Love Those Lists

I love the Lord because He hears

my voice and my prayer for mercy.

Because He bends down to listen,

I will pray as long as I have breath.

Psalm 116:1,2

For as long as we have been married, Brian has been in the habit of keeping to-do lists. He always carries 3x5 cards in his shirt pocket and usually one of those cards has on it a list of things he needs to do in the course of his day. He'll even add some long range things to that list. He then methodically crosses through each thing as he gets them done. I do that somewhat mentally but to make sure things get done, he chooses the list-on-card method.

One of my responsibilities in our church is to type up our church prayer list. I provide them to adults on Sunday mornings, then make any corrections for Wednesday night. I'll type the revised ones for Wednesday night and pass it out and will then make corrections again for the following Sunday. That is the routine with the prayer sheet. I hate to say that very often, but a prayer list from church can be just that...routine. For those who have asked to be on such a list either for themselves or for friends and loved ones, there is nothing routine about that prayer list. They are counting on others to be praying for their various needs.

As I look at our church prayer sheet for tomorrow, I see:

-four families who have recently lost loved ones

-five individuals desperate for jobs

-a young boy with a physical problem the doctors can't seem to name or remedy

-a man awaiting a heart transplant

-eight people I know of with cancer

-servicemen overseas

-several unsaved persons

-a wife caring for her husband who has rapidly advancing Alzheimers

Our church is a small church and there are even more requests listed than I have mentioned. Most churches have prayer lists and if not, usually Sunday school classes will have a list they keep. My husband teaches an adult Sunday school class. He told me yesterday that they go over the new prayer list for the week in class. He mentioned to them last week that the list isn't just to go over on a Sunday but is to be taken home and prayed over during the week.

I've been on prayer sheets before. I know what it is to have a sick relative, a husband without a job, various family concerns, and it goes on and on with all of us often facing similar problems. I know during some of those times how desperate I was for godly friends and church members to be praying faithfully for me and mine. Many a time, the prayers of God's people lightened my load and the Son shown brightly in my spirit because of their faithfulness to pray.

Look around your own church or family. Some are dealing with financial problems. Some are living with rebellious teenagers. There are some with physical tests, x-rays, etc. pending who don't even want to mention it but they need our prayerful attention when we hear of it. Others, because of a terminal illness are living with their toes touching the edge of Eternity. On FB, I often find myself broken hearted over some of those with very serious conditions, especially among children. I have two very little boys who keep me praying and not just for them but also for their families who feel so helpless to do anything for their own children. I learned this morning that one of those little boys went to Heaven early this morning, so my prayers now will intensify for those dear parents.

So let me ask what your prayer list looks like? If we have one, are we praying sincerely for those who are depending on us? If we don't have a prayer list, we can make up our own. We don't need anything official from a church or class. This week there is a National Day of Prayer we are called to. We also have a country that is in dire need of our prayers...in fact, many times a day we should be praying for it. Is our country listed on our prayer list?

I started writing about a prayer list from a small church, a prayer list that contains needs on just a half sheet of paper. But it's not just a piece of paper with names. Your list may look different from mine but it still represents needs we are called upon to pray for. There are people counting on us.

In closing let me add something to this. How often have we had someone in passing conversation ask us to pray for them. We often give a quick promise to do just that. We've learned all sorts of affirmative replies to give to such a person. We often walk away and not give that request another thought. May God forgive us for being so casual about something so important in the lives of others.

May we be found faithful in this important area of our spiritual walk. We know that God answers prayer. He never grows weary of our coming before Him be it with our own needs or bringing the needs of others to Him. Our prayers can make such a difference in the lives of those we pray for and who are facing some pretty insurmountable concerns.

Dear Father...Thank You for the privilege of coming to You in prayer. Thank You for listening to me when I come to You with the concerns of others as well as my own. I'm so grateful for Your faithfulness in my life. I love You Father...In Jesus' precious name...Amen

Love My Rut...I Think!

And let us consider one another

to provoke unto love and to

good works.

Hebrews 10:24

When around the age of eight, I remember how much I loved Sunday afternoon car rides to see farmer relatives. My mother and grandmother sat in the front seat of the car while my sister Kay and I sat in the back seat, usually playing with our dolls that we had taken with us. The highway took us only so far to whichever farm we were headed to, but then we had to turn off onto dirt roads. That wasn't so bad unless there had been a big rain. After those rains, most farmers were happy to just stay home until there had been some drying-out time. However, we never knew when it had rained in some areas. If the dirt road looked smooth, it seemed it would be safe...how wrong could we be. Sometimes there were ruts in the road where a farmer had braved the terrible road conditions.

