Worship and Intercession

“I found myself in a race with Mother Nature to play as much baseball as I could before she forced me to stop.”~~Willie Stargell
(BrainyQuote)

Today’s word of the day, from the Oxford English Dictionary, is, appropriately, marlock, which means, “A prank, a practical joke; a frolic; a playful gesture; a flirtatious glance.”

Today is Sourdough Bread Day. I love me some sourdough bread.

Today is also, of course, April Fool’s Day. I was thinking about making some joke about this being my last blog entry. I’m just not very good at things like that. So I’ll leave all of the April Fool’s jokes to other people.

We spent most of yesterday evening with our life insurance agent/financial advisor. It was interesting, sometimes fun (he is also a trombone player), and, at times, almost depressing. Not so much, but almost. There are some things that we need to be seriously thinking about over the course of the next year, that we really haven’t started dealing with, yet. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

It’s Friday! Hopefully, we won’t have to work late, tonight, and I can get home and start the weekend.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

(From Praying With the Psalms)

As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!”
My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?”
And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.
They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.”
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them!
By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
Psalm 41:4-13

The experienced being described is tragic. The psalmist’s best friend has let him down, even turned against him. But his God will not do that. We should take note of the conclusions that he draws from this experience and truth.

“My best knowledge of you, O God, is not what I read about you in books or hear of you in lectures. It is what I learn when I throw myself on your mercies and experience your power to raise me up in Jesus Christ. Blessed by your great name. Amen.”

(From My Utmost For His Highest)

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Romans 8:34
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:27

In today’s reading, “Heartiness vs. Heartlessness Towards Others,” Chambers asks us if we need any more argument to be intercessors than those two verses. “Are we living in such a vital relationship to our fellow men that we do the work of intercession as the Spirit-taught children of God?” We cannot afford to let the circumstances around us crush us to the point that we are pulled out of the presence of God, “leaving us no time for worship.” We must maintain our relationship with God so that our relationship to others may also be maintained.

God will put people in our lives “for whom we have no affinity” to show us that, if we are not truly worshiping, we will treat them heartlessly. I have experienced this, and must confess that I do not always respond correctly. This is a truth that I need to constantly revisit.

Father, keep driving home this truth of intercession and my relationship with those around me. Help me to keep worshiping you, maintaining that relationship with you, that my relationship with others might be correct.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.

Don’t Play the Hypocrite

“Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he’s losing; nobody wants you to quit when you’re ahead.”~~Jackie Robinson
(BrainyQuote)

Today’s word of the day, from Dictionary.com, is intransigent, which means, “refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible.”

Today is Eiffel Tower Day, marking the date of the completion of the Eiffel Tower in 1889. Just a few years later, the creators of the Chicago World’s Fair would rack their brains, trying to come up with something to “out-Eiffel Mr. Eiffel. The result was the world’s first Ferris Wheel.

It’s Thursday, which means one more day until the weekend. And four more days until Opening Day! It’s hard to tell how the teams are shaping up, as I have never been one to pay a lot of attention to Spring Training. A lot of people get caught up in it, but the win-loss record in Spring Training really says nothing. It’s just what it says . . . “training.” It’s time to experiment with new players while getting the veteran players limbered up and ready to play a long, 162-game season. That’s a lot of games. But it all starts Monday.

Rachel and Justin might be coming over on Saturday so we can take them out to celebrate Rachel’s birthday, which was Tuesday. Other than that, I can’t think of much. Oh, I guess I’m playing keys again Sunday at church.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

(From Praying With the Psalms)

Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
Psa 41:2 the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
Psa 41:3 The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.
Psalm 41:1-3

The scriptures are very compassionate concerning the poor, who are typically ignored by some, and, even worse, treated with contempt by others. Or maybe that’s not worse. Maybe being totally ignored is worse. But we, as God’s people, are taught “that the way we treat the poor measures the quality of our love for God.” We are called to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:40. Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.

“‘Daily our lives would show weakness made strong, toilsome and gloomy ways brightened with song; some deeds of kindness done, some souls by patience won, dear Lord, to Thee, dear Lord, to Thee’ (Edwin P. Parker, ‘Master, No Offering’). Amen.”

(From My Utmost For His Highest)

Today’s reading is “Heedfulness vs. Hypocrisy in Ourselves.”

