A Call for Prayer (Please)

As I sat here gazing upon this blank computer screen, thinking about what to write, I found myself enveloped in a myriad of thoughts.  I have felt "blocked" and unable to really focus on what God may be saying to me.  I thought about why that may be, and I recognized the patterns of distraction I have been chasing this summer.

If ever I felt under "attack" by the work of Satan, it is now.  It seems like there are different tactics being used to distract me from my walk with God.  If I were to stop and analyze each of them separately, I would just say, "it's life," and I would move on.  What I'm most concerned about is the pattern.

What's even more disturbing is that I see these kinds of attacks on many different Christians.  Whenever one of us starts to make some progress in the mission of sharing the Good News, we hear about some kind of barrier.  This summer, I have heard so many new cancer diagnoses, more marriages breaking up, more legal issues, more financial burdens than I have ever heard before.  Any and all of these things can stop a believer in their tracks, turning them inward, rather than speaking out for God.

In the meantime, I mourn for the children on the other side of the world, being subjected to torture and death by terrorists simply for theirs and their parents' beliefs.  The evil work of Satan has rapidly increased, and we (brothers and sisters) need to stop paying attention to the distractions in our own life, and start praying and taking offensive action against the evil one.

I plan to spend today praying.  If you think about it, please pray with me.  United, we have a chance.  Separated, we fall.

"I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask,

my Father in heaven will do it for you.  For where two or three gather together

as my followers, I am there among them." ~Matthew 18:19-20 (NLT)

The Decatur Celebration - Faces in the Crowd

We discovered the Famous Idaho Truck!

Yesterday evening, we attended the annual Decatur Celebration.  For those of you not from here, this is a very large annual free street festival with lots of food, drink and live music.  Every year, I like to make sure I get an elephant ear, and walk around to the various booths of people selling wares.  This year, we had fun with the potato truck (see photo).

Last night, we went purposely for the screening and awards ceremony of the amateur "21 Film Festival," put on by a local credit union, Land of Lincoln.  This is the seventh year of the contest, and I was fascinated by the imagination and talent of the various film makers.  There was one film maker of all 21 that used the contest to showcase the power of God, and was deliberate in the images of the Bible and scripture he included.  One.  The others ranged from harmless silliness to dark thoughts found in young teens.  I was struck by how many films had a suicide theme or a theme of quiet desperation.

After the awards were handed out, we decided to go back into the Celebration.  It was night time now, and there were multitudes of people milling about, listening to music, laughing, talking and generally congregating.  I looked deeper into their faces, and I noticed.  There were many people experiencing the same level of desperation the filmmakers depicted in their films.  They all seemed to be seeking something, anything to fill the emptiness inside.

I became sad as I looked out in the thousands of people outside that night.  These are people who are blind to what they need, and yet desperately needing it.  These are the kind of people Jesus specifically ministered to.  He did not worry about their economic class, or their outward appearance. He touched them all.  The passage below is one my favorites to use to illustrate just how much he cared about each person in the throng of the crowds of people.

     Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowded around him.  A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding.  She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but had gotten no better.  In fact, she had gotten worse.  She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.  For she thought to herself, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed." Immediately, the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.   

     Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?" 

     His disciples said to him, "Look at this crowd pressing around you.  How can you ask, 'Who touched me?'" 

     But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.  Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 

     And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace.  Your suffering is over."(Mark 5:24-34 NLT)

We need to learn this lesson from Jesus.  We need to be able to walk among crowds of people, and still be aware of and care about each one.  Each person is an individual apart from the crowd; an individual with specific needs.  These are the ones we need to reach out to.  

Enjoy the Celebration today and tomorrow.  Just make sure to pray when God leads you to pray.  

Fractured

I find myself in a fractured thinking pattern sometimes.  Words are jumbled up in my mind, with random thoughts of different events or things interrupting my focus.  Sometimes, a single word or phrase just repeats itself, repeats itself, itself...

I wish I could write poetry.  I think a poem would capture this better than prose.

Thoughts
               are
                    disjointed.

I feel like a hastily put-together puzzle, but with the pieces off just a little bit.  The picture is a little bit like what is on the box, but not quite right.  Some of the pieces are squeezed in to make them fit.  It looks a piece will spring out and the whole thing would break apart again.

Life Lines

Many of you may remember I began sailing last summer.  If you want to recall my first solo sailing trip, click Winds.  We are associate members of the Commodore Decatur Yacht Club, and we try to get on the lake every chance we get.  The club membership is open for anyone interested in sailing, and it only costs $75 a season to belong (family).  The club has five boats available for associate members to use, once the senior sailors deem us worthy to sail alone.

Damage to the keel

We received news this past Monday that the choppy wind conditions caused one of the club boats to break free from the ropes (lines) that bound it to the dock.  Because the lines snapped, the boat drifted against some rocks and caused damage to the keel (the weight on bottom) that made it nearly sink.

Investigating the damage

After some investigation, the senior sailors determined the lines were not adequate to keep the boat secure.  We learned that we must use double-braided ropes to secure the boat to the dock.

This made me think about the lines that keep us tethered to God.  If we are not firmly anchored to God with double-braided cords, our lifelines may snap, and we could find ourselves drifting away toward dangerous conditions.

What are some of these lines?
1. Attend a church that teaches Bible truth.
2. Read the Bible, a little each day.
3. Think about the things the Bible teaches.
4. Pray.  Again, I say pray.
5. Spend your free time with other believers who encourage you, and who can keep you accountable.
6. Learn how to love others the way He loves us and act on it.

There are more... name them!

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT)

A Storm Approaches... Are You Ready?

Have you even stood outside and watched a storm front come in?  There is something ominous about standing in the sun, but seeing the dark clouds roll in.  This is the image I sense as I look toward the future.  Somehow, it seems we are gearing up for a great spiritual battle.  Does anyone else sense this oppressive feeling of pending doom?

Maybe I am being negative, but I just want to send a word of warning that as a church body, we need to get ready for a storm and get prepared.  If we are caught in the cross-wind of this spiritual storm unprepared, we could be hurt.

And just how are we to be preparing?  Paul tells us very specific advice about this in the book of Ephesians.

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.  For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.  Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." ~Ephesians 6:10-13 NLT

Paul describes all the components of the armor, but places a special emphasis on praying.  We are to pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.  We are to stay alert and be persistent in our prayers for believers everywhere (verse 18).  Paul was in chains sitting in prison when he wrote these words.  We have been called to pray.  If we are unified in our praying for one another, perhaps this pending storm will blow over.

I am praying.  Will you join me in praying for our leaders?