As we had made the trip, my mother would venture forth anyway on the road. If there were tire ruts, she would try to stay to the right or left of them. I remember asking her one time why she didn't drive in the two ditches. She explained that those ditches are actually “ruts” and you never want to get stuck in ruts or you would be forever trying to get out of them. I understood that better after we drove into muddy ruts one day. We sat there until some farmer spotted us and came to pull us out with his tractor. Kay and sat and cried because we thought we would never see our home again. We did get out of the ruts though but with a great deal of effort.

I don't know how often I have said to someone, “I love my comfortable rut.” There is a certain routine to most of our lives where we have found a kind of comfort and security that may not be bad in themselves unless we are happy to stay there, never budging or making any effort to do anything different. For the most part, when we speak of the ruts we find ourselves in, they aren't positive.

Let me say that having a routine in one's life and being in a rut are not necessarily the same things. Having a routine in life is often very beneficial in getting things accomplished. There are certain things I do on certain days of the week. I wash clothes on Monday, iron on Tuesday, type the church bulletin by Wednesday with church that night, grocery shop on Thursday, leave Friday as a free day, go to the church on Saturday to run the bulletin and get things done for the Sunday school department for the next day and then Sunday speaks for itself. That to some folks would sound like a rut and it would be unless I'm willing to shift some things around for the convenience of others or when there are interruptions of some sort.

There are some negative ruts we can get ourselves into without even noticing it. I'll mention a few:

Rut of Offense:

We have known people who stay mad at someone, anyone all the time. If they don't have someone to talk and gripe about all the time, they aren't happy. When we get around them, we automatically know who/what the conversation will be about. Perhaps you and I have found ourselves in this rut at times but through God's help, we've been pulled out of this destructive rut.

Rut of verbal garbage:

Believe it or not, this rut is something we Christians can get pulled into. This rut doesn't have to be out and out cursing or even shady jokes and innuendo. Christians are usually careful about those things. I've been in settings with conversations going on where people are talking about others, bringing up someone else's past junk, taking others reputations apart piece by piece. We forget in such settings that God is very present and hears every word. I've been in settings where I felt like taking a bath after I got home as if I could wash off the conversation I just took part in. Psalms suggests putting a guard over our lips.

Rut of church activity:

Please don't misunderstand me on this one. Serving the Lord however He leads is important for us to be a part of. Our service though can be so routine that we don't even give the Lord a thought as we are fulfilling certain activities. Singing in the choir can end up just providing us with the best seat in the church during a service. I play the piano for our services. I must admit that there are times I play and that's it. I can play with rarely thinking about what I'm playing and why. Some Sunday school teachers love that status and have taught for years but it's become the same routine job being done week after week. In this area, we need a real tug from the Holy Spirit to get us back on track...the track of sincere service for the Lord.

Rut of comfort:

This can be a bad one. For folks who have retired like I have, there's a danger in sitting and doing nothing, thinking we've earned that time. There is no where in Scripture where we are given permission to give up on life and service for God. That place of comfort can make us ill from being self-absorbed. We can become lazy, not available to the needs of others and certainly not available to God's calling on our lives. There's nothing wrong with a certain amount of comfort but not to the point of shutting out all opportunities for having meaning in the lives of others as well as for the cause of Christ.

Rut of sin:

This rut is a very personal one. I understand that sin is sin and God hates it in us. I doubt that any of us have murdered anyone or robbed any banks. We put things like that at the top of the Sin List. The Lord isn't any happier with our bad attitudes, lack of spiritual discipline, overeating, and anger than some of those biggy sins...and on and on it could go.

Rut of self:

All of the other ruts mentioned could probably fall in this category. When in the rut of self, our attitude is “I'm going to live life like I want to live it and it's not of anyone's business.” That statement might shut the mouths of our critics but the self absorbed person will be happily settled into their own personal rut with no thought for others or even for God Himself. This is one of the hardest ruts to get out of because many times, we don't realize we're in this one and it might take some convincing. When we recognize it, we then have to want to do something about the problem. Our God is the God of the impossible and can even give us victory over this rut, but we must work together with Him to budge from this one.

