Have you had moments in life when you clearly hear God speaking? It's like he's standing right behind you ~ whispering in your ear in moments that are filled with his image and nearness? Do those times come with foreboding because you remember other such precious times that ended with challenge and trails? Was it almost like he was preparing you ahead, filling you will his power and presence? And so, in a time when joy should fill your heart for his dynamic Presence and unique form in your life, instead you find yourself wrestling with concern for what might be ahead? I have spoken of Moses before and his unique Divine relationship. As I read the accounts it was amazing, yet Moses comes through as real and human and fragile. A frailty that's a lot like I imagine myself to be, seeing glimpses of the Divine God occasionally, all the while knowing it's none of what I am or anything I have done, but all him, for specific reasons surpassing simple love. Moses knew God through events filled with transformation, challenge and spirit-filling, still in those moments, his call required real effort ~ not only for others, but as the testament of obedience and love that it would become to God. It can be hard to sort out. Maybe none of this makes sense to you. Maybe it lands where you are currently living? If so, it's too late to run. All you, all we, can do now, is continue to listen. Wait to be moved. And pray we are able to fulfill what he will ask of us. Now prayer becomes essential. ~ Andi
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On October 5th we will begin our new book, Your Powerful Prayers. It would be fun to know a little more about prayer before we do. What would you want to know? One common question is: How can I get God to give me what I ask for? That sounds like a jaded question perhaps, but haven't you ever wondered why you get the answers you want to prayer, and other times - not? I have. I have asked God how I can replicate whatever brought the blessing of an affirmative response, and other times I have asked why when even in desperate prayer I have not received what I pleaded for. It's natural. Scripture writes about a man named Cornelius: "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. ..." Acts 10.4b Our prayers matter. Cornelius was a man who prayed often. He was also a righteous man who honored God with his income, shared his faith, and spent time in prayer regularly. So, do you and I have to do all those things to get something we ask for? No, it seems God loves us all, even though he does appreciate a special love for him, and does occasionally show his appreciation of that love in unique ways. In our upcoming book, Your Powerful Prayers, we are going to wrestle with those internal questions. We will look more closely at our motives, explore our unquestioning trust in God to always give us what is best for us, and our practice of, and belief in, PRAYER. For now, all I will say about this question of why we get good answers, and other times not, is that God knows. But as God, he is unable to give his children bad anything. The rest of the answer is buried deep inside us. Join me on October 5th when we begin to look at our life of prayer. ~ Andi Oh my gosh, fall's here. I see more leaves on the ground everyday. I vacuum them up with the lawn-mower, but, there's always more. My littlest granddaughter said recently, "Nanny, it feels like fall." Yes, it did. That reminded her about jumping into piles of leaves at their other grandparents house just days before... which reminded me of my long-ago, fun days of fall and Halloween. I loved the old Peanuts cartoon about Halloween, called, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." The story goes (as Linus tells it) that when a person's heart is pure, and their belief is strong, the Great Pumpkin rises up out of the pumpkin patch on Halloween night and gives that little girl or boy huge rewards! Or so Linus thinks... All that thinking about Linus' mythical pumpkin makes me ask this question. Do you have any mythical traditions, or superstitions about faith? Do you have a 'Linus tale' or two tucked away somewhere? Here's a common myth many Christians share: Many believe that Christian faith is blind. Nope. That's false. Faith is not blind. Faith is based on facts, reason, and evidence. The verse many think of is Paul's command to 'walk by faith, not by sight.' [2 Corinthians 5:7] That verse simply means to live knowing what you are receiving after this life. Eternity cannot be seen now, but the work Christ accomplished on the Cross can be seen in answers to our prayers, in the sanctification faith brings into our life, or the change in a loved one who comes to faith in Christ, and so much more! So the act of believing DOES NOT make us blind. Back to the Great Pumpkin. Poor little Linus sat in that pumpkin patch all night. The Great Pumpkin didn't appear with rewards for Linus because the Great Pumpkin didn't exist. Linus had a false impression that grew into a precept in his life. When we read the Bible we don't want to read into it what we want it to say, but we need to let it speak to us. That is we need to consider context and not try to make some precept into something unique just for us or a friend. So faith is not ONLY believing, but it's believing because you have knowledge of the elements making up this truth, you have agreement with those elements, and you have CONFIDENCE in them as ‘of God’ with the ability to influence life and circumstances for good! "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrew 11.1 ~ Andi Wow, summer went by fast. Are you reminiscing about the fun and freedom of summer vacations? Are you reliving moments spent together with children and extended family? Are you trying to ignore the waning of warmer weather which removes the gloom of Oregon's rain and clouds? Do you find yourself feeling melancholy knowing the everyday grind is back? This missing of summer days and their fun reminds me of that famous passage in Ecclesiastes. Chapter 3, verses 1-5. "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ..." etc. We often take this passage to mean that life is filled with many things, some quite difficult. But just a little further in verses 11-12 we read: "He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; ..." (emphasis mine) So this isn't talking about God designing a perfect time for everything under heaven as much as it is saying that we have a habit of remembering better days and missing the past instead of embracing with all joy the present. When unpleasant things come we need to remember that to live with joy is what life is about. That life should be lived, at all times and in all circumstances, remembering it's preciousness. What is the take-away then? Well, each of us will see it differently because we are unique. But here's an example from my life. You have often read about our littlest grandchildren. They are such a gift and fill my life up with so much joy that I cherish each time I get to have them here. But now our son, their father, has taken a job out of our immediate area. They won't be too far away but frequent visits during the week won't happen any more. Should I spend time now missing the days I won't have anymore? I need to find new purpose for the allotted time I used to get with them. I realize that God has something I need to do now with this time. I'm asking, but I'm not sure yet what he has in mind. Ecclesiastes tells me I need to find the JOY in this time because it's perfectly made for now. And when I do get to see my littlest ones again, my heart will be full of joy and I will have plenty to share. Find your joy. Whatever moment you may have before you, remember God made it perfectly for you and now. Each breath is a gift, don't waste it on wishing for something else... it could be that the future turns out better than what you want to relive. ~ Andi |
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