Framing Tragedy

I'm sure, as with most of you, waking up to horrific news remains devastating.  As a friend said, "I know this stuff happens, but it is awful every.single.time."  As it indeed should be, and I pray our hearts never get callous to the shock and dismay.  When you have children, I think these situations add another dimension.  How, when and what do you tell your children in these situations?

The media has the information along every front and it is hard to avoid it.  Personally, our family has decided that it is best for our children to hear it from us, first.  So this morning I said to my kids, "I'm sorry that I have to tell you this.  I'm sorry that you live in a world where these things are becoming commonplace."  I then proceeded to tell them the events with tears.

I also told them about my walk this morning.  I try to go for a walk every morning and while I go I listen to Pray As You Go app.  It opened with a song that was derived from Psalm 91:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you

    from the fowler’s snare

    and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,

    nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

    nor the plague that destroys at midday.

I ended up sharing the words from today.  While these words aren't meant to be an "escape" from the reality of the tragedy, it does show that the story does not end in the midst of terror. 

My heart has remained very heavy throughout today and I know that I am far removed from the events that took place.  I appreciated being led in a prayer for this situation by the presiding Bishop Michael Curry:

https://youtu.be/zYACfi9nBOs

I pray that some of these thoughts and ideas my bring peace to your own hearts, prayers and conversations as you move forward from today.

May you go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In Christ,



P.S. Another post I have written on similar topics is called, In the Light of Terror.

Saint Patrick's Prayer

Prayer is a profound mystery that envelops deep truth alongside the simplicity of child-like faith.  Last St.Patrick's Day I came across a prayer by Saint Patrick.  It quickly became one of my favorite prayers, because it is filled with so much Scriptural truth.  It is a prayer that provides a framework for how I live my life.  But before we get to it, I just wanted to share two quotes by Eugene Peterson from Tell it Slant on the topic of prayer:

Prayer accomplishes with us, within our spirits, deep within our souls, what is later lived out in the circumstances and conditions of our obedience.  A stiff upper lip won't do it.  A fierce resolve won't do it.  An exemplary life won't do it.

Prayer goes beneath the surface and penetrates the heart of the matter... When we pray we willingly participate in what God is doing, without knowing precisely what God is doing, how God is doing it, or when we will know what is going on - if ever (pg.237)

May this prayer by Saint Patrick lead you and guide you as you journey on in Christ:

 As I arise today,

may the strength of God pilot me,

the power of God uphold me,

the wisdom of God guide me.

May the eye of God look before me,

the ear of God hear me,

the word of God speak for me.

May the hand of God protect me,

the way of God lie before me,

the shield of God defend me,

the host of God save me.

May Christ shield me today.

Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,

Christ when I stand,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

Amen

In Christ,

TODAY

As I reflected back on my posts for this year, I realized there has been a theme of learning how to live in today:
Not Enough Time
Taking Back Life
Being Changed by Contentment
360 Vision: Lacking Nothing


This week, the Lord has reinforced this concept for me once again.  I have been reading Tell it Slant by Eugene Peterson and in one part of the book he looks at the three passages on prayer found in Luke 11:
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

In the book, Eugene points out the common theme of bread in the three parables (the third parable is egg and fish - but he pointed out how this was also part of their daily meal).  As I reflected on these verses and the commonness of bread I was struck once again by the theme of TODAY.

Think about bread - especially in biblical times.  It was a staple.  It was a necessary part of their diet.  Because there were no preservatives it was new everyday.  It was not flashy or expensive nor was it a luxury.  This "bread" is God's offer to us: to be stable, consitent, available everyday in the everyday regularities of life.  His presence with us does not have to be flashy, nor is it a Sunday morning luxury.  It is necessary for our living and it is new every morning.

Give us this day - today.  So often our prayers focus on tomorrow, next week, next year.  We hope and pray that tomorrow will be better, that we will understand and love God better at some future date.  It is like we are chasing a dangling carrot.  Yet, this allusiveness doesn't come from God because God's invitation to us isn't for tomorrow it is for TODAY!

Jesus, is our Bread of Life.  He is available to us EVERYDAY - not just on Sunday or when we are "extra spiritual."  Jesus teaches us to pray for this bread TODAY.  In the second parable, it says "he will give us as much bread as we need."  In the third parable, it says "Ask, seek,knock" which the church has gotten down.  We "ask, seek, knock" but our expectation is that we will be answered tomorrow.  But Jesus immediately follows these requests with the answer "It will be given to you," and the underlying reason is because we have a GOOD FATHER who will give us what we need!  And what is it that we need? The Holy Spirit.