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death.
1 John 5:16

We need to careful to heed the way the Spirit of God works within us. “We see where other folks are failing, and we turn our discernment into the gibe of criticism instead of into intercession on their behalf.” “The gibe of criticism” can also become what we know as “gossip.” We must also be sure that we are correctly worshiping God so that we don’t “play the hypocrite” by spending all of our time trying to “get others right.”

When the Lord reveals something to us through our discernment, the idea is that we immediately take it back to him “and form the mind of Christ about them.” Then we can truly intercede for them. As mentioned in yesterday’s reading, we need to “rouse ourselves until God is able to convey His mind to us about the one for whom we intercede.” We need to be so identified with Christ that we know his mind concerning those for whom we are praying.

Father, I continue to pray for this ability to know your mind about the people for whom I am praying, some on a daily basis. I confess that I am guilty of turning discernment into “the gibe of criticism,” and pray that I would, rather, worship you until the mind of Christ is formed within me. I pray the prayer of Moses: “Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight.” (Exodus 33:13)

Come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.

The Compassion of Jesus

Good morning. It is Tuesday, April 28, 2015.

Today’s Word of the Day is portmanteau. I’ve heard this word before. It is a noun, meaning, “a large suitcase,” or, “a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms.” A “mash-up” in other words. For example, ginormous is a portmanteau of gigantic and enormous. Remember “Brangelina?” Yep. Portmanteau.

Today is Cubicle Day, a day to celebrate those horrific (another portmanteau?) office prisons with walls that are only four feet high. The web site suggests individualizing your cubicle, which is all well and good, unless you work at a place like my job, where they want every desk and workstation to look exactly the same! Gotta love 5S.

Well, it turns out I didn’t go to work, after all, yesterday. I was about halfway there when the traffic came to a dead halt, due to (as I would find out later) an overturned vehicle on the 121 at the edge of Coppell and Grapevine. As I got off of the freeway, thanks to wise instructions from my Waze GPS app, I texted my shift lead to let her know I would be running a few minutes late, because of the traffic. She immediately called me to say, “I didn’t expect to see you today!” It turns out, we are allowed five days of bereavement for the death of immediate family. After a brief discussion, during which I considered going ahead and making it in, since I was already halfway there, I finally asked her if she would be upset if I turned around and went home. She said no, so I did exactly that.

I spent the morning playing baseball on the Xbox, after which Stephanie and I went bowling. Then we picked up lunch at Lee’s Grilled Cheese, and brought it back home with us. I watched an old movie (Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, from the seventies), and a few episodes of the SyFy series, Lost Girl. It was a nice, relaxing day.

So I guess I’ll go to work today, finally. And, I should make it to Huddle tonight, after missing something like four weeks in a row.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.
As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!”
My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?”
And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.
They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.”
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them!
By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
Psalm 41

“. . . it is an error which is by far too common among men, to look upon those who are oppressed with afflictions as condemned and reprobate. The Scriptures in many places plainly and distinctly declare, that God, for various reasons, tries the faithful by adversities, at one time to train them to patience, at another to subdue the sinful affections of the flesh, at another to cleanse, and, as it were, purify them from the remaining desires of the flesh, which still dwell within them; sometimes to humble them, sometimes to make them an example to others, and at other times to stir them up to the contemplation of the divine life.” (John Calvin, from A Heart Aflame)

(From Knowing Jesus)

In Luke 7:1-17, we find two rather astounding accounts in the life of Jesus. They may or may not have happened on the same day, we really aren’t sure. The first event happens when a Roman centurion sends a delegation of Jewish elders to Jesus, asking him to come and heal a servant who is ill, even to the point of death. There may be an implication that Jesus hesitated, as Luke says that they pleaded with him. These are Jewish elders here, some of whom, just a chapter earlier, were plotting how they might kill Jesus! But he went with them. Somewhere along the way, the centurion sent friends to meet Jesus, telling him that he said he was not worthy to have Jesus enter into his house, but that if he would just say the word, his servant would be healed. Such faith!! How it must have rankled those Jewish elders when Jesus said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” (v. 9) Do we have such faith as this? When the friends returned, “they found the servant well.” (v. 10)

The second event occurs “soon afterward.” (v. 11) Jesus traveled to a town called Nain. We really aren’t sure why he went there, unless, of course, it was for the very purpose of what happened while he was there. As he approached the town, a funeral procession was coming out, carrying the only son of a woman who was a widow. The was a “considerable crowd” with her. She made no attempt to draw Jesus’s attention to herself or her mourning. But Jesus, seeing her sorrow, approached her and said, “Do not weep.” (v. 13) After this, he approached the bier, touched it, and said, “Young man, I say to you arise.” (v. 14) The man sat up and began to speak! Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” (v. 16)

