Monday through Friday of most weeks I circulate a prayer list for the church I attend.  This morning’s prayer verse emphasizes a principle I was introduced to a few years ago. Namely this:  All else being equal, after offering earnest prayers to God for a period of time determined by the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life, there is nothing wrong with flipping a coin to decide what one ought to do about a problem or question one faces in life.  Sounds pretty risky, I know, but before you judge me for what I’ve just shared read this morning’s verse again.  Isn’t this the technique the apostles employed when they were deciding who it would be to take over for Judas once he’d been condemned?  

I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my life when I simply could not decide what it was I ought to do, in order to “do” the right thing.   I have no problem choosing between good and bad–except with food, which is a constant struggle for me–that choice is easy.  I want the good to prevail, so I choose it.  But when the choice is between good, better or best and I have no idea which of the three would be the best for me, things get a whole lot harder.  Should I stay, or should I go?  Should I speak up, or should I remain silent?  Should I share, or should I refrain?  And if I share, what should I share?  How much should I share?  When should I share it, and with whom?  You see where my mind goes with regards to these things. 

Some people don’t struggle when making decisions–I envy them.  Me, I struggle sometimes, and when I do, I get frozen in indecision.  I know I need to do something, but what is that something I need to do?

Two years ago I was struggling with a decision that had haunted me for decades.  I’d procrastinated and not done what I was often prompted to do.  I didn’t trust that I was reading things right, and I guess you could say I had some trust issues with God, too.  I wish I didn’t have to say that, but in all honesty, not having had a trustworthy dad growing up, I struggle with lingering trust issues as an adult.  Anyway, at this time I felt that pang of conviction again.  Would I trust God and take the plunge? Would I do this horribly scary thing that I truly felt had been nagging at me for years?  Would I leap into the unknown and trust God to keep me safe? 

About this time I read an essay by a favorie author of mine. The piece was part of a study guide that had to do with suffering.  I’m a big fan of this writer, so I was delighted to see that he had weighed in on this important topic.  In the essay, I found the suggestion I have just passed along to you:  All else being equal and after having earnestly sought the Lord in prayer, if you still do not have a definitive answer, or an answer that you can determine to be definitive (because of your failings as a mortal), then flip a coin, cast a lot, pull a rock out of a bag, and let this act, covered in prayer, help you decide. 

It was a radical idea that sounded just a wee bit unspiritual to me, yet reflected the unorthodox thinking that has drawn me to his work and his witness in the past. Dare I trust his advice, I wondered?  Desperate to find my way, I decided that I would.

My story ends with me taking a risk and pulling a rock.  Actually, my husband and I pulled a rock together.  We prayed first, asking God to direct our steps and then, yeah, we pulled a rock.  Our answer was “no,” so we did nothing.  We left the project alone and continued on with our lives.  However, within six or eight month’s time, changes in global markets prompted us to reconsider.  This time we took a different route to our objective.  We consulted with a financial advisor, put together a budget, talked with trusted friends, prayed again, and made a decision to pursue what we felt was God’s choice for our lives.  He honored our decision to move forward without pulling rocks that day, but I also believe he honored our decision to pull rocks months before.  His “NO” that first time had been decisive and comforting to us.  When the time was right, however, His “No” became a “Yes”.  Suffice it to say, we had learned a lot in the span of eight months.  In His goodness, and because we had learned so much, I believe He thought we were ready for the next phase in our faith journey. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating rock pulling, coin tossing, or lot drawing as a means for supplementing God’s leading in one’s life.  However, if you’re stuck and don’t know what to do—if you’ve prayed and still can’t find your way—if you’re someone who isn’t stuck in a spiritual box, but is open to suggestions about alternative ways to determine God’s will for your life, then maybe this tried and true method employed by the Saints and Apostles of old might be the answer to your indecision.  One thing you can know for sure when employing this method; if you do toss that coin, you have Scriptural context to defend your choice. 

Remember, Prayer Changes Things!

Today, say YES to God.  Then get moving, remembering, Prayer Changes Things!

When was the last time you built an altar to the Lord?  Yeah, me neither.  Altar building in Christian circles is a lost art, me thinks, and that’s probably a good thing.  Stiff penalties await those who do it the wrong way or who employ the wrong people when making an offering.  Me, well, I’m no builder, but I do love the potential for blessings spoken of in today’s prayer verse.  Especially interesting to me, is the potential for blessings that exist as you and I entrust all of 2012 to our great God. 

When Abram (later known as Abraham) met God, he believed in His claim to deity and his integrity.  We learn from Scripture that his belief was counted to Abraham as righteousness.  Blessings began to take shape in Abraham’s life that first day of believing, and they kept on materializing for generations to come.  Day by day, week by week, month by month and year by year the blessings grew, and Abraham grew with them.  In fact, every place Abraham set his foot, the Lord had deposited a blessing pregnant with potential, just waiting for Abraham to come and claim it.  Amazing!  

It can be the same for us, you know.  Not only do we have the chance to draw closer to the Lord during the next twelve months, but believing like Abraham, we also make it possible for Him to draw nearer to us.

