Pray Network Forum

Culture (6)

LISTENING TO LEWIS

Posted by David Young on June 26, 2017 at 13:54

I need to tell you at the beginning of this series of blogs that none of these are more than indirectly related to writing prayerfully, or even prayer. i am not sure I should post it on PRAY NETWORK. I will be writing a series of perspectives given by C.S. Lewis. And I need to warn you that his views go as strongly against the current cultural trends as they did in his day. If indeed you do not like or appreciate these entries, I would like you to tell me. I welcome discussion on this. I really do want to know what you think, even if what you have to say is so profound or so harsh that I have no answer. I much prefer such comments to your expressing your thoughts by vowing never to read this blog again.

The nearest Christian bookstore to our home is in a city a half hour away.  We went sometime before Christmas looking for a particular classic (I think it was George Mueller of Bristol.) for a Christmas present. They didn’t have it. And the manager of the store said thoughtfully, “I need to stock more classics.” I pointed out that they had a nice selection, even though they didn’t have the particular book We wanted. But she repeated, “We need to carry more Christian classics.” And I realized she was not simply referring to our need. This was clearly something she had been thinking for some time.

Sure enough, when we dropped in a few months later, they had among other things a display with 6 or 8 C.S. Lewis books, some I had never seen. I purchased 2; POEMS and ON STORIES. I want to talk with you a little about both of these books.

I did not get to ON STORIES until a short vacation this summer. It was a wonderful blessing! First, I enjoyed it simply because it was Lewis. I thought I had read his entire canon. I also enjoyed it because it is to some extent, written for writers. However, I am glad I did not discover these essays in the 70s when I was hungrily consuming everything I could find by Lewis. I have been writing or trying to write for publication since I was 19. But I don’t think I would have enjoyed them on the same level.

I hope I have whet your appetite for these entries simply by this introduction. And even at this preliminary stage, I welcome criticism and other remarks whether you have read the book or not.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

http://daveswatch.com/

 

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LISTENING TO LEWIS

Posted by David Young on June 26, 2017 at 13:54

I need to tell you at the beginning of this series of blogs that none of these are more than indirectly related to writing prayerfully, or even prayer. i am not sure I should post it on PRAY NETWORK. I will be writing a series of perspectives given by C.S. Lewis. And I need to warn you that his views go as strongly against the current cultural trends as they did in his day. If indeed you do not like or appreciate these entries, I would like you to tell me. I welcome discussion on this. I really do want to know what you think, even if what you have to say is so profound or so harsh that I have no answer. I much prefer such comments to your expressing your thoughts by vowing never to read this blog again.

The nearest Christian bookstore to our home is in a city a half hour away.  We went sometime before Christmas looking for a particular classic (I think it was George Mueller of Bristol.) for a Christmas present. They didn’t have it. And the manager of the store said thoughtfully, “I need to stock more classics.” I pointed out that they had a nice selection, even though they didn’t have the particular book We wanted. But she repeated, “We need to carry more Christian classics.” And I realized she was not simply referring to our need. This was clearly something she had been thinking for some time.

Sure enough, when we dropped in a few months later, they had among other things a display with 6 or 8 C.S. Lewis books, some I had never seen. I purchased 2; POEMS and ON STORIES. I want to talk with you a little about both of these books.

I did not get to ON STORIES until a short vacation this summer. It was a wonderful blessing! First, I enjoyed it simply because it was Lewis. I thought I had read his entire canon. I also enjoyed it because it is to some extent, written for writers. However, I am glad I did not discover these essays in the 70s when I was hungrily consuming everything I could find by Lewis. I have been writing or trying to write for publication since I was 19. But I don’t think I would have enjoyed them on the same level.

I hope I have whet your appetite for these entries simply by this introduction. And even at this preliminary stage, I welcome criticism and other remarks whether you have read the book or not.

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

http://daveswatch.com/

 

Read more…

Conversations that Matter

Posted by Merton J. Hershberger on April 1, 2016 at 11:01
 
Most of the seats in Starbucks were empty when two team members walked into the family section area. The sexes are separated in this region and so you have sections where the men sit and another disconnected area for families and ladies. A team member approached a lady and asked if she was willing to help answer some questions from a questionnaire related to the topic of honor in this Culture. Other ladies joined in and started an engaged conversation with the team members (a husband and wife.) The topics included prayer, the Trinity, and where they are in their spiritual journeys. This example shows again that the people of this land are curious about our faith.
Will you pray for A & A and the sisters who have now heard parts of the gospel? Pray God will continue to place truth in front of them over and over again.
Please pray for an ongoing relationship with a family of the land. Friendship has been formed and many conversations of faith have been had. The wife has taken home a Bible to read. Please pray that she will read it and as she does the Truth will resonate with her heart. Please pray the whole family will come to faith in Christ.
For "everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, 'How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!' " (Romans 10:14-15)
Please pray the body of Christ will continue to rise up and share the good news in this area of the world. Pray that many friendships with people of the land will be formed and fostered. Pray for the connections with people of peace.
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How to Develop a Prayer Culture

Posted by John Burton on June 9, 2015 at 10:16

Watch: Learn how to develop a prayer culture in your church or home meetings!