“We are awestruck. God cares for his people, whether a Gentile Roman army man or an insignificant grieving widow who did not even cry out for help. Jesus’s compassion wins every time. He could have refused the centurion’s case. He could have allowed the widow’s funeral to go by, but he didn’t
“Hurting people require the same compassion from us. We must be willing to see people through Jesus’s eyes and be willing to be inconvenienced so that we can help them. This is what he has called us to do.”

Father, teach me. Teach me to love the way Jesus loved. Teach me his compassion. These past three weeks have shown me how your people can rise up and be the Church when people are hurting. Christi and I have realized how far short we fall when similar situations occur around us. We need to care more about people when they are hurting. Help us, Father, to do this. Help us to, like Jesus, turn aside from our path when we see someone mourning or hurting, as this widow of Nain was doing. We may not be able to physical raise someone from the dead, but we can have compassion that comforts and encourages people. Give us wisdom in every situation that comes our way, that we might do some good for people, and be your Church in this world. Help us to share your Kingdom and to display the righteousness of Christ in our world.

I pray for this day. Thank you for Christi’s safe arrival in Omaha yesterday. I pray that she will have a good day at the convention today. I don’t know exactly what she is doing, but I pray that you will give her whatever she needs to do it to the best of her ability. I pray for safety for everyone involved in this event. Give Stephanie your great love today and help her to know you more. I pray for continued strength for my mother, as she keeps working through things that need to be done in the aftermath of my father’s passing. I pray for her Bible study group that meets this morning. These ladies have been such a stronghold of faith and comfort for her (and all of us) during this time. May your blessings fall on them like rain! I pray for safe passage to work and back for myself today, and that I will have a good and productive day at work.

Your grace is sufficient.

May we have the compassion of Christ when we encounter people and their needs. May we not be too busy or afraid of being inconvenienced.

Grace and peace, friends.

That I May Know Him

Good morning. It is Wednesday, July 11, 2012. Today is “Free Slurpee Day” at 7-11. Why? Because it’s 7/11! So from 7 to 11 today, you can get a free 7.11 oz Slurpee! Also, according to my Hallmark Ultimate Holiday app, it is “National Blueberry Muffin Day” and “National Cheer Up the Lonely Day.” So take a blueberry muffin and free Slurpee to a lonely person today!

On this date in 1804, the famous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton occurred. On this date in 1979, Skylab crashed to earth. No one was injured. On this date in 1914, Babe Ruth made his MLB debut. On this date in 1899, E.B. White, author of Charlotte’s Web was born. And on this date in 1767, John Quincy Adams was born.

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This morning, I woke up to this “spam” in my junk mail box.
I am an F.B.I AGENT here in Africa. We receive an email that you are dead and you ask one Albert R J Pitre to come and claim your ATM Card worth $10,000,000.00 (Ten million united states dollars. it was just a compensation to you by the Nigerian President, it was issue to you has an ATM-CARD.

The ATM CARD has been with us since 1month now, so I am writing you to know if you are (DEAD OR STILL ALIVE), if you do not reply back before 48hrs we will have no other alternative that to believe that you are truly dead according to Albert R J Pitre.

If you are still alive you can get back to us as fast as you can OR call me, take note that every thing has been paid,it is just the Security fee that this Albert R J Pitre has agreed to pay for if you refuse to get back to us. Am afraid we shall give him the ATM Card and collect the money from him and he will sign on your behalf and claim your ATM Card that means that he is right that you are dead and you ask him to come and claim the ATM Card on your behalf.I have with me the scan copy of Mr Albert I.D. So fill the Information Below.

Name and Surname:Driver License and Age:House Address:Phone Number and Occupation:

Please take note that you have been given just 48hrs to get back to us so that we can know if you are alive, and fill the Information Below.

We await your swift response in regard of this email we have received from Albert R J Pitre.

Regards.
FBI AGENT: MR ROGER JOHNSON
CALL ME: +2348086157686

That’s one I haven’t heard before. I especially like the line, “it was issue to you has an ATM-CARD.” I can’t help but having an image of a really cute kitten along with that line. But “has” should have been spelled with a “z.”

