I think about how often I see a split, whether in a casual aquaintanceship, friendship or marriage, is the end result of conflict. It feels like the best option; that the pain will go away if the relationship is terminated.
We are too stubborn to stop having our own way. And the result is torn relationships and broken people.
In meditating on the truth, that for God, divorce is not an option, I am reflecting on what it takes to fight for relationships as God has fought for me. I am not talking about marital divorce. I'm talking about our sin that has separated us in our relationship with God. We go our own way.
But God has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." And He has backed up His Words. His love, has said "I will do what ever it takes to make this relationship work out." In the greek language, this type of love is called agape. We walk away in our pride and selfishness and God pursues us relentlessly. To fight for and win back our hearts. The reconciler of all is Jesus. Who laid down His life to pay the price of our sin, to bring us peace with God. And to top it all off, He stays near to heal. To whisper the truth, when we start to forget.
In this time, when I am very aware of my shortcomings and deficits, and I just want to to numb the hurt with more sin. I am crying out to the Lover of my soul. He is not walking away from my squalor. He is coming toward me with arms wide open, saying, "I will redeem. I will restore. I am enough. I make all things new."
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
27 Million Voices
I want to do something.
This week four campus ministry groups plus imput from the three most secular groups on campus held a human trafficking awareness week. 4 days of training, praying, information tables, and an open forum will conclude tonight with a presentation by, Mindy, a woman who works with World Hope in Cambodia.
The sheer volume of information I have taken in this week about modern day slavery is completely overwhelming. An estimated 27 million people in slavery around the world... 80% are women... 50% are children... 70% are in some type of sexual slavery...it is happening in my backyard...200 women bussed into South Dakota for sexual servitude for hunters during pheasant season (Opener is tomorrow)... the mall of America is the #1 recruitment spot for human trafficking in the US... women held in cages to be selected by customers for sex...children as young as 5 or 6 kidnapped and forced into being soldiers... people told they must work for nothing to pay off a "debt"
This is the tip of the iceberg. I am exhausted physically and emotionally from the whole experience, but when I look into the heart of Jesus, I know one thing...
I can't claim ignorance...
I hear their voices...
I am not the bearer of the weight of this problem, but I know the call of my Lord: to act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with my God. Jesus is the true Redeemer of those who are enslaved physically and spiritually.
I want to go to Asia, to be an agent of His redemption. But I'll start right now...
This week four campus ministry groups plus imput from the three most secular groups on campus held a human trafficking awareness week. 4 days of training, praying, information tables, and an open forum will conclude tonight with a presentation by, Mindy, a woman who works with World Hope in Cambodia.
The sheer volume of information I have taken in this week about modern day slavery is completely overwhelming. An estimated 27 million people in slavery around the world... 80% are women... 50% are children... 70% are in some type of sexual slavery...it is happening in my backyard...200 women bussed into South Dakota for sexual servitude for hunters during pheasant season (Opener is tomorrow)... the mall of America is the #1 recruitment spot for human trafficking in the US... women held in cages to be selected by customers for sex...children as young as 5 or 6 kidnapped and forced into being soldiers... people told they must work for nothing to pay off a "debt"
This is the tip of the iceberg. I am exhausted physically and emotionally from the whole experience, but when I look into the heart of Jesus, I know one thing...
I can't claim ignorance...
I hear their voices...
I am not the bearer of the weight of this problem, but I know the call of my Lord: to act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with my God. Jesus is the true Redeemer of those who are enslaved physically and spiritually.
I want to go to Asia, to be an agent of His redemption. But I'll start right now...
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
From Nehemiah to the Moravians
The power of prayer...I can talk about it. I say that I believe in the power. I have read about the theolgy and know the scriptures about prayer. The real school of prayer comes in doing. Facedown, praying until the Spirit really gets you praying, getting carpet fibers up your nose (Thanks for this image Jo), begging before the throne of grace.
There are two examples of pray warriors that I have been asking God would mold me into.
First is Nehemiah. The man was in the court of the king as cupbearer. He hears of the remnant his brothers of Israel in Jerusalem being exploited and attacked. Nehemiah is devastated. The first throne room floor he hits is not that of the king of Persia, but he weeps before God.
The source I used, said that about 4 months spanned the gap between when Nehemiah first heard about Jerusalem and when the King inquired of Nehemiah what was bothering him. In that time, Nehemiah was constantly burdened in prayer for Israel. Four months... I have prayer ADD and often find it impossible to sustain prayer for a topic for more than 2 minutes.
The beauty of God is that HE delights to answer Nehemiah's prayer. God moves in the heart if the king to be favorable toward Nehemiah and Jerusalem, not only granting that Nehemiah may return to Jerusalem to see the wall around the city rebuilt, but also granted all the supplies needed as well as safe transport there.
