pray…

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:2-6 ESV)

Paul tells the Colossians to continue steadfastly in prayer, to be thankful for what they have and to also while they pray for themselves they also pray for Paul and I would say for all of those who are spreading the word of God. Paul wants his words to be clear, and all who share the gospel to be seasoning, as is salt, to the world. That the things we say would be clearly understood and seen for what they are.

But Paul also tells the Colossians that their words should be gracious to show forth the love we have been given.

Steadfastly pray for all you have been given and all of your brothers and sisters in the word, even those you disagree with, and hold them up to God so that His will is done. Be thankful for all doing mission for the kingdom and pray steadfastly!

speak to me Lord!

Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.
Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.
(Psalm 85:8-13 ESV)

Today is a day that God gave to us. And if we listen He will speak to His saints…

I love to sit in silence, but it doesn’t happen very often here in my house. The girls are around and the cats moving… Noises I love to hear – but now it is quite. My girls are outside playing and the cats are in other rooms… My wife is reading a book in our bedroom…

The only sound is the sound of keys on the keyboard as I type…

I’m listening intently for God to speak. I need to hear a word from Him.

I need to hear Him say I am His beloved child and that He will never let me go…

I’m tired of hearing “You have wonderful gifts and are a great person, but this is not the place for you…”

I want comfort! But wait didn’t we see just a few days ago comfort is not what we are promised? We are promised that God will walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death. That He will walk beside us to give us shade and shelter, but never that the path will be easy, or comfortable…

The 85th psalm tells us that God will give us what is good and our land will yield its increase. Well good for increase in crops is rain, but do we like the rain? Do we like the storms? Are storms good? Yes if they serve a purpose…

So God answer my calling! Help me to know that you are still with me daddy, and hold my hand because the path is getting dark, but if the storm is something we have to go through, then bring the rain!

Dear God ~ From my friend Jay Gamelin…

This morning I looked on Facebook as usual, but I found this below statement from Jay Gamelin. Jay often posts things that hit me and are there at the right time for me… Thank you Jay and I wanted to share.

Dear God, my dad always said, “Faith is the ants in the pants of your doubt.” I know what he means. Occasionally I flirt with thinking you are a figment of my imagination. I ponder all these things I do and how much more ludicrous it may be if you did not exist. I think about how so much of you is irrational and, well, just weird. I think about all the interesting arguments against your existence, attacks on your character, etc.

But something, just something always draws me back from the edge. I don’t think I am afraid of you not existing. That’s not it. Or thinking that without you I would have no purpose. Certainly so many have a purpose that have no clue who you are. It is something else, something less tangible. Ants in my pants, God, that no matter how far down the rabbit hole I go, the creeping doubt in my doubt, you seem to tickle me back to reality and away from making my own reality. Like a loving parent, you gently call me away and steer me back.

That’s it. You have me. I’m yours, your kid. I can say I don’t have a dad, just doesn’t make it so. What I know about you doesn’t matter really all that much. Your existence does not depend on my faithfulness, you just are. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Love, me

Blogging troubles…

I hope all of you who follow my blog were not riddled with emails today. I was having issues, mostly in my mind of separating out the devotionals which have been a daily post with the other posts which are infrequent and funny or otherwise. Then after exporting posts and importing posts on a different blog and starting the process of  deleting posts on both blogs, I thought there has to be an easier way….

So I looked at some of my friends blogs and looked at their setup and layouts. I then looked at pages in wordpress.com, well you can not add posts to wordpress.com pages. So I looked again and found the menu feature. And this alleviated all my concerns. While it is not what I truly want for my blog, it will do for now.

So I have had to delete the new blog, but then restore a bunch of posts that I had only moved to the trash. Thanks for the trash bin!

So my blog is in tact, after some work. I thank you for being a follower and hope my thoughts and ramblings help you on your journey!

 

when will you comfort me?

My soul longs for your salvation;
I hope in your word.
My eyes long for your promise;
I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
How long must your servant endure?
When will you judge those who persecute me?
The insolent have dug pitfalls for me;
they do not live according to your law.
All your commandments are sure;
they persecute me with falsehood; help me!
They have almost made an end of me on earth,
but I have not forsaken your precepts.
In your steadfast love give me life,
that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.
(Psalm 119:81-88 ESV)

O God when will you comfort me?

O God when will you answer my call?

O God when will you give me a call again?

We all cry out to God and wonder sometimes if he hears us. We wonder if we will be comforted as if that is the only thing in the world that God has to do. Make sure that I am comfortable. And of course that is the main promise in the biblical account of what God is suppose to do. Give me a comfortable life, with no worries, no harm to me or my family, and everything works out great for me and for all who follow God.

But really how many of us follow God all the time? Or most of the time? Do we not look out for ourselves first, or maybe our family? I will take a lot of crap thrown at me, but if you come after my girls (my wife or daughters) you had better be prepared, because the gloves are coming off and you are going to get it. (I am the picture in the dictionary next to mamma bear!)

We look out for ourselves and do not follow after God. C. S. Lewis said this in Mere Christianity. None of us obey the natural law, the moral law all the time. We look out for ourselves. So do any of us really have the right to call out to God to comfort us in our times of need? We seem to only want God when things are bad and seem to forget to thank Him for the good things in our lives.

I have been looking for the past 17 months for a different place to be in ministry and fervently looking for the past 5 months. But I know God is watching over me and my family. He never promised a walk in the park, or comfort all the time, but He did promise to never leave or forsake, and He hasn’t. He has walked with me through all of it. He asks us to walk with Him, and He can take our calling out for comfort. Just don’t think He has left you.