John 14:15-18, 25 -27

“If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Ah!  As I read this I'm not only overwhelmed by the invitation for help in this day, but also with the intimacy of His love.

He is our Father.

He will not leave us as orphans.  

The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us, to teach us, to remind us and to give us peace in this wild world. 

These statements are not platitudes.  They are not unattainable things, available only in a "perfect world," or when you get your act together. Jesus used bread to teach us.  Bread a daily, regular part of life.  It was needed for sustenance.  It was expected.  It was life-giving.

Today, today, today.  May you know that the Holy Spirit is as real in your life as bread is in your mouth.  He is available today to be a reality and an assurance of who you are in Christ, a beloved Child of our Heavenly Father.

In Christ,

Prayers for you

I don't write as often as I would like.  One of the reasons is probably because I handicap myself with the desire to always want to write something that is meaningful, impactful, worth your time and something that will be a blessing to your soul...

So as I thought about what I wanted to write today, I thought about all the people who I know take time to read this blog and I was blown away by the various situations people are in:

• young adults
• older adults
• expecting moms
• mothers of young ones
• mothers of many
• homeschooling moms
• public school moms
• empty-nesters
• people waiting to find out the conditions of their health
• people tired, exhausted in their faith
• people confident of who God is and where He is in their lives
•  a few men:)!
• College students
• People at the end of their rope, treading for survival
• people in strong marriages
• individuals struggling to love their spouse

As I thought through this list, I was once again amazed at the power of Scripture.  No matter who you are in this list or where you are in this list

God sees, God knows, God cares

and He desires to minister to you heart.

So as I read through my daily prayers this week, the specific faces and people behind this list came to my mind, and I wanted to share the prayers that I had for you.

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. (Philippians 2:1).  My prayer for you is that you would be encouraged in Christ, that His love would console you and that you would share in the life of His Spirit as you walk through your daily life.

Psalm 145:4-21

One generation commends your works to another;

they tell of your mighty acts.

5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—

and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7 They celebrate your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The Lord is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All your works praise you, Lord;

your faithful people extol you.

11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might,

12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises

and faithful in all he does.

14 The Lord upholds all who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and faithful in all he does.

18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The Lord watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

Let every creature praise his holy name

for ever and ever.

Psalm 139:1-18

O Lord, you have searched me out and known me;
you know my sitting down and my rising up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

2 You mark out my journeys and my resting place

and are acquainted with all my ways.

3 For there is not a word on my tongue,

but you, O Lord, know it altogether.

4 You encompass me behind and before

and lay your hand upon me.

5 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

so high that I cannot attain it.

6 Where can I go then from your spirit?

Or where can I flee from your presence?

7 If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.

8 If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,

9 Even there your hand shall lead me,

your right hand hold me fast.

10 If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will cover me

and the light around me turn to night,’

11 Even darkness is no darkness with you;

the night is as clear as the day;

darkness and light to you are both alike.

12 For you yourself created my inmost parts;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

13 I thank you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

marvellous are your works, my soul knows well.

14 My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was made in secret

and woven in the depths of the earth.

15 Your eyes beheld my form, as yet unfinished;

already in your book were all my members written,

16 As day by day they were fashioned

when as yet there was none of them.

17 How deep are your counsels to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!

18 If I count them, they are more in number than the sand,

and at the end, I am still in your presence.

Amen

This is how He feels about you, Beloved.  He knows, He see and He cares.  As I stated in the beginning, your circumstances may be completely different then your neighbors, but it matters not to the Lord.  He is our foundation, where we begin but it doesn't end there - He hems us in behind and before, and He leads us with His right hand.... and even in the end - you are still in His presence.


In Christ,

 

Daily Prayer

For the last four months I've started using Daily Prayer from the Church of England as a way to start out my mornings.  You might ask, "What is someone who grew up in an Evangelical church doing using Liturgical prayer?"  This is a question I've asked myself at times, but the beauty and enjoyment it has brought to my faith has practically erased the question. I will share with you the pieces from my journey that have led into Liturgical Prayer.

A couple years ago, I read Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas.  The book was profound for me on so many levels.  The one thing that Dietrich Bonhoeffer had integrated into his life was Daily Prayer, three times a day: morning, noon and night.  He also said that he daily prayed the Psalms.  After reading his book, I started praying through the Psalms and it really did open new doors in my faith.

