This is adapted from a sermon based on Judges 16
In every legend, the story of every hero or villain, there is always a source of power that can be discovered and exploited. For Superman, it’s kryptonite. For Zurg (Toy Story), it was the double AA battery (or so Buzz thought).
I believe that for the believer, our secret source of power has to do with our inner walk with God. Deep in the recesses of the heart and soul, where we walk and talk with Him, where we have our conversations with Him, in the closet of prayer and intimacy, there is our secret source of power.
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A few years ago, we flew into Killeen, Texas for a meeting, which is the town that borders Ft. Hood. We saw soldiers everywhere. When I saw on the news yesterday what had happened, my heart sank. I simply wanted to dedicate this tiny bit of space to letting any reader know that my heart breaks for the families and friends affected by this terrible act of violence. I’m praying for you, and millions of others are as well.
My Dad is in a hospital 500 miles from where I am. I’d like to be in his room in a chair next to him talking politics or theology – two of our favorite subjects. Better yet, I’d like him to be comfortably at home or back at work. I’m sure he’ll be fine, but I really don’t like the feeling of distance right now.
He currently has a staff infection in his blood stream that began in his right arm, which is so swollen he can’t even make a fist. His blood pressure also won’t come down even with medication. They’re saying he’ll probably be home in a few days, but they said that a few days ago.
You’d like my Dad. He’s one of the hardest workers I know. When he was a kid, he and his sister (my aunt Ann) had polio. He broke his left arm and they put it in a cast. When the cast came off, his arm was permanently atrophied. So all his life, he’s tied his shoes, made carburetors, mowed lawns, cut trees, built houses, and now works as an independent contractor… with basically one arm.
My Dad’s the kind of guy who could have qualified for disability long ago, but has refused. He has the ingenuity, work ethic, and desire to work… like the dickens (which is something he’d say). I got to work with him for a couple of years and wouldn’t trade that time for anything. He was the best man at my wedding and would do anything in the world for me, and for you too.
Maybe you could pray for him?
Update: Talked to my Dad on the phone a few minutes ago (8pm, Monday) and he’s feeling a little better. The really good news is they’ve pretty much ruled out MRSA, which is the staph that’s so hard to cure. They still can’t get his blood pressure down, but it’s not as dangerously high as when he went in. He seems to think it’s a matter of a couple of days of antibiotics. Thanks for everybody who has prayed for him!
I can remember sitting in a circle of Pastors in Bowling Green, Kentucky of all different ages. One of the older Pastors spoke up and directed his words to those of us who were in the “younger half” of our ministries and said, “Guys, don’t forget to finish well.” He was serious. and the ministry drop-out rate gives evidence that it’s an important thought.
That’s why I’m so inspired by Thom Rainer’s post today on A Prayer to Finish Well. Here’s just an excerpt:
As the day draws closer when I meet You face to face,
May I be a man who was already drawing closer to You,
A man who eagerly anticipated that day,
And a man who left behind a legacy and not regrets.
Lord, strengthen me to finish well.
And then, and only then, can I say that my life was not lived in vain.
One of my favorite blogs to read regularly (an online magazine for ministry, really) is the Shepherd’s Fellowship, the online magazine of John MacArthur and the Master’s Seminary faculty. Today, they have chosen to relay to us an old message from J. C. Ryle, a hero of the faith, who asks the question, Do You Pray? Our answer carries a lot of weight according to Ryle…
And I say, furthermore, that of all the evidences of the real work of the Spirit, a habit of hearty private prayer is one of the most satisfactory that can be named. A man may preach from false motives. A man may write books and make fine speeches and seem diligent in good works, and yet be a Judas Iscariot. But a man seldom goes into his closet, and pours out his soul before God in secret, unless he is in earnest. The Lord himself has set his stamp on prayer as the best proof of a true conversion. When he sent Ananias to Saul in Damascus, he gave him no other evidence of his change of heart than this, “Behold, he prayeth” (Acts 9: 11).
Do you wish to find out whether you are a true Christian? Then rest assured that my question is of the very first importance — Do you pray?
You’ve got to read the whole article, then pray…
Pastor Steve Anderson prays regularly for President Obama’s death. I really don’t even have to write this short post… but I will. Let me jump ahead of your thinking and say loud and clear – Mr. Anderson does not represent me.
Christians should have a clear moral voice and should certainly stand up for the principles of absolute truth as revealed in God’s Word. We’ve definitely had the weakness of watering down our doctrine and losing our saltiness at times. Nonetheless, the New Testament never gives us the authority to storm into the throneroom of God with an impreccatory prayer, calling for the death of a national leader. It’s kind of an insane theology that requires one person to pronounce a judgment of mortality upon another person.
It’s bad. Let’s not do such things, okay people?
I recently received a question from a reader that I thought would make a great blog post because it’s such a common question: Should I talk to God like I talk to anybody else? Or should I use prettier words?
The bottom line is that prayer is talking, asking, and conversing with God. He knows your heart and your thoughts. He gave you your personality and He’s aware of your attitudes, so why wear a mask? Why use “special” language with God?
Don’t misunderstand, I do think our holy God deserves reverence in the same way our earthly fathers deserve our respect. I don’t like phrases like “the man upstairs” any more than I like it when people call their Dads “my old man.” Show some basic respect.
Nevertheless, think about this. Maybe if we prayed to God the same way we talked to other people (with some respect, of course), then maybe we’d talk to Him more often?
Thoughts?
photo credit: kalandrakas
I had an interesting conversation with a member of our church last night who compared going to church on Sunday to eating a meal out at a restaurant. You get served and fed. Somebody else prepares the meal and puts in all the labor to serve it up fresh and hot. You converse and relax and enjoy the meal, then you leave while someone else cleans up after you. You even leave a tip.
She then went on to observe that eating out is okay, but not for every meal. There’s a lot to be said for the preparation and the work involved in feeding yourself a meal at home.
Going to church is easy. It’s essential to God’s plan for your life. Preaching is something God intends for you to enjoy on a regular basis, and from Chrysostom to Criswell, it’s been the backbone of healthy Christianity in every age. But the real work, and therefore the real blessing, comes from the work you invest in your prayer closet, at home, with the raw ingredients of prayer and God’s Word.
When was the last time you cooked at home?
photo credit: eschipul
One of the most common statements I hear from believers concerns the harshness of the spiritual battle we’re involved in. It’s a wrestling match… rather it’s all out bloody warfare to deal with our arch-enemy, Satan, and the tenacity of our own sinful flesh.
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The other day I had to call the telephone company to get them to repair our line at church. The call I made was quite an ordeal. I never actually spoke to a human being. Instead, my voice was interpreted by a computer who routed me through a very elaborate schema of menus until I was finally able to schedule a service call to take place on a particular day precisely between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Here’s the thing… I had to make the call. It was necessary that I do so or we’d never have our phone service again because nobody at the company would ever know. It’s the only method of getting the repair scheduled.
Communicating with God is quite different. He’s real and personal. He’s not only ready to answer, He’s actually on the line all the time listening. Furthermore, He already knows our needs before we express them.
There is one similarity between God and the phone company though… a call is still required.
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