The prayers of Nehemiah do not end there. He listens and watches to God's vision as he surveys the walls around Jerusalem. Then Nehemiah, follows the voice of God, his King, as he rallies the remnant to rebuild, even amid the distractions and threats of Tobiah, Sanballat, and Gesham. Leading the people to rebuild the wall in record time, while most of the time they were working with one hand and ready for battle with a sword or spear in the other.
I cannot tell you powerful this last image sticks in my mind these days. Praying, obeying in building the Kingdom, and fighting in battle spurred on by petitioning and listening to the voice of God.
Lately, it is incredible how subtle the distractions have been. How deceptive the lies have been to prevent me from walking forward in freedom. Prayer must be constant or I hesitate or stall out. There is only ONE VOICE for me to listen to and obey even when other voices seem wise.
The second picture of prayer comes from more recent (if you can call it that) history. It is the example of the Moravian Church. Which is the birth of the 24-7 prayer movement
The Moravians saw God move. Someone was before the throne of God every hour of every day for over 100 years. This is a picture of giving God no rest. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. Isaiah 62:6b-7
And it was in and through this people on their knees that God moved mightily. They were transformed by prayer. They saw people coming to know Jesus and they sent many missionaries around the world with the gospel.
This is my heart cry for the church. To be transformed and moved by God as they seek Him in prayer. A book I was reading states over and over again that without people grounded in prayer and constantly seeking God, nothing we do can ever be successful, because without prayer we leave God out of the equation. Without the power of God, teaching and preaching has not the vision of God and the gospel falls on deaf ears.
Where does prayerlessness and weak praying come from? Pride. We fail to see in every moment our desperate condition apart from the redeeming and saving grace of Jesus. We put our trust in something other than Jesus.
I have no brilliant words to offer. My Spirit is somewhere in a state of desperation and rejoicing. Please, body of Christ join me facedown. Let us seek the face of the One who sacrificed all, to make a pathway to the Father.
There are two examples of pray warriors that I have been asking God would mold me into.
First is Nehemiah. The man was in the court of the king as cupbearer. He hears of the remnant his brothers of Israel in Jerusalem being exploited and attacked. Nehemiah is devastated. The first throne room floor he hits is not that of the king of Persia, but he weeps before God.
The source I used, said that about 4 months spanned the gap between when Nehemiah first heard about Jerusalem and when the King inquired of Nehemiah what was bothering him. In that time, Nehemiah was constantly burdened in prayer for Israel. Four months... I have prayer ADD and often find it impossible to sustain prayer for a topic for more than 2 minutes.
The beauty of God is that HE delights to answer Nehemiah's prayer. God moves in the heart if the king to be favorable toward Nehemiah and Jerusalem, not only granting that Nehemiah may return to Jerusalem to see the wall around the city rebuilt, but also granted all the supplies needed as well as safe transport there.
The prayers of Nehemiah do not end there. He listens and watches to God's vision as he surveys the walls around Jerusalem. Then Nehemiah, follows the voice of God, his King, as he rallies the remnant to rebuild, even amid the distractions and threats of Tobiah, Sanballat, and Gesham. Leading the people to rebuild the wall in record time, while most of the time they were working with one hand and ready for battle with a sword or spear in the other.
I cannot tell you powerful this last image sticks in my mind these days. Praying, obeying in building the Kingdom, and fighting in battle spurred on by petitioning and listening to the voice of God.
Lately, it is incredible how subtle the distractions have been. How deceptive the lies have been to prevent me from walking forward in freedom. Prayer must be constant or I hesitate or stall out. There is only ONE VOICE for me to listen to and obey even when other voices seem wise.
The second picture of prayer comes from more recent (if you can call it that) history. It is the example of the Moravian Church. Which is the birth of the 24-7 prayer movement
The Moravians saw God move. Someone was before the throne of God every hour of every day for over 100 years. This is a picture of giving God no rest. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. Isaiah 62:6b-7
And it was in and through this people on their knees that God moved mightily. They were transformed by prayer. They saw people coming to know Jesus and they sent many missionaries around the world with the gospel.
This is my heart cry for the church. To be transformed and moved by God as they seek Him in prayer. A book I was reading states over and over again that without people grounded in prayer and constantly seeking God, nothing we do can ever be successful, because without prayer we leave God out of the equation. Without the power of God, teaching and preaching has not the vision of God and the gospel falls on deaf ears.
Where does prayerlessness and weak praying come from? Pride. We fail to see in every moment our desperate condition apart from the redeeming and saving grace of Jesus. We put our trust in something other than Jesus.
I have no brilliant words to offer. My Spirit is somewhere in a state of desperation and rejoicing. Please, body of Christ join me facedown. Let us seek the face of the One who sacrificed all, to make a pathway to the Father.
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