Our churches must again be fueled by never ending, passionate and Spirit-driven prayer!

This isn’t to be relegated to a side room on an off day, but rather the prayer meeting must be the main meeting of the week!

Discover how to take steps to introduce a burning, prayer-fueled atmosphere into your home or church with the expectation of watching it spread into a wild revival fire!

9651020480?profile=original

HOW TO DEVELOP A PRAYER CULTURE IN YOUR CHURCH OR HOME

In this teaching I share some practical ideas on how to begin the process of ensuring prayer is the main thing.

The remnant church is hungering for an atmosphere of burning, effective and intimate prayer. Sadly, most Christians resist the call to prayer, and this has resulted in a powerless church.

It’s time to move forward with fiery passion and see prayer return to first place in the church and in our lives!

WATCH OR LISTEN TO THIS POWERFUL MESSAGE FREE FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS HERE!

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Strangers in a Strange Land

Posted by Jim Buchan on November 24, 2012 at 21:30

What posture should believers take amid America's frustrating cultural war?

Many of my Christian friends are in despair over the results of the recent election, wondering if America will ever be the same as the great and godly nation they grew up in. The cultural winds are increasingly blowing against Biblical values, and today’s political correctness is clearly at odds with God’s view of correctness. Only half joking, some believers talk about starting a revolution or perhaps just leaving the country.

 

As much as I understand these concerns, I think our frustration largely stems from forgetting that there’s an inherent difference between God’s kingdom and the kingdoms of this world—even the American kingdom. Having been seduced by the myth of cultural Christianity, we forget that we are “foreigners and exiles” in this world (1 Peter 2:11). Other translations say we’re sojourners, pilgrims, aliens, or temporary residents.

 

Is it possible that God will use the election results to remind us that, as His Word has always taught, we are basically called to be strangers in a strange land? Could it be that we had grown too comfortable living in America?

 

If you’re like me, Jeremiah 29:11 is one of your favorite promises in God’s Word: “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

 

However, as I pondered our current cultural situation recently, the Lord reminded me that we usually take this great promise totally out of context. No wonder we’re often caught off guard when His plans for us seem unexpectedly difficult. 

 

Picture yourself in this frightening scene, which is the backdrop of Jeremiah 29:11: Your city is invaded by a fierce enemy army. You and many others are taken captive and forcibly removed to the capital city of the invading nation. But you are proud and independent-minded people, not willing to accept this fate without a struggle. Should you join together to try and overthrow the government that is oppressing you? Should you devise a plan to escape one night, either returning to your homes or finding some faraway land where you will be safe?

 

God has plans for His people, even at such times as this. But not everyone who claims to speak for the Lord has truly heard from Him.

 

In the distressing situation Jeremiah describes here and in the book of Lamentations, various people claim to have a word from God. Most advocate some form of rebellion or escape, but Jeremiah is the lone prophetic voice who offers this unthinkable advice:

 

Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper (Jeremiah 29:5-7).

 

At such advice, you might have protested, “What! Are you saying we should just accept our captivity? And why in the world would we want to ask God to grant peace and blessing to our captors?”

 

Sensing that your complaints are getting you nowhere, you make one final argument: “But what about all the prophetic people who are urging us to overthrow this evil civilization we find ourselves in? They certainly seem to be in the majority!”

 

Again, God speaks through the lone prophet: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them” (Jeremiah 29:8-9). God goes on to say that His people might as well enjoy their time in the foreign land—for they were destined to remain there 70 years.

 

You see, we live our lives—our “70 years” (Psalm 90:10)—in a foreign land. Of all the nations on earth, I’m surely glad to live in America, but I need to be reminded that this country is not my true home. I’m a citizen of heaven and one of heaven’s ambassadors to a world that desperately needs to be reconciled to God (Philippians 3:20, 2 Corinthians 5:20).

 

So, what should be our attitude toward our leaders and the country where God has placed us to live? Will we be smugly aloof, trying to keep ourselves unstained by the evil values we perceive in our society? Will we be angry and condescending, projecting an air of superiority to unbelievers? Or will we just give up and surrender, trying so hard to be accepted by the world that we end up imitating its values?