No matter the rut we might find ourselves in, the Holy Spirit stands ready to convict us. We need to be listening to His prompting all the time. He also will empower us to get out of whatever rut has it's hold on us. Let's remember that the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, is the same Spirit that resides in all of us who claim Jesus as Savior. Through Him, we are more than conquerors and we can walk in spiritual victory above and around the ruts of life.

Dear Father, I'm so grateful that You know me and You can help me move out of my selfish ways. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me despite my sinful ways. I love You...Amen

Some Lessons From the Cross

Art thou the King of the Jews?

...And Jesus said unto him (Pilate),

“Thou sayest.”

Matthew 27:11b

With this being the Easter season, I've been thinking about those latter days of Jesus prior to His crucifixion. There's much to be learned from Jesus' life all through the Gospels, but I find some things of very practical use in those crises days when Jesus was up against more cruelty and unfairness than we could ever imagine.

One thing especially has stood out to me as Jesus faced the false accusations and horrible treatment. There are songs about Jesus never saying a single word in all of the trial and torture process. Those songs are wrong. All we have to do is read the Gospel accounts and see where Jesus did speak, but what He said was in answering questions posed by authorities. He could have spoken up more than He did. He could have with a snap of His finger done great damage to any of His enemies but didn't.

I think the thing about Jesus' “last words” was that whatever He did say During trials or from the cross, was never with complaining, defending Himself, bitterness or threatening. No one ever went through what Jesus did. He was not only going through the crucifixion process but was also taking on the sin of mankind. No one else ever did what He did. I had to think on a personal level when I am hurt by another or misunderstood, am I prepared to just keep my mouth shut about it, letting God take care of the situation.

Philippians 2:5 tells us to “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus....” As we think about Jesus, Who and all He is/was, we are commanded to do the same. We will be tested on a verse like that and we will be expected to be as much like Him as possible. As we read about Jesus in the Gospels, we find that it wasn't just at the time of His trial that He set a guard over His speech. He was careful of His speech at all times whether in dealing with disciples, religious leaders, close friends or family members.

I've had people in my life as I'm sure some readers have had as well, who set out to deliberately do damage to me. That's what Jesus faced with officials out to destroy Him. As I've gone through the ire and bitterness of some, it's been hurtful. Jesus knew those hurtful times in his ministry, and prior to His crucifixion as well.

The other thing I see in Jesus' last hours that have meant much to me were some things Jesus said from the cross. I've often heard well-meaning folks say that we should never ask God, “Why?” My reply to them is that if Jesus could ask His Father that same question from the cross, in our following Him I feel I too can ask the same in the hearing of a very loving Heavenly Father who understands my hurts and weaknesses more than anyone I know.

One of the biggest things Jesus prayed from the cross has also had great effect on me. He prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” To me, this had to be a most difficult prayer for Jesus under His very human circumstances. It was all so unjust. No one apologized to Him for their wrong doing but He forgave and forgave big time. You and I know that He didn't deserve death on a cross, but chose that way to not be a martyr but to be our redeemer and Savior. I can't imagine the horrible pain He endured in every way...physical, emotional and spiritual all wrapped up in one. He didn't just pray that prayer of forgiveness for the soldiers around the cross. That prayer was prayed for you and me as He paid the price for our sin. Through it all, He redeemed us, saved us, sacrificed for us, conquered death for us and showed His love for us beyond what we can fathom. If Jesus can forgive under those circustances, who am I to fail to forgive even if an offender doesn't know I've forgiven her.

As I have viewed these things Jesus has shown me, that I have to ask what direction I intend to go. You and I are to love, pray for and yes forgive those who wrong us. We're called upon to do all three no matter who the person might be. I must rest in my relationship with Jesus, putting into practice those things He's brought to my attention anew in this wonderful season of the year. All three are difficult when circumstances are trying, but God's grace is sufficient for our every need. Jesus provided it all for us. For us, Easter should be every day of the year in the practice of our very expensively purchased salvation. Because of Jesus, we walk in victory over Satan and sin.

“Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.”

Thank You Father for sending Your Son to die for me and all others. Thank you Jesus for being willing to give of Yourself, thus enabling me to walk in victory over sin and death. I love You today like at no other time. I pray I will be aware that everyday is Easter in my life. Amen

Who Is JESUS To Us?