Then last year, I read Our Favorite Sins by Todd Hunter and he would end each chapter with a prayer from Daily Prayers.  The prayers started to intrigue me and it got me interested in exploring Daily Prayer.  I would return to his book periodically and grab one of the prayers he wrote to use it as a springboard for prayer.  Then one night I typed "Daily Prayer" into Google and I came across Daily Prayer from the Church of England and I've been doing it ever since.

Finally, I read Monk Habits for Everyday People by Dennis Okholm and it solidified the purpose and the reasoning's behind the rhythm of Daily Prayers.  As he discussed his faith journey, he infused the beauty of how participating in Daily Prayer affected his spiritual walk.

So why do I love Daily Prayer?

1. The connection to the larger body of Christ: It amazes me that people all over the world are reading the exact same prayers and Scriptures on the same day, during the same time slots.  I find it encouraging to be reminded that there are other Christians out there being encouraged and strengthened by the exact same Scriptures as I am.  It helps me to tangibly feel a part of the body of Christ.

2. It connects me to the history of the Church: The Church of England celebrates the saints and the history that their individual lives have given to the Church.  I have learned so much about Church History since I've started doing Daily Prayer.  At the beginning of each day, they list the saint or the holiday being celebrated.  If and when I have time, I look up the saints on Wikipedia (I almost always find the time when it is a woman).  I have been utterly amazed at the women of the church and the movements that they have started, which have literally changed their cultures.  Starting my day with the thoughts and inspirations that these saints bring once again, reminds me that today really does matter.  It may seem like I am making, small insignificant choices but the Lord truly does move through our everydayness and it does impact history in tangible ways.

3. Praying through the Psalms:  Daily prayer always includes Psalms.  The thing that stood out to me from what Dietrich Bonhoeffer said about praying the Psalms was that Jesus himself used the Psalms as prayers.  That thought reminds me of the humanity that Jesus carried along with His divinity that He used His physical mouth and His physical mind to celebrate and praise God.  To have the privilege and opportunity to do the same, daily is a huge blessing.  Also, using Scripture as a platform for prayer instead of just filling my mind with information has helped me to interact with Scripture differently.

4. The connection of Scripture:  The majority of Daily Prayer, is straight Scripture.  In the morning, there is always a Psalm, an Old Testament Passage and a New Testament passage.  As I read through all three of these at the same time, I continue to be amazed at the continuity of Scripture and the themes that seem to jump out at me even more clearly through Daily Prayer. 

5. The repetition:  There are a few Scriptures that are a) either repeated daily or b) repeated on a weekly basis.  These Scriptures contain the foundational truths of God's daily love for us and His plan of salvation.  Having them before me daily helps keep me oriented to the truth of God.  John Eldredge discussed in one of his books - our amnesia of God.  How easy it can be to lose sight of the reality of God when we get bogged down in life.  For me, Daily Prayer, has kept God and his purposes at the forefront of my mind.

6. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.  

Throughout Daily Prayer, these words are repeated several times.  I am still reading through Practice Resurrection by Eugene Peterson and now he is covering the Trinity.  Being confronted with these words multiple times on a daily basis keeps me keenly aware of the Trinity and how I can allow the Trinity to shape my life this day.

7. It gives order, purpose and direction to my prayer: After reading and praying through all the Scriptures there comes a point towards the end which states, "Pause and pray for : the day and its tasks,  the world and its needs, the Church and her life."  The reason I love this is because by this point in time, my troubles, worries and fears have been greatly minimized from when I first entered my time of prayer.  The glory of God and what He is up to has reshaped my mind and helped bring perspective to my day.  It also helps me to take time to look outwards to the people in my life that might need prayer, and to have concern for the greater issues that may be affecting our world, at this moment.

So these are the things that I love about Daily Prayer.  Growing up, I always thought liturgical prayer was so boring, so restrictive and so unnecessary but I had never delved into it because I allowed my preconceived biases to block my path.  However, now that I've experienced it, I've discovered that rather than constricting my faith it has helped to direct it, strengthen it and encourage it. 

Daily Prayer does have a morning, noon and night prayer - all different Scriptures, directions and focuses.  I have yet to fully venture into doing all three prayers on a daily basis, but I love that it is there and I love that when I need a middle of the day refocus, or a night-ending wrap up, Daily Prayer provides that for me.

In Christ,



All thoughts in this post are from me and have come from my personal interaction with Daily Prayer from the Church of England.

