I was just settling into a comfortable spot on the floor in front of the fireplace on a bitterly cold winter night, with pillows perfectly positioned. I was reading a book written by a friend about dealing with disappointment when God seems to "disappear." *
Suddenly I had that thought...you know...the one where you wonder if it's God speaking or simply your imagination.
Go and read your book at Caribou Coffee.
I desperately hoped it was my imagination. It was cold and dark. I was warm and comfy.
Go read your book at Caribou.
Rats. It might be God.
I tried to ignore it. I tried to rationalize my way beyond it. Do I really have to?
But the thought wouldn't leave. So I got up, put on my winter coat, and stepped into the cold--pondering again the purpose of obedience.
As I walked into Caribou, I told the Lord I had no idea why He invited me here. But if it was simply to see if I would actually leave the warm fire--then so be it!
I ordered a caramel high rise. Figured I deserved it.
Then the guy behind the counter spoke up. "What book are you reading?" he asked.
Oh, my. That opened up a dialog that continued for several minutes with the interruption of a few customers passing through.
Turns out the Caribou guy was exploring lots of things: Hinduism, reincarnation, Buddhism, and even Christianity. But his big issue? He wanted proof. If Christianity is true, he needed some answers to tough questions. A friend had encouraged him to read The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, but he wasn't sure he could buy that Christianity is the only way.
I finally wrapped up the conversation by telling him that I would pray for him while he read the book. I said I would ask Jesus to prove Himself if He really is the truth.
"What's your name?" I inquired, just wanting to make my prayers a bit more personal.
"Thomas," he replied.
Oh, my. I suppressed a laugh, but my heart swelled with gratitude that God cