and Ephesus. Paul has now set his face toward Jerusalem and he is convinced that whatever happens that his work among the believers of this region is over. In a manner of speaking this is his farewell tour as he passes through this area. He is like a parent giving last minute instructions, encouragement and reminders to a child that is striking off on its own. He will not “be there” for them as he has able to be these past years and he is concerned that they live worthy of their calling. There is also a great love shared by these people for Paul and wherever he goes they are most distressed that this side of heaven they will not see him again.

He meets with groups of believers as he travels along the way to Jerusalem and spends time with them not only in instruction and reminder, but also in prayer. They kneel down together at the place of departure and pray together for each other. As we look at the context of these special prayer meetings we get perhaps a hint into what they prayed.

As Paul prayed for these dear sons and daughters in Christ we see a great and fervent desire for them to be faithful. He wants them to understand what types of struggles are coming, what kinds of things could damage or weaken their faith, the attacks from without, the betrayals coming from within and the need to stand firm. Paul has served and poured himself out for these people these last years and they are so very dear to him. Now he is to be separated from them and they from him. God is dividing the paths on which they have been walking and the divergence from one another is a source of sorrow that must be, for a time, as each of them follows God’s leading on their life. They will not see one another again in this life. So Paul desires to impart to them encouragement and strength to be faithful in his absence.

The brothers and sisters also had much to pray about concerning Paul. He has been their teacher and their friend. He has been the apostle provided by God, sent specifically to them. He is their spiritual father and they have found comfort in his example and under his guidance in the Lord. But now that it changing. They have grown up and now must also carry a larger measure of responsibility in the church and in the kingdom. Not only that but God has given these bodies of believers a glimpse into what awaits Paul. In every city there have been warnings that without a doubt the things that wait Paul at Jerusalem are things that most people would run away from rather than toward. As a result their care for him is heightened and their prayers for him all the more fervent that grace may be extended.

We can’t always be with those that mean so much to us. Following the path that God has set before us sometimes means moving on and being separated from those we love. However, that doesn’t mean that we are without ability to show care for one another. These believers come together to pray. They will not leave one another without comfort. They will not leave one another without committing their ways to God. They have seen what awaits each other, a glimpse of the path ahead. Not only is this a chance to encourage, strengthen and commit each other to God’s care but it is also a chance to stand together in fellowship with each other even at this point of separation. They have the opportunity to commit to continued intercession. That care, concern and knowledge comes together to bind them together in such a way that though absent from one another in body they are bound by a spirit of prayer. Such is the bond that we as believers should have for one another....to pray and intercede for one another. Sometimes out of sight means out of mind. Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in everyday life and our own concerns that we forget to lift up our brothers and sisters. But even as we pray for one another as we are present with one another we need to remember to lift each other up to the throne of grace even more when we are apart that we might stand firm in the grace and truth of God.

Prayer Request Day 28

1) Calvary Chapel Celje - for all aspects of their worship & service - leaders, worship service, preaching of the Word, children's ministry, fellowship, men and women's mid-week Bible studies, Retirement Home ministry, Upcoming New Hope outreach, Summer English camps, direction in seeking a new meeting place
2) Salem Bible Church, Faith Evangelical Free, Davidsville Community Church, Mt. Aetna Bible Church, Morning Star Fellowship, New Passions, Roxbury United Methodist, Calvary Bible Church - continued faithful preaching of the word and outreach in their communities (and extended around the world)
3) Preparing of hearts to seek, hear and respond to the gospel of truth, open doors to reach out to people and share the gospel, beginning of Bible studies in Maribor

30 Days - Day 27

2007-09-15T07:41:00.000+02:00

Day 27

Acts 16:25-31

25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Paul and Silas have come to Macedonia in response for a vision. After a number of days they go to a place of prayer and God opens the door for them to witness. Lydia responds to the gospel along with her whole household. But as we saw yesterday that where doors are open to the gospel there is sure to be opposition from the enemy. Lydia opens her heart to believe but there is a possessed slave girl that opens her mouth to bring confusion and inappropriate witness to the gospel message. Paul is grieved by this constant opposition and casts the spirit out of the girl. This causes an even bigger uproar and Paul and Silas find themselves in prison even though they have done nothing wrong.

It seems that the enemy’s ploy has worked. The preaching of the gospel has been shut down. Paul and Silas are now common criminals, rabble-rousers, troublemakers and lawbreakers. They have been beaten. They have been relegated to the deepest darkest part of the jail and locked up in stocks. The injustice of it all must have stung. Yet, while they are bound the gospel is not. The enemy seems to have been successful but only in appearance.

Paul and Silas hold a midnight prayer and worship service for themselves in the belly of the prison. They truly were bound but because of their prayer and worship the gospel was not. The prisoners are listening to them. The are held captive by the truth of God lived out in Paul and Silas. So while the gospel appears to have been successfully opposed it really is not. God has turned opposition into opportunity once again. The gospel is being preached to the prison population but God has even more in mind. He adds his power to prayer and the prison is shaken, the doors are opened and the chains fall off. Not only are the prisoners moved but the jailer and his household believe and are baptized as well.

The gospel cannot be bound. No matter what the opposition might be, God is able to make more grace abound. The enemy cannot prevail against God and the good news. The problem is that we can be prevailed against. We can falter in our faith and prayer. We need to be careful not to give up but instead to keep seeking God. Even in the face of injustice. Even in situations where it seems that the opposition is too strong. There is nothing like a time of prayer and worship ... intercession and proclamation to bring things into perspective. Instead of disgrace God builds a group of believers in this city and Paul and Silas find themselves exonerated. They have been faithful and done what is right. More than that they have all the more reason to give glory to God, because He has won a great victory both in their lives and in the lives of those being saved. In their weakness He has been strong. Surely this new group of believers was also encouraged that when they would face opposition in the future that they already had an example to bolster their obedience and strengthen their faith. The ultimate outcome is joy and encouragement for the believers and glory to God.

Prayer Request Day 27

1) Zoran, Nada & Indi - That Indi would sleep well, for wisdom as they seek to purchase land, for salvation
2) Miro, Mateja, Leah & Enya - Mateja back to teaching, Miro seeking new position at work, Leah & Enya health and growth, salvation
3) Sandra & Ales - adjustment to and health for new baby, completing renovations on their house, plan to be married soon, salvation
4) Marko, Jadranka, Usula & Henrik - all back to teaching or school, Ursula begins high school, salvation
5) Kirsten & Friedrick - teaching at the University, raising two little ones, salvation
6) Contact and relationships with those whose hearts God is preparing

30 Days - Day 26

2007-09-14T08:47:00.000+02:00

Day 26

Acts 16:13-19

13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days.

Two times of prayer. Two women. Two very different stories.

Paul and Silas have, in answer to a vision, traveled to the Macedonian city of Philipi. After being there a number of days they go out of the city to the riverside. It is the Sabbath and this is a customary place of prayer for this city. As they go there they meet people including a woman named Lydia whose heart is opened by the Lord and she and her family believe.

Paul and Silas continue in this city and continue to go to this riverside place of prayer. One such time as they went out to prayer they meet another girl. This one is a slave in more ways than one. She has a spirit that allows her to tell people’s fortunes. As she sees Paul and Silas she takes to following them and shouting their reason for being there. This last several days until Paul finally casts out the spirit. This, of course, leads to Paul and Silas’ well known imprisonment.

What we see here is a comparison and contrast in what can (and often does) happen as we pray. In the first example we see a woman prepared by prayer and in answer to prayer to open her heart to the message preached by Paul. She becomes a believer, she takes a public stand in baptism along with her whole household and she begins to serve and minister to needs. She is a classic example of God working in a life to justify sinners and sanctify them to Himself.

The the second example we see another woman. She is also spiritually affected. She has been moved in answer to prayer, but it is not to open her heart. Instead of opening her heart she opens her mouth because she is enslaved to a spirit, but it is not the spirit of God that moves her. The spirit that moves her is one of opposition and confusion. One that while speaking some truth is a bad witness to the gospel message that the apostle desires to bring. We remember that Jesus would not accept the testimony of spirits about His divinity and neither should be think that this girl gave any good witness to the gospel. In fact it seems that the enemy had stirred her up to be an opposition and stumbling block to the gospel.

Wherever people are praying and wherever the gospel is being preached we can be sure that there will also be spiritual opposition. As people are challenged with the truth, the enemy of their souls is also at work to keep them confused, lost and in darkness. In the time that we have been praying this summer and through these 30 days there is no doubt that as the heavens have been stirred by prayer,but so too has the opposition, which has no desire to lose its strangle hold on those that don’t believe. We have seen and felt some of the results of this battle that is taking place and so we ask you to pray all the more for Maribor and for us. You can see here a see a glimpse into the spiritual fight for the city of Philipi and that fight takes place wherever and whenever God’s people stand up in prayer.

We ask you to remember this aspect as you pray for us and for Maribor. Your prayers are stirring heaven but they are also annoying an enemy that knows how much effect they can have. Opposition will come so we must be steadfast in prayer and reliant on God’s power that cannot be stopped even when it looks like the enemy’s opposition strategy has been successful.

Prayer Request Day 26

1) Pray for Indi, Leah and Enya - these children of our friends have colds, coughs, runny noses and fever.
2) Olya's friend Sandra gave birth yesterday at 36 weeks. She delivered by C-section. Both mommy and baby are healthy and doing well but will be in the hospital for a little while. Pray for them for adjustment, they are still in the middle of remodeling, for quick healing from the C-section and continued health for the baby ... Yulia
3) For Maribor and for the tearing down of enemy strongholds in people's lives and in the culture... that God would establish Bible studies, open doors for outreach and open hearts to the message of the gospel - that He would build His kingdom and the enemy would not be able to stand against it
4) For our family and team - for protection, wisdom, guidance, provision,health and safety

30 Days - Day 25

2007-09-13T08:02:00.000+02:00

Day 25

Acts 13:1-3; 14:23

1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

A number of years ago now a Christian musician named Geoff Moore wrote a song called “A Friend Like You” in which he listed some of the great teams ... things that just go together in our minds. The Lone Ranger and Tonto, Laurel and Hardy, Batman and Robin, Snoopy and Charlie but besides those we might also mention chocolate and peanut butter, coffee and donuts (hey come back and finish the blog first), cookies and milk, a bat and ball, nuts and bolts, bees and honey, smoke and fire and of course prayer and fasting.

Often in scripture we find these two things closely following one another. They just seem to go together. It is not that they are always together but often we find them connected. It is interesting to note though that while one of them is commanded of the other it is only assumed it will be practiced. Prayer was something that we have been called to, but fasting is something that was required only one place in scripture ... at the Day of Atonement from sunset to sunset, on that one day, once each year.

However, the Bible places a certain importance and emphasis on fasting. We see throughout scripture that it was a normal part of Jewish life and the early Church. Both of these groups set aside regular days for fasting and praying. It also appears that fasting was a regular way of setting the heart to seek God’s will and show sincerity whether for guidance, in sorrow, repentance, protection, healing, obedience etc. Unfortunately, fasting was, and is, also sometimes used badly. Some used it to look spiritual or thinking that they might somehow manipulate God to some action or answer.

The point is that we see these two disciplines here, and often, listed together. God has called us to prayer but also encourages us to fast. It is not done so that we can look spiritual or get something that we want but as a way of disciplining ourselves to seek God. It is not done by command but willful surrender of self. By it, we might be showing (more than likely to ourselves because God knows our hearts) that we place God and His will and wisdom above our own. Just as sackcloth and ashes were an outward sign of inward attitudes and emotions fasting also expressed (though much more privately) attitudes and interests of the heart. Fasting can be a living sacrifice in which we are seeking to renew our minds by not being conformed but rather transformed ... that we might know what is the good acceptable and perfect will of God. I have to admit even as I write this that it has been a while since I have fasted. I am not writing this to put pressure on anyone to do so. This is what the Bible says and this is what God laid on my heart as I prepared topics for our 30 days. However, I also think that we as God’s people should consider these things that go together and consider if God might be moving and calling us to fast as we pray and seek Him. We simply need to be ready to follow Him as He moves our hearts.

Prayer Requests Day 25

1) The breaking down of spiritual strongholds that keep people blinded and apathetic to the gospel, hearts prepared for gospel, guidance for daily life & ministry, open doors and opportunities
2) Deepening of relationships we have with people here and opportunities to witness and disciple
3) Continue to pray for Brewers visas to get processed, for Phil's health - some progress but still waiting for some tests
4) Christian and Julia - continued growth, health and protection, the process of their growing, development and learning, wisdom for us to rear them in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord"
5) Strength and wisdom for each day, faithfulness to do all that God asks, boldness, understanding, compassion and love