His Grace is Enough

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry,
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock,
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord,
and put their trust in him.

I can almost see the end of the semester coming! Where there will be no more homework, or exams, but Thanksgiving and Christmas! However, the last part of the race is always the hardest one for most of us! I am praying for you readers that we can finish this race strong! I am glad that we can always turn to Jesus when we are weak and tired. I pray that you can find wisdom and strength in Him today :)

His grace is enough!

Praying,
Joey, Prayer Manager

The Strength of a Nation

We find ourselves in another furious dash toward the polls next Tuesday. We have been listening to the candidates explain what they value and what they want to do as the next leader. We have watched some "mud-slinging," listened to criticisms leveled against each candidate, thrown away more political mail than we can count, and watched enough television ads to make us want to get rid of the TV set! What are we supposed to do with all of these messages that appear to contradict each other? Who will be the best leader for what America and the world needs next?

Our Convocation speaker today described four key components of a strong nation: economic strength, military strength, political strength, and strong leadership. All of us need to first ask ourselves if we agree with these four being the most important pillars necessary for a nation to be strong. A strong economy cannot continue to overtax the very businesses that will create the needed jobs. The people either need to take home more of their current paycheck or they need increased wages. Militarily a nation must continue to maintain and update a strong defense to deter potential attackers, as opposed to shrinking the defense system to pre-WWII status (i.e. why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor). Politically we cannot allow or encourage radical governments toward growth and increased power, we must support those leaders and countries who are working to stand against the radical leaders. But, none of these elements are useful if you do not have strong leaders who know what is wrong and know what to do!

There is an account in the book of 2 Chronicles that takes notice of a small group of leaders in Israel who were available during a critical time in the nation's history:

These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the Lord had said...from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command (2 Chron. 12:23, 32)

A country may have extensive resources, but if it does not have a leader who knows what to do and then has the courage to do it, it is still a weak country. We must vote for the person we conclude can lead best.

We must consider similar concerns as we determine the spiritual strength of our churches. Are the churches teaching the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God? Are we helping people grow as disciples of Jesus Christ? As they grow, are we helping them understand what it means for Jesus to be our Lord? Do we understand that there is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Are we helping people conform their lives to God's standard rather than the world's relativistic standard for living? Are we willing to use the word sin to describe offenses against a holy God? Do we lead people to confession and repentance as opposed to redefining sin so they can feel better about themselves?

We need leaders in the church who will share truth through God's love. That is leadership! What are some things you want to see Christian leaders return to or maintain in their priorities for the church? What do you value in a spiritual leader? What does God value in a spiritual leader?

You Are Beautiful

"When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being. When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils. But you woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you. From one bone, I fashioned you. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do. Around this one bone I shaped you, I modeled you, I created you perfectly and beautifully.

Your characteristics are as the rib: strong, yet delicate and fragile. You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life. The rib-cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart.

Support man as the rib-cage supports the body. You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken for his head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand by him.

You are my perfect one, my beautiful little girl. You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and my eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart. Your lips, how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose, so perfect in form. Your hands, so gentle to touch. I have caressed your face in your deepest sleep. I have held your heart close to mine. Of all that lives and breathes, you are most like me. Adam walked with me in the cool of the day, yet he was lonely.

Everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you; My holiness, my strength, my purity, my love, my protection, and my support. You are special because you are an extension of me. Man represent my image, woman my emotions. Together, you represent the totality of God.

So man, treat woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her, you hurt me. In crushing her, you only damage your own heart; the heart of your Father and the heart of her Father. Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you. In gentle quietness, show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self."

--Jesus Loves You 

As a woman it is normal to want to be beautiful and attractive. Women often seek affection from men. For a long time I struggled to compete with other girls around me, to look better, to feel better. But one day during my time with God, I read Psalm 139:14 where God told me that "Payel, you are fearfully and wonderfully made." I am perfect in His eyes. I am flawless in the eyes of Him who created me. He does not look at my outside, He examines my heart. I don't need to measure up to anybody because God already loves me the way I am. I do not need to be afraid or shy or incomplete because His love and grace is enough for me. I am made complete in Him. I would like to encourage all women who struggle with their image or self-esteem: God loves you the way you are. He has made you in His image and in His likeness, there can't be anything greater than that. No matter what the world says about you, remember your Creator created you flawless and He will be with you until the end of time. You are precious in His sight.

