The Power of Prayer...

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

(I Thessalonians 1:2-3, NIV)

The power of prayer.

I know we've all heard stories about the miraculous power of prayer...from the stories in the Bible to testimonies heard with our own ears, God's done amazing things when His people pray. I've had a chance to experience that first-hand these past 4 months, so let me share how that's impacted me.

When I first found out my kidneys were failing, I prayed like you wouldn't believe. I prayed that they would be healed and function as normal again. I got anointed with my friends in my Sunday School class, and felt confident that God would hear and answer me. About a week later I got word that not only wasn't I healed, but that the damage done was irreversible, and I would need dialysis for the rest of my life unless I was able to find a kidney for donation. I have to admit...for a few days that broke me. I couldn't understand why He didn't answer my prayer...

Then, before I went in to have my permanent catheter put in for dialysis, it hit me. God did answer my prayer...just not the way I hoped. In not healing me, He wanted to show me His glory and power. I made my peace with that, and climbed up in His arms to have Him carry me, instead of me trying to lead Him. It was then that God really showed up...or maybe I just started noticing...

People came out of nowhere to encourage me. I've got churches I've never been to that have me on their weekly prayer list. I've even heard of people who live thousands of miles away that pray for me daily. It's the most amazing, yet humbling thing I've ever experienced. When time came to start the donation process, I hoped one or two would call in to see if they could match and donate. The donation coordinator finally told me to take the number down because she had more calls than she could process. That's amazing, humbling, and just God showing me how much He and others care for me. Also, at dialysis, it became easier to not focus on the fact I was sick and needed treatment, but to notice that God had blessed me with pretty good health in spite of this disease. There are so many there in much worse shape than I am.

Another important thing that has happened with God not healing me is the fact that I've been able to use the peace and good attitude He has given me (and believe me, it's all Him!) about this as a tool to share His love, acceptance, and forgiveness with others. It's opened doors and started conversations that I never would have imagined would've happened without it.

Do I still wish God would have healed me? Selfishly, yes...but I see His plan, and am fine with walking along that path with Him....and I know this only comes from the power of prayer from the many lifting me up daily in His presence.

Don't ever, EVER, underestimate the power of your prayers. Just a few moments of praying for someone can be life-changing for them. Here's hoping we each pray for someone today.

Using Our Falls To Lift Others Up...

“I admit that I didn’t always hold to this position. For a time I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers—I had no idea they were God’s people!—into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem. “One day on my way to Damascus, armed as always with papers from the high priests authorizing my action, right in the middle of the day a blaze of light, light outshining the sun, poured out of the sky on me and my companions. Oh, King, it was so bright! We fell flat on our faces. Then I heard a voice in Hebrew: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? Why do you insist on going against the grain?’

“I said, ‘Who are you, Master?’

“The voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down like an animal. But now, up on your feet—I have a job for you. I’ve handpicked you to be a servant and witness to what’s happened today, and to what I am going to show you. “‘I’m sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.’

(Acts 26:9-18, MSG)

This is a portion of Paul's speech defending himself to Festus and King Agrippa in the highest court in the land. The king asked Paul to tell his story, sharing his background with them so they could really get a feel for who he was. Paul had a choice to make: to tell the honest truth, no matter what light it painted him in, or to cover up his past and just let everyone think he's perfect. The easy choice is to cover it up, to not share things that may paint us in a less than flattering light...but Paul didn't do that. He was brutally honest about his past and his mistakes to show that God can use anyone, even someone that put Christians to death. Paul's testimony showed that God can forgive and redeem anyone and use them for His glory.

I think the same holds true for us today. It's so easy to varnish over those times in our lives when we've made bad choices and have fallen from the path we started on. In doing so, we can seal those bad memories away for good, and never have to deal with them again. Problem is, those times we are so embarrassed of can be what reaches and touches someone's heart, letting them know that the person they see as being "perfect" is no better than they are. When we are vulnerable to let people into our "story", there is a chance we will get hurt...but there is a great chance for something amazing to happen.

Here's hoping we can be honest about our failures today.

"Torn To Pieces..."

"Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.

Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”

(Hosea 6:1,3 NIV)

This passage seemed pretty harsh the first time I read through it. "He has torn us to pieces....He has has injured us"? Sounds like a vengeful God, ready to smite us at a moment's notice, right? Well, if you think about it from Hosea's perspective, everything changes. Remember that God told him to marry a prostitute as an example to the people of Israel...and remember how badly that went for Hosea. Not only was she unfaithful, but she went back to her old way of business, forcing him to essentially "buy" her from her handlers.

Let's not mince words here....that had to hurt. Hosea had to have felt that he was "torn to pieces" and "injured" by just obeying God. He could have walked away from his wife and threw in the towel and no one would have blamed him. Instead, Hosea chose to persevere and keep fighting the good fight and finally won her, and many converts to the cause of Christ, in the end.

Sometimes, when life beats us up and leaves us bleeding, we feel like Hosea and want to just give up and walk away from it all....but as the second verse reminds us, pressing on and working through that pain, anger, or guilt will be worth it in the end. Grace, patience, and strength will be there at the end, just as He promised.

Here's hoping when you're "torn to pieces" that you'll allow Him to put you back together.

Set Apart...