Surrounds

 The wind rustling through the air.

The sun creeping to far away places.

 The clouds drifting through the air - a constantly changing picture on the sky's canvas

 The grass blowing in the wind

The birds joining into the conversation. 

Sounds.

The conversation of creation that surrounds us constantly - from the large to the very small. 

This is just the surface, it barely scratches all that is there. 

Yet, we can't take it all in, we can't hold it all - the amazement, the wonder it slips through our hands 

The conversation of love and sustenance

Surrounds

You didn't need to say much more.

Actually anymore. 

But you chose to step in to bring love beyond what constantly surrounds

what we've grown so accustomed to

 that we stopped listening. 

You took on the simplicity, the regularity of our humanity and you added another element 

an element of love. 

It started as a baby cry piercing the night,  

the laughter of a little child, 

the deep breaths of a man hard at work creating, building. 

The cries, the tears of loss. 

The rejection of acquaintances, friends, those closet to you. 

You were whipped, spat upon and through it all you choose to say, 

"Father forgive them." 

In the commonness of everyday man

you chose to come and share the story of the uncreated One 

- the story of love-

 every step of the way,

 the crescendo of acceptance, 

arms opened wide.

Amazing Creator of both big and small 

thank you 

for taking the time to show us your hands aren't too large

to hold our very small. 

In Christ,

Praying like little children

Can I brag on my kids? Today my kids taught me about prayer.

This weekend we went to see my kids great-grandpa. He has been having problems with one of his feet that has ended up turning into complications throughout his whole body. Before we left on Saturday the kids and I prayed for him. Later we found out that shortly after we left he was sent by ambulance to the hospital. I must confess my thoughts went to "so much for praying!" We informed my kids that night that Great-Grandpa Rich went to the hospital. They, however, were not deterred. They have been faithfully praying for him since Saturday.

Today during school Mercea said, "After school I want to play the piano and pray for Grandpa Rich."

I said, "Okay" and we proceeded to have school for the next 2 hours. I then got busy making dinner and Mercea's request was forgotten by me. While I was making dinner, I heard piano playing in the background. I asked what they were doing,

"We are singing and praying for Grandpa Rich." I smiled.

A couple minutes later it was silent, I said, "Are you done?"

James said, "No, Mercea's praying." I went into the living room and here were both of my kids kneeling on the floor praying for their great-grandpa. My heart just melted. Here are two kids that believe in the power of prayer and haven't been deterred by circumstances.

Jesus said, Matthew 19:14 "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Amen

On that note I would like to inform you of a prayer request. If you feel led to add this to your prayers it would be greatly appreciated:

Do you remember my post 3 Special Ladies? The post was about 3 incredible women in my family line that have withstood tragedy and kept their eyes on Him even during the hard times. The same day I wrote post I received devastating news. If I had written the post later I could have written about 4 special ladies. At that time, my sweet cousin Amanda who was about 21 weeks pregnant found out during her ultrasound that her baby has no kidneys, hence the baby's life will not be sustainable outside the womb. The syndrome the baby is diagnosed with is called Potter's Syndrome. Amanda was given the option to abort but they have chosen life. Her husband Nick and herself have been lifting up the name of Christ since they first heard and they are currently "cherishing every kick." Unless there is a miracle this baby will be entering heaven soon after his or her birth. Nick, Amanda and this precious baby could use your prayers during this season. You can follow their story at http://nickandamandakleoppel.blogspot.com/.

May we follow the example of the children: trusting in our powerful God, laying our requests at His feet as we pray for those walking through times of trouble.

In Christ,

Connecting the dots: Treasure!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfholloway/1441871572

On Monday I had the most fascinating conversation I've ever had concerning human history. It occurred while I was talking to my friend's father, "Mr. S." Mr. S is 84 years old and has led an amazing life. A couple of the significant things he has done in his life includes: being President of CBS and being the US Ambassador to the Vatican during the Reagan administration. Whenever I talk to him I feel like treasures are being spilled upon the ground and I am trying to gather them up as quickly as possible. I am going to try and recount what I learned on Monday for you, but I'm sure it will be lacking in the flavor, intensity, character and the beauty of the actual conversation.



We were sitting in a home that was an original farmstead (built in 1895) and we were discussing how much society has radically changed over the last 100 years with the development of radios, movies, television, airplanes, automobiles and more. He was asking me if there was any biblical prophecies that would predict the radical changes that have occurred over the last 100 years. I mentioned how in Revelation 11:9 it discussed the prophets being killed in Jerusalem and how "For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial." The only way this statement makes sense it that everyone could gaze on them is through television. The result of this conversation brought us into discussing the end times and this is when my history lesson began.