When Jesus came into the coasts
of Caesarea Philippi, He asked
His disciples, saying:
Whom do men say that I the
Son of Man am?
Matthew 16:13

In the above verse, Jesus asked of his disciples an interesting question. He wanted to know who common, ordinary people thought Him to be? Their response to Him was as honest as they could be. There were some who thought that Jesus was John the Baptist while some thought of Elijah. Others thought Jesus to be a prophet, perhaps Jeremiah or one of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus referred to Himself with a very familiar term that He often used for Himself...Son of Man. That was the earthly, human term He used for Himself.

The most important part of this exchange was when Jesus then asked, “But whom say ye that I am?” We don't know how everyone responded but we do know that Peter spoke up as was the usual thing for Peter to do. Very profoundly, Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” One of the hardest things for the Jews at that time was accepting the fact that if Jesus was the Messiah, He wouldn't have appeared as they had always heard He would. Down through their history, the expectation of the Messiah was that when He came, He would probably come on a white horse followed by an army that would save them from all of their enemies. There was no way they could believe in the Bethlehem part of Jesus' story. There was absolutely no way, a Messiah would end up on a cross, not even defending Himself. How very wrong could especially those Jewish leaders be.

No matter where we go today, we may find ourselves surrounded by people who, in their own articulate ways want to share with us who Jesus or God is to them. In these instances, their descriptions of Jesus would be used only in vile or profane language. However, I hasten to add that although that grouping of people, mostly unsaved we think, even with their profanity still can express in their own ugly ways who they think Jesus or God to be.

I'm wondering if Jesus could speak to us in His Son of Man form and ask us who we say who He is to us personally, what would be our response beyond the usual generic names we would give. Many Christians in our day hardly give Jesus a thought in the course of their everyday living.

Lately in our ladies Bible study, I have encouraged our ladies in their Bible reading, to circle or underline all of the names for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit along with characteristics that might be used in describing Him (them)....such as “The LORD is my SHEPHERD.” There find Lord for a name and Shepherd that can be a name or characteristic. I've always suggested as we read our Bibles to always be looking for God...to learn a new name or description. As we do this, our hearts are warmed.

When we go through some really tough times, it's good to have learned some of those terms that we can reflect back on and think deeply about, reminding us of how precious He is to us. In a tough time, I don't always feel like doing a lot of reading so anything I can remember who God is and how much Jesus has meant to me I am encouraged.

I have a little notebook that I purchased at Hobby Lobby several years. It's my God notebook. In that notebook I have listed names for God/Jesus I've come across in my Bible reading. I've listed personal characteristics and anything else I've been able to come up with. This book is handy for me to just pull out and read about those things God is in my life. It warms my heart and encourages my mind more than I can begin to say.

So, if you and I were asked by someone, “Who is Jesus to you?” Could I get much further than “Savior” or “Lord?” What other qualities or names should be familiar to me simply because of my relationship with Him and looking back on God's goodness and support in my life.

Let me try with no notes in front of me: Savior, Lord, Shepherd, way, truth, life, healer, shield, light, salvation, intercessor, hope, living water (just taught that one), Father, Bread of life, great I AM....as I look at this list, I can see where He has been these things to me more than once in my life. I could list more probably but wanted those things that have meant much to me in more recent days.

I don't want to be casual with God or His name. I grow weary hearing about the Big Daddy in the Sky, the Big Man Upstairs...the Holy Spirit really gets a raw deal on the part of many who don't even know Him at all. God's name is to be respected. There are things people wouldn't dare call Queen Elizabeth in her presence because of their respect for her position. Why would anyone dare to disrespect any name of God with Him being the very God and Creator of the Universe.

Who is God/Jesus to you and me today without having to even sit and ponder the question. That will say more about our relationship with Him than we can ever know. We shouldn't be casual with our answers. The word “Savior” is thrown around a lot but is that a name with real meaning for us? It certainly should but what does His name really mean to us.

Let's remember as we see in Philippians 2:10-11 that a day is coming ….”That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” No longer will our precious Savior's name be a curse word for all will bow the knee and their tongues will confess Jesus to be Lord. Wow...what a day that will be!

Dear Lord Jesus, I'm so grateful for You, Your friendship, provision, watch care, healing and so many other things I could list. Thank You for these things and I pray I will always be grateful and will follow You without hesitation. I love You....Amen