Wait…what?? I’m dead?? I guess I’m “ghost-writing” then…

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Yesterday was one of those days that just went by without much of anything remarkable happening. It was kind of nice, actually. Work went very well for me, had a good workout last night. Everyone in the family was pretty happy; just an over all “good” day.

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Father, I pray for some vision of you today that will make it easier for me to stay focused on the task at hand, that being intercessory prayer. Keep me looking at you today.

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Today, I’m reading Psalm 41. This psalm by David begins by proclaiming the Lord’s blessings on the one who is generous.
Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health. (1-3)

The rest of the psalm seems to be about the two-faced nature of David’s “enemies,” who come to his sick bed, utter empty words of encouragement, but then go away hoping that he doesn’t recover. Even one who was his “close friend” is involved (v 9). But David does not lose hope.
By this I know that you delight in me:
my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
and set me in your presence forever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. (11-13)

There is a principle at work here, though, and that is that the Lord blesses those who are generous to the poor and needy.

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My Utmost For His Highest

…that I may know him… Philippians 3:10

Yesterday’s reading was about “the spiritual sluggard,” today is “the spiritual saint.” “The initiative of the saint is not towards self-realization, but towards knowing Jesus Christ.” See, it’s not about us! It’s not about me. I don’t need books or advice to help me figure out myself. I don’t need “self-realization!” All of that is bogus! What I need is to know Christ! That’s all I need. “The spiritual saint never believes circumstances to be haphazard, or thinks of his life as secular and sacred; he sees everything he is dumped down in as the means of securing the knowledge of Jesus Christ.” I love that sentence! My life is not secular here and sacred there! I have believed for a long, long time that the Christian cannot “compartmentalize” his life. But many try to do exactly that. They have their sacred life on Sundays (and any other time that they are engaged in “religious” activity), and their secular life the rest of the time, especially at work. My friends, I tell you this: the work life is every bit as “sacred” (if not more) than the church life! Every piece of my life is a part of my journey to know Christ more. Every piece. There are no random circumstances; there are no coincidences; there are no accidents. While it may look as though I’m approaching life with “a reckless abandonment,” what is really happening is that I am looking at every circumstance as something designed by the Spirit to get me realizing “Jesus Christ in every domain of life.” “Self-realization leads to the enthronement of work.” There’s another problem with “self-realization.” How many people do you know that worship their work? Work is god, work is king. Even churches fall prey to this trap! There must be some kind of work or activity going on, else we are not serving the Lord!
What is the true aim of the “spiritual saint?” See the quoted verse above. “…that I may know him…” My goal is not to realize that something must be done and I must do it. My goal is “to secure the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances” I am in.

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Father, I would be counted among those whose goal it is to know Jesus Christ more. That is the goal of my life, the singular goal. All other goals fall below this one. As you work in me, chiseling away at the parts that don’t look like Jesus, I find that this is truly my heart’s desire. As I delight myself in you, you are giving me the desires of my heart, just as the Psalm says. I am finding that the “stuff of earth” is holding less and less sway over me. I rejoice in this. Not that I have “arrived…” Not at all. I’m not even close. But I am getting closer; I can feel it. I pray that my life will be lived in the realization of Christ at every moment; in every circumstance. Let me never think that happenings are random, without reason. Let me look to you through the Holy Spirit in all circumstances, looking for Jesus Christ in them. Let me live life with the reckless abandonment of a “spiritual saint.” I do not have a sacred life and a secular life. I only have one life, and I desire to spend that life glorifying Christ.

I pray for this day. I pray for a good work day for Christi, and that she will continue to feel better. I pray for a good day for Stephanie, that she might find herself feeling well today, and that she would be inspired to spend part of her day reading your word and praying. I pray that I will have another day like yesterday, but keep me ready to respond to any situation that might arise, looking to your Spirit for strength and wisdom.

Today, I ask for your people to be more aware of their need to be praying. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says this: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. The Church needs to be about praying. So I’m asking that the Holy Spirit would inspire more people to pray on a daily basis. We are admonished by Paul in several places to “pray without ceasing.” Father, prayer should be like breathing to us. Keep me praying throughout this day! Remind me at any given moment to pray for something that is needed. You are making an intercessor out of me, Lord. I pray for your inspiration as I enter into this task.

Keep me focused now, as I go into my private prayers.

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If you are a “spiritual saint,” make it your life’s goal to know Jesus Christ more.

Grace and peace, friends.