In 1950, Mr. S became a salesman for CBS selling advertising for television. He said at that time, no one realized the significance of television, everyone thought the money was in radio and television was a passing fancy. Every single radio advertisers at CBS was asked if they wanted the job to sell ads for television and every single one of them said no, so Mr S. ended up with the job. Unpredicted by anyone, within the 10 year period of 1950 to 1960 television took over the USA and revolutionized the world as it was known throughout history... (I shall return to this)


As we discussed communication and its relation to the end times Mr. S pointed out that the Bible states that the second coming of Christ will not occur until the Jewish people are converted. He then went back to the beginning of the Bible and discussed how God in His providence chose the Jews to be His chosen people. In the beginning of time, God chose the Jews to market to the world the character of God; they were His representatives/messengers/storytellers. As Mr. S said, "Jews are geniuses" by the design of God in the area of marketing. When Jesus walked on this world he walked along the water and pointed at three nobodies, Peter, James and John and said follow me. All the disciples were uneducated men but God chose 12 of them to revolutionize the world (2,000 years ago) and they did just that because of their innate talent as Jewish people to be His messengers.

So what does all this have to do with movies and television? In 1925, movies without sound started coming out of Hollywood. By 1927, movies with pictures and sound emerged. The men who became the heads of the most famous studios Paramount, MGM, FOX film corporation, Warner Brothers and Universal Studios were all Jewish (Samuel Goldwyn, Louis B Mayer, Marcus Loew , Nicholas Schenck, William Fox, Irving Thalberg, Adolph Zukor, Carl Laemmle, and Albert Warner(and his 2 brothers). If you read their bios you will see that all 11 of these men come from Jewish, mostly poor immigrant backgrounds, and out of nowhere came and dominated the film industry with names that still dominate even today. You will also see the words: "innate and geniuses" intertwined throughout their biographical information. Do you recognize a theme? Men of no influence or trained background, revolutionizing the world through telling stories?

At the time Mr. S was a salesman for CBS there were 3 main entities influenced television: CBS (William Paley,), NBC (David Sarnoff) and ABC (Leonard Goldenson) The heads of all three of these companies were Jewish. As Mr. S beautifully he was a hard worker but the Jewish people have a genius because of God's innate design and that is why they were so successful in this area. Mr S. stated "You may have the best shows but if you don't know how to promote them they will go nowhere." The revolution in human history over the last 100 years was again sparked by men talented by God's design ~ the innate talent of His Chosen Ones brought about a revolutionary change to the world culture.


Mr. S emphasized throughout the conversation that we in this time do not understand the significance of where we stand in the place of history. The last 100 years have been a huge acceleration in progress of mankind. The beauty of it all is that it is according to God's original Sovereign design; the Jews of which only there are 12 million in a world population of 6 billion were used to revolutionize the communication world which as a result has revolutionized the entire world.

So folks here are the "dots" I have made and conncected since learning this history (this now is my personal opinion alone and came out of what I heard and learned). As the Church we have failed to recognize the significance of the Jewish people. As "evangelical Christians" we have hated Hollywood and all the evil it has brought into the world (for good reasons). But perhaps what we have failed to recognize is that maybe we missed an open door. God had placed His most talented ones in the most important seats. In 1925 the movie industry was controlled by His Chosen People. In 1950 the radio and television world was controlled by God's chosen people. They had the talent, but they were missing the heart. Movies, television and radio are the most influential influences in the world today and guess who recognized the extent of its influence, the enemy, and he has taken full advantage of it. Can you imagine if just these men had found the Lord? Where our society would be today?

Evangelical Christians" have been called "hard workers." As Mr. S said, he was a hard worker but he admitted he was missing the natural geniuses that the Jews held in this department. We as Christians have the best message in the world, but we aren't doing a very good job promoting it. Perhaps it is because we aren't the ones with the talent? We as the Church have really "bombed" when it has come to having an ability to move into the realm of media in an influential way. We may have the heart but we just haven't found the way to breakthrough. There has been a tide in the Church today changing our hearts from coming up with the best "programs to evangelize" to recognizing the need for intercession. After my conversation on Monday I have a greater appreciation for one reason why this may be. We are "hard workers" and God wants us to continue to intercede for revival. But perhaps the way He wants to turn the world upside down again is by using His Chosen people, the ones He naturally endowed with the talent to market Him? As a result of this conversation, I personally believe that one of our primary focuses of intercession in this hour should be for the Father to call His Chosen Ones back to Himself. This may very well be the door He will run through to get His message out to the whole world again. In 1925 and 1950 God opened the door and gave His Chosen Ones a platform of extreme influence but they were missing the heart. As the Church, let us come in line with the heartbeat of the Father to see the need for His Chosen Ones to be redeemed so that the next time He opens wide the door of influence to His Chosen Ones their hearts will be in the right place.