With 2012 firming in our grasp, and trusting Christ’s power and presence to lead us forward, what might we achieve this year?  All things are possible with God! 

Be blessed, my friends, and don’t be afraid to strike out into the unknown this year.  Great things are waiting for those who believe, so go ahead–explore!

 I don’t hear much about self-control in the Church these days.  I hear about how to let the Spirit have control over my life, which is wonderful.  I also hear about how I should trust Church leaders to control the affairs of the church, set policy, make administrative decisions for me/us.  I hear the world talking a lot about how physical trainers or life coaches and counselors can assist me with a myriad of problems, and I guess that’s helpful.  But I hear very little about me, controlling me.  The Bible says I should be trained in this discipline, so why do I hear so little about it when moving through religious circles these days?  Maybe the silence is a sign of the times…

Peter’s writings point to a time yet to come, a future time–a time when a clear head and self-control will be essential to our survival as Christians.  If that is true, then more practice in self control and clear headed thinking seems to this writer a valuable expenditure of her time.

My role model in self-control is Jesus Christ.  Simply put, He amazes me!  How he could have been mocked, spit upon, beaten and murdered without ever raising a hand, or calling down legions of angels to free him is often beyond the scope of my understanding.  I don’t know how you get there from here.  I have never had that kind of self-control, nor do I expect I ever will, but I applaud it!  Moreover, I exhalt the One who displayed it–that One who harnessed his desires and put them behind him in order to fulfill the will of his Father who was in heaven and had a plan for his life.  To God, and his only begotten Son, Jesus, be all glory!

Today, let’s pray together that the Church of Jesus Christ might have a better sense of what it means to take control over one’s self, behaving as we ought, keeping others needs in mind, deciding to spend our life in pursuit of those things God reveals to us as important to Him and clinging to the holiness the Spirit makes available to us.  May we each find a way to live self-controlled lives in the coming year, and more than that, may we each clear-mindedly choose to do so with Jesus’ hand in ours.

My husband and I purchased a home two years ago; him being in his early sixties at the time, and me, fifty-something.  Though we are at a time in life when retirement tempted us, the hope of having this home challenged our faith more.  Before making the purchase, decades had gone by with me dreaming about owning this home.  It wasn’t until I gave in and gave God everything, including scary scenarios in which we could in no way make this happen without His help, that the dream came true.  My husband was willing far sooner than me to take a chance on God, I will admit, but eventually I gained enough maturity to finally utter a weak but resounding, “Yes”.

Some people have said we’re naïve to make such a move this close to retirement.  Others just think we’re fools, but are we really?  Isn’t taking chances and risking it all to satisfy God’s call on our lives exactly what we’re supposed to do as Christians?

Like a real estate agent following a hot sales lead, I recently plunged into the book of Hebrews to find other fools moved by faith.  I was not disappointed.  Abel, thinking only of God’s pleasure, took a chance and offered a different and better sacrifice than Cain.  While Abel may have surrendered his physical life to please God, his brother forfeited everything.  Noah, filled with holy fear, built an ark, than drew a line in the mid-eastern sand against sin.  The resulting flood that came of his faith leaves no doubt who won that round.  Abraham left his home and proceeded into the unknown, looking for new digs in a buyers market.  He put feet to his faith, and in doing so, was declared righteous.  Isaac and Jacob, Elijah and Moses, Caleb and Joshua, David and Debra left their comfort zones, abandoned their land, said “ta-ta” to their folks and hurried into God’s grace.  These men and women were longing for a better country than the one they found themselves in–a heavenly one—which eventually they found.  You bet that God is not ashamed in any way to be called their God!

In this church age we might be tempted to think that big, brave moves toward God can no longer be made, but we’d be wrong.  God is looking for someone who handles hope like it’s a sure thing.  Question is:  Will He find it in you?

“Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! Whether we like it or not, we will obey the LORD our God to whom we send you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.” Jeremiah 42: 1-6

I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven…or by Jerusalem…And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matt 5:34-37

Oh, Church,

How great are the troubles we bring upon ourselves when we make promises to the Lord that we cannot or will not keep. It would be better if we never swore at all, than to swear and not do.  The people represented in our passage from Jeremiah this morning probably meant what they said when they said it.  They probably expected to follow through with their intentions to trust God and follow his advice (or not, for Jeremiah isn’t convinced that they will do anything different than what they have always done–serve themselves).  Thing is, they were in a pickle, not knowing which way to turn.  Naturally, they sought out the Prophet looking for godly counsel.  They didn’t know what else to do.

Understand:  It’s not bad to cry out to God for help.  In fact, He commands us to pray without ceasing.  It’s not wrong for us to think aloud, either. I do that all the time, putting ideas out there “in the air”, hoping to determine the will of God for my life through the counsel of the Saints coming back my way in the process of “talking it up”.  Some have accused me of making promises I later did not keep.  Perhaps I have.  The human condition being what it is, it’s often hard to put Self back in her place.  For this reason, and others that cause sin to abound, Jesus came. 