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

(Acts 13:2-3, NIV)

Set apart...I like that phrase. While praying, God sent down word that Barnabas & Saul (or Paul) were to be "set apart" to go and tell the good news to Cyprus and beyond. God specifically called them to move away from the comfort zone of their friends, family, and church. He took them from the safety of home and placed them, essentially, into a war zone. Paul and Barnabas were willing to follow, and through their obedience, God used them in a mighty way to bring many to His glory.

I think each of us that are Christ-Follwers have been "set apart", too. I think there is a place for each of us to be serving Him. It may be something that you like and are already passionate about, but for many of us, being "set apart" involves stepping out of our comfort zone and familiarity to touch others with His love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

Here's hoping we answer the call to be "set apart" as Paul did.

Rescue Society Vs. Yacht Club...

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews.

Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

(Acts 11:19-24, NIV)

The church of Acts got it.

They weren't concerned about music.
They didn't argue about what to wear.
They didn't watch the clock hoping for the pastor to finish.
They didn't focus on programming, hoping to make the presentation as "shiny" as possible.

They just did it. They told people about God's love, acceptance, and forgiveness. They encouraged each other. They took care of those less fortunate then they were.

Seems simple...but we are so bad at putting this into practice. I think too often we look at church as something for us...an hour to enjoy and be encouraged. That's not terrible, but it's so missing the point. Ed Young talked about the church at "Story", and he made a great analogy. The church in Acts was a "rescue society", a group who's sole focus was to reach the lost with the good news of Jesus Christ. Over time, we've lost that direction and have become a "yacht club", a group just content to stay on shore and enjoy themselves while the whole world is drowning around them.

Understand when I say this, I'm guilty, too. It's too easy to focus on myself and turn a blind eye to those close to me going down under the crashing waves for the last time. Here's hoping I drop my membership in the "yacht club" and get back into the "rescue society".

God Can Use All Of Us...

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God‑fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd...

(Acts 2:1-6, 12-14a, NIV)

The story of the Holy Spirit arriving at Pentecost to fill the disciples and grant them the ability to speak in the languages of the region is a pretty familiar story. What I wanted to focus on was the very last verse of this passage....

After the Holy Spirit gave them the ability to speak in any language, many couldn't figure it out...and some even claimed that the disciples were drunk and didn't know what they were saying. The disciples knew someone had to speak up and tell everyone what had happened.

Was it James? No.
Was it John? No.
Stephen? No.
Matthew? No.

The spokesman for the group, and the first to give public testimony since the death and resurrection of Jesus was Peter. Yep, the same Peter that denied ever knowing Jesus just a few days before, and the same broken-hearted guy He restored to His side and His ministry on the shores of the sea. Someone needed to step up and defend Jesus and his ministry...and that defender was the very one who turned on Him, but God's grace, love, acceptance, and forgiveness made all the difference, and allowed Peter to become the man and leader Jesus always knew he could be.

Why do I love verses like that, especially the stories of Peter? It reminds me that no matter what I've done, no matter how badly I've messed up, that God has a place and a plan for me, and that He can restore me so I can do great things for His glory.

No matter how near or far you feel from God right now, He can still use you if you're willing to let Him. Here's hoping we can let him use us despite our flaws and failures today.

He can make all things good...including you and I.

Bragging On My KFCers...

First of all, let me preface this by saying I truly love teaching the 4th and 5th grade group on Wednesday nights. I kind of fell into this position, but it's a great age to teach. Sometimes they wear you out....but quite often, when you truly see them "get" it, it's an amazing thing to behold...

We are currently doing a series called "Flipt". It's about the life of Jesus and how he "flipped" people around by changing hearts and lives to live His way, the best way possible. Each week we have a challenge, and last week's was a tough one. We talked what was important to us, and how sometimes those things can get in the way of our time and relationship with God. The challenge was to give something up that they loved for a whole week, and replace it with time with family, prayer, or reading the Bible. They had to discuss and settle on something with their parents, go without it all week, and bring me back a note from Mom or Dad telling me they truly did it.

All but one of the KFCers who accepted the challenge completed it. I was, and am, so proud of these guys and girls. They gave up TV, video games, computers, phones, and other things that they really enjoyed for a whole week. Speaking from a parent's standpoint, my son Cade chose to give up anything with a screen: TV, computer, and video games. We told him one would be fine, but he wanted to do them all. It was tough at times, but he used the audio Bible mp3 that our church gave out in his player and listened to it while he did other things. That made me proud right there...but last Friday his class was watching a movie for fun in the afternoon. We told him activities at school would be fine, but he chose to tell his teacher about the challenge and asked her if he could go in the hall so not to break it. She agreed, and he sat out there and read a book. If you can't tell....I'm very, very proud of him, as I am of each and every other KFCer that did it. Here's one of the notes that really struck me:

"Tyler gave up TV and video games for the week. It was especially hard on Thursday (the first full day of the challenge) when he brought home a video game prize he had won from a fundraiser and he couldn't even try it out. We have also been studying the same theme with the Jr. High group, and Sunday's sermon was about the battle between us and God. It's awesome when God puts stuff together like this so we can all learn."

I agree. I've always heard that "he who teaches, is twice taught", and I agree. Seeing these kids willingly give it up to get closer to God really motivates me to keep striving in my own walk to get closer to Him. I'm so, so very proud on my KFCers, and I wanted to share that with all of you.

Here's hoping we can have the heart, faith, and commitment of a 4th grader today.