Romans 3:1-3 (The Message)

So what difference does it make who's a Jew and who isn't, who has been trained in God's ways and who hasn't? As it turns out, it makes a lot of difference—but not the difference so many have assumed. First, there's the matter of being put in charge of writing down and caring for God's revelation, these Holy Scriptures. So, what if, in the course of doing that, some of those Jews abandoned their post? God didn't abandon them. Do you think their faithlessness cancels out his faithfulness? Not on your life! Depend on it: God keeps his word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth.

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That second to last paragraph was the culmination of this posting but here are a few final thoughts. As I said earlier, this conversation was the most fascinating historical conversation that I have had in my life. It fascinated me that someone has lived history and has been able to step back and recognize the bigger picture of where it all lands in the place of human history and to recognize that we are in extraordinary times. Also, as an intercessor it opened my eyes to the importance of the Jewish people and the need to be interceding for their salvation.

Finally, as always I am amazed at the tapestry of God. Each of these individuals by themselves, including Mr. S himself, were just living their lives and doing their jobs. They did not recognize at the time that they were creating history, that they were revolutionizing the world. However, when you step back 60 years later and reflect on the "bigger picture" you see the amazing hand of God still involved in human history. So folks, realize as you are walking through your everyday life, doing your day to day tasks that you are part of a bigger beautiful tapestry and there will be a day where it is fully revealed how your role was part of making a difference in this story of His story.

Prayer Request

I'm asking for prayer for my beautiful niece Nevaeh Rae Wallace. She entered Milwaukee Children's Hospital last night with major heart concerns. If you haven't heard her story before, she was born with half a heart. She has already had 2 open heart surgeries and is supposed to be in her "honeymoon phase" right now. The docs are trying to figure out if she is having heart failure or if a virus is attacking her heart. Either way, she and her family needs your prayers!

You can read her story and follow her updates @ http://caringbridge.org/visit/nevaehw

So thank you,

Smorgasbord Tuesday: Beef Jerky

Joshua 3:6-13

Joshua said to the priests, "Take the Ark of the Agreement

and go ahead of the people." So the priests lifted the Ark

and carried it ahead of the people.
7 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to make you great

in the opinion of all the Israelites so the people will

know I am with you just as I was with Moses.

8 Tell the priests who carry the Ark of the Agreement

to go to the edge of the Jordan River and stand in the water."
9 Then Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen

to the words of the Lord your God.10 Here is proof that

the living God is with you and that he will force out the

Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites,

Amorites, and Jebusites.11 The Ark of the Agreement with

the Lord of the whole world will go ahead of you

into the Jordan River.12 Now choose twelve

men from among you, one from each of

the twelve tribes of Israel.13 The priests will ,

the Ark of the Lord, the Master of the whole world

into the Jordan ahead of you. When they step into

the water, it will stop. The river will stop flowing

and will stand up in a heap."

This particular passage has opened up my eyes to give me some new understanding on prayer. In this passage God asked the priests to go ahead of the people into a river of water. What did it take for the priests to do this? It took faith and action. Did they go alone though? No, they went with the Ark of Agreement in their hands. What did the Ark of Agreement contain? It contained the Master of the whole world in it.

One thing that I enjoy doing is interceeding on behalf of others. This story opened my eyes of what we sometimes do as intercessors. Sometimes there is a river preventing the people of God from moving through into the "promised land." We as intercessors can gather together and step into that river in faith. We don't step in alone, though, but we step in carrying the promises of God, the agreements He has made with His children. When we step in we are preparing the way for the people of God to move through on dry land to the other side.

The priests stayed in the river until everyone was across. Sometimes as intercessors, we get tired, but remember who and what you are carrying and wait in the river till everyone makes it across!

So these are just my thoughts... Something for you to chew on (beef jerky is chewy and takes awhile to swallow. This my cause some of you to pause and think, and that is a good thing).

Enjoy, Jaime