Today, it’s time to get “real” with God…to begin again, by confessing the times we have fallen short in the role of Promise Keepers.  Admitting we need help is the first step toward finding it.  Next, let’s thank God for knowing our proclivity to sin and sending a remedy, our Jesus. 

Sometimes, I think we forget all that Christ accomplished on that cross.  He died to set us free–free from self deception and a host of other nasty habits/sins.  Let’s give him all glory, and praise Him for His work on our behalf.  Hallelujah, what a Savior!!!

Losing Lynne has made me think about my own death.  What will it be like, when will it come, will I be sad as I see it approaching, how will my family adjust?  I ponder these things.  There was a time when I fretted over them, but that was long, long ago.  Today, my future rests in the hands of the One who knows me best and loves me most, Jesus.  He gently drives away angst, so that I can embrace peace.  I no longer experience dread as I reflect upon my reckoning.  I can confidently say at this time, it is well with my soul.

For some reason I’ve been thinking about John Newton lately.  Mr. Newton is the slave owner, turned Christian, who penned the song, Amazing Grace.  In his famous hymn, Newton talks about fear.  He poignantly shares the fact that Grace taught him what fear was, and Grace taught him how to turn the volume down on fear in his life.  I love the following lines from the song, because for me, they speak so powerfully of the work Christ yearns to do in every life devoted to Him.

“Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come.  “Tis Grace that brought me safe, thus far, and Grace will lead me home.”

Typing Newton’s lyrics into this post, I wonder, what impact would these same words have on unbelievers if we were to include them in a letter or card and send them off in the mail today.  Oh, I know, emails and texts are faster and less expensive than handwritten letters or cards, but I’m not sure they make the same impression.  What if, instead of sending an email or “facebooking” a friend to ask how they are doing, you sat down, put pen to paper and actually wrote them a note or card this Thanksgiving?  What if you outlined for them what you’re thankful for in knowing them, and shared with them what you are thankful for because of knowing Christ?  What if you included the lyrics to Amazing Grace in that note or card, or the lyrics to a similarly moving hymns or chorus you know?  What if you encouraged them to move closer to faith in Christ before the end of 2011? What if, in reading what you wrote, they did!

Yesterday, I sent a handwritten note to Lynne’s husband and her only child.  I told them how much I’d miss her.  I reassured them of her love for them, as I knew it.  Lynne tried for fifteen years, and suffered through numerous miscarriages, to give birth to her only child, Katie-Marie.  I shared with Kat the truth that Lynne waited for her–pined for her.  I did not include the lyrics to John Newton’s song in my card.  I should have, but it didn’t occur to me then. Newton’s message is as relevant today as it ever was:  Life is dangerous—Trust Jesus to get you through.

In this world we are forced to navigate around constant dangers, toils and snares.  Tis Grace has brought us safe, thus far.  Let’s share that inspiring truth with someone who needs to hear it today, and let’s thank God for his plan and purpose that’s kept us safe.  I once heard a missionary say, “The safest place in the world, is in the center of God’s will.”  Peace accompanies such thoughts; amazing peace.

Some of you know that I’m a big believer in positional prayer.  I believe that there are times when the best way to approach prayer is on my face, prostrate before the Lord, displaying to whatever spiritual entities observe me those outward signs of dependence and humility that paint a physical picture of who I am, who He is, and what the process of making Him Lord of my life really means: Submission, Surrender, Servanthood. 

As this passage from 2 Chronicles points out today, our God is loving–and aren’t you glad He is–but he’s also a consuming fire, hotter than any blaze we could ever handle or think about manipulating.  His holiness is part of his love and when we see it in action, our soul responds, sometimes causing us to fall on our faces and cry out words of praise and worship to him.

I love that part of CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, wherein Mr. & Mrs. Beaver speak to Lucy about Aslan:

“…he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion, the Lion, the great Lion.”

“Ooh,” said Susan, “I thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will, dearie, and make no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the king I tell you.”

Let me ask you: When was the last time you got down on the floor, on your face, in total submission to God and cried out for his glory to fill the temple that is YOU?  This type of expression before God is appropriate and appreciated by our Lion–the Lion of Judah. 

Today, let’s tell God what we think of his enduring love, and thank Him for coming into our lives, lifting us out of the muck and mire, and making us King’s kids.

Gotham
It’s like no other place.
Time Square teeming with humanity.
NYC coming out of its cloistered apartments,
It’s like swimming with the salmon.
We slap against one another,
struggle against the tide,
gills quivering, adrenalin pumping.
The wind tonight is bracing,
invigorating,
enchanted;
pregnant with anticipation.
Like the north waters claim the strength of the spawning salmon,
this city has depleted me.
leaving the sensation of a good empty, and a satisfying fullness.
Tonight, the city bequests a legacy,
Embeds a memory,
Hands over a big salad, in a big city, in a now bigger life.
Like the salmon, I have given my all to the experience.
Unlike the salmon, I survive the city, and return home to pick up where I left off.
“Fish, or cut bait,” they say.
As if…
What do they know? 
This is my sojourn!