 

Hopefully we’ll display the same attitude as Jesus displayed during His days on earth. Instead of staying aloof from unbelievers, He was known as “a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners” (Luke 7:34). He was able to be in the world without becoming absorbed by it. That’s why He prayed for His followers, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15).

 

Like the Israelites who were in exile in Babylon, we are living in a foreign land. But that should not be grounds for rebellion, escape or anger. Rather, we are called, as Jesus did, to take the posture of a servant. Laying aside our garments of superiority, we are to pour water into a basin and “wash the feet” of our society (John 13:1-5). And let’s not forget to pray for our nation’s political leaders—whether we voted for them or not (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

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A Ray of Hope on a Day of Lament

Posted by Jim Buchan on November 10, 2012 at 12:00

If you’re feeling bummed out about the direction of your nation right now, I can relate. And so can the prophet Jeremiah.

 

Yet as Jeremiah wept during the devastation of his beloved city, Jerusalem, his initial reaction was not to blame the Babylonian invaders for his agony. He blamed God, concluding that his nation’s afflictions had come “from the rod of God’s wrath” (Lamentations 3:1-20 TLB).

 

You have to admit, this was a very logical conclusion. The Lord had promised to defend and protect His people if they walked in His ways. So the Babylonians weren’t the real problem—it was an issue between God and His people.

 

As Jeremiah witnessed the troubling events befalling his nation, he reasoned, “[God] has turned against me…and surrounded me with anguish and distress.” And he also was baffled by the fact that “though I cry and shout, he will not hear my prayers!”

 

Jeremiah was having a very bad day. Perhaps you can relate.

 

To make matters worse, there seemed to be no quick or easy solution: “He has walled me in; I cannot escape.” Perhaps you’ve wanted to just leave the country in your frustration. But escape is not the answer.

 

And while Jeremiah knew that God promises freedom to His people when they trust and obey Him, he must have been horrified by the realization that “he has fastened me with heavy chains.” How traumatic!

 

But the chains of the Babylonians were not much different from the chains of debt we now find ourselves in as a nation. One estimate says that every baby born this year will immediately owe $250,000 as their share of the national debt. Chains of bondage, don’t you think?

 

Jeremiah probably once had a plan for his life, but now everything had changed. Instead of getting closer to his destination, just the opposite seemed true: “[God] has filled my path with detours.” Perhaps you’re one of the thousands of people who’ve had to defer your retirement plans because of “detours” in the economy. I can relate.

 

If you find your lamenting today, you no doubt feel a need for comrades who understand and sympathize. But Jeremiah wasn’t given this luxury. He felt very much alone, even rejected: “My own people laugh at me; all day long they sing their ribald songs.”

 

Hmmm…sounds like a cultural war is going on, doesn’t it? While Jeremiah lamented, the people around him laughed. Seemingly without a clue about the destruction they were facing, people mocked God’s prophetic message and chose to flaunt their worldly ways. Jeremiah must have faced opposition from leaders who, like some today, belittle godly people for “clinging to their guns and religion” instead of embracing cultural trends.

 

Recognizing peace and prosperity as two key pillars of every nation truly blessed by God, Jeremiah was disturbed to realize that both were slipping away: “All peace and all prosperity have long since gone, for you [God] have taken them away.”

 

As Jeremiah surveyed this dismal situation, he made another quite logical deduction: “The Lord has left me…All hope is gone.” And who could blame him for feeling melancholy, even bitter?

 

Fortunately, this wasn’t the end of the story. Jeremiah went on to describe how the Lord broke through the dark clouds of disillusionment and gave him a sudden ray of encouragement:

 

Yet there is one ray of hope: his compassion never ends.

It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.

Great is his faithfulness; his loving‑kindness begins afresh each day.

 

My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him.

The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him (Lamentations 3:21-25 TLB).

 

What an incredible change in Jeremiah’s perspective! From his gloomy place of lament, he saw an amazing ray of hope. From the pit of despair, he saw the Lord’s compassion and faithfulness. From an attitude of blaming God for his anguish, he ended up praising God and declaring His goodness.

 

So what about you? If you are experiencing a time of lament today—concerning your own life, your loved ones, or your nation—may the Lord break through the clouds and give you a fresh glimpse of His faithfulness.

 

Like Jeremiah, the apostle John faced some frightening times when he wrote the book of Revelation. Yet everything changed when he saw “a throne in heaven and Someone sitting on it” (Revelation 4:1-2). Praise God, He is still faithful, and still on the throne.

 

 

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