Thank God for all the things in your life, the bad, and hard times, but the blessings you have as well. And always remember that He will be with you always, even to the ends of the ages!

so that you may not be judged…

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (James 5:7-12 ESV)

James is usually a book we as Lutherans overlook because it talks about how we have to do works. Faith without works is dead, but as Lutherans we believe there is no work we can do that can get us into heaven, so we try to stay away from all works. But true faith will lead us to do good works, not because of what we get for it, but because we are so moved by that which we have been given we have to do the good works…

But in this passage James says not to grumble against one another so that we may not be judged. Isn’t that interesting, because he continues the statement that the true judge is at the door and is going to judge us, but before He comes through the door we should all be focused on spreading His love and helping others see the relationship they can have with Him. Not all of the problems that we as His followers have getting along. If we judge one another how does that help to bring others to Him? If all the outside world sees us as Christians doing is fighting over who is right and who is going to hell then why would they want anything to do with the life saving gift of a relationship with Christ? If all they see are people who judge each other for the wrongs they are doing when they are doing the wrong they blame some one else for just as much as the other is, why would they want to know more about God?

So that you may not be judged, do not grumble with your brothers and sisters trying to be right and make them wrong. Get along and allow others to see the love that God has for you, and them.

We get in the way of people coming to God by judging our brothers and sisters and those who are seeking. Casting Crowns says it great in the song Jesus Friend of Sinners – “The world is on their way to you, but they’re tripping over me.” Do not be a stumbling block for the world to get to God, make straight the paths, and help people see the love waiting for them!

eat what I give you

“But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.
And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel—not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.” (Ezekiel 2:8-3:11 ESV)

Go and speak whether they will hear or refuse to hear… You must go to your people and tell them what I have told you, what I have placed inside of you whether they want to hear it or not. They will know either way that a prophet has come to them and they have heard the word of the Lord.

But will they know they heard the word of the Lord? If someone doesn’t accept what we say when we know what we have to speak is from the Lord, do they know a prophet has been in their midst? Do we know when we are not listening or running from God? And how many times do we do that? We think we know what God wants for us and what His mission is. And usually if we would really stop and think about it, what we say God wants us to do is really what we want to do and it has nothing to do with God, but everything to do with our own plans and our own preservation.

God says to Ezekiel eat what I give you. Do not ask for pizza when I give you broccoli. Just eat what you have been given because this is where we are going. This is my plan and it doesn’t really matter if it fits what you think should happen or even if you like it. Just eat it and do it. And if you cry and whine and look out for yourself, my will and mission will still happen, but it is better to eat it now while it is hot before it gets cold…

Do not question what God gives you. It may not be sweet now, but it is the best thing you could ever want. Trust him, he knows what he is doing.

As Is

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. (Mark 6:1-13 ESV)

Did you hear what they said to Jesus? Really who do they think they are saying that he does not have the authority and that he is just a carpenter? But didn’t the disciples do the same thing few chapters back? In chapter 4 the disciples were not sure who he was after he calmed the storm after sleeping on the back off the boat. But the people think they know who Jesus is and call him on it. They limit him and how often does that happen to us? How many times has someone told you that you can’t do something so you just give up and don’t try? I remember when I was learning to play bass and a friend who had been playing for several years told me I would not be able to play a song I was trying to learn because it was too hard. I took it as a challenge and learned the song. But sometimes we jus give up. And we do that in life and in ministry.

Jesus calls us and sends us. The disciples in the above text are un named because in Mark we are the disciples. Mark says this is the story of Jesus from the time he was here until now. You are called and sent by Jesus just as you are. Do not listen to anyone tell you you can’t serve God because Jesus has called and equipped you to go and help all come to repentance, and live in the love that we all have been given.

Do not let anyone tell you you are just a anything. That you are not able to do ministry because of who you are, because God uses al kinds of people. Take a look at the song As Is by Peder Eide. He talks about the people God uses and how each of us is called as is. God loves you as is, and gives you the tools to do the ministry he needs you to do. So go and spread his love because has chosen you as is!

Here are the words to As Is:
Moses was a stutterer
David was a murderer
Jeremiah suicidal
Naked in the street
Paul, he had a problem
The specifics left unsaid
Timothy had stomach aches
And Lazarus was dead

Samson was a long-haired
Arrogant womanizer
Rahab was scarlet corded
Lady of the street
John the Baptist eatin’
Bugs and honey on his bread
Gideon a scaredy cat
And Lazarus was dead

As is
As is
He chooses us as His
As His
As His
Infuses us as is
With never ending
Love transcending
All our weakness
No excuses
He uses us as is

Noah was a drunk man
Abraham an old man
Jacob was a liar man
Leah second best
Jonah should have followed God
But ran away instead
Martha was a worrywart
And Lazarus was dead

How long o Lord…

“So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. “‘Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.’ “For the sons of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the Lord. They have set their detestable things in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind. Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when it will no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Topheth, because there is no room elsewhere. And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth, and none will frighten them away. And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste. (Jeremiah 7:27-34 ESV)

Wow doesn’t that sound like fun? God is telling Jeremiah that he is going to go to the people and speak to the, the message that God is sending him to give and he will but the people will not listen. It will be point less to go and do what he has to do.

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t do anything right or what you were doing wasn’t making any impact on the kingdom? How would you like to told what to do by God and then be told you will do what God wants you to but it will not bring about the desired results of either you or God? Would that make you feel like you had accomplished something or make you cry out ‘how long o lord’!

Sometimes we feel like we are beating our heads against the wall doing what God has clearly told us to do. This makes us wonder and question if we are actually doing what God wants us to, or did we miss understand?

Take heart and follow where you know God has called you and be who God has made you to be. To quote the great theologian Jon Bon Jovi “just remember you are perfect, God makes no mistakes.”