To all the men, love and respect women because God created them for you. God created them to be your helper, your supporter. By loving women, you love God, and by respecting women, you respect God.

Thoughts on Prayer

We all realize that as Christians, we are supposed to pray. We know that somehow prayer moves God to action. Many of us have heard that we are to P.U.S.H. when we pray (pray until something happens). I do not always know how hard or how long I should keep pushing. One of the challenges I experience is having the proper perspective when I pray. At times for me there is a gap between knowing that I should pray and how I should go about praying for people's needs and for God's will. Are we supposed to say, "If it is your will Lord..." or does that cancel our request made in faith? Are we supposed to pray for 5 minutes or 3 hours? Should we read the Bible first and then pray or is it the other way around? Do we have to follow the acronym A.C.T.S. (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, intercession) as a proper outline for prayer or can we speak randomly? Are we to speak in King James English or can we use something that sounds more like "The Message"? Should we close our eyes, sit or stand, speak out loud, repeat the entire request again after it has been shared, remind God who the person is that we are praying for and all the details of their need, repeat the name God or Jesus over and over...?

I do not know about you, but I truly enjoy having conversations with people when we simply allow the conversation to move as subjects come up. I enjoy the visit more when the other person is relaxed and comfortable, when they appear able to share what is on their heart freely, when time does not appear to be an issue, when we talk about things that matter, when we trust one another completely, and when our conversations are shared with others who are able to learn something from them. I find that I enjoy "texting" a short thought without needing a lengthy communication at the time, making a quick phone call to inform someone I am thinking about them at the moment, or leaving a note that someone may find find later in the day. 

Could it be that prayer might be used more often if we did not over-think it so much? Let's simply understand it to be conversation with our Daddy in heaven who loves to hear about how our day is going, whose needs we are thinking about, fears or concerns we may have, the joys we experience, or that we might be feeling overwhelmed. Every-time we pray from our heart to an all-powerful loving God, we are changed for the better! Keep praying.

Philippians 4:6
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Unleashing Your Inner Revolutionary

What picture do you immediately conjure up in your mind when you hear the term "revolutionary"? Some may think of a radical group which is attempting to overthrow the current government of some small foreign country. Others may think back to some of their classmates from high school who always collided with the school administration over policies and dress codes. What about a small child who simply smiles and laughs with a grumpy old man in order to cheer him up? You may picture a quiet group of young adults who faithfully share a dream of working to change the lives of a group of inner city children through education. Then there is always the picture of the soldiers from The Revolutionary War fought here in America.

Have you ever thought of Jesus as a revolutionary? Does He call us to be revolutionaries? Our message in Convocation today challenged us to consider what needs to be changed in the present system we may be part of, and then act to bring about change. Human hearts need to change! The Good Samaritan initiated change through his loving actions toward the most unlikely person, one who despised him as inferior. True revolutionaries remember their pain before Jesus found them and changed their life. They never forget that caring for the hearts of others is the business they should be focused on (how many times do we walk right past a person in need, hoping someone else will help them?) They will risk their own reputation and resources in order to help those who need the love of Jesus Christ.

Is there someone you need to get right with in a revolutionary kind of way? The Lord will help us humbly approach them as we work for reconciliation. True leaders understand the pain of others, and the need for action in order to meet those who hurt, right where they are, with the hope we have in Jesus. Safe living is not what God wants from us. Smile at people and say hello. Engage someone you have never met before in a conversation. Buy someone a soda or a cup of coffee and wish them a great day. Talk to someone on the bus - make them wonder who you are and what you are up to!

May the Lord bless you and those around you as you seek to live the life of a revolutionary :)

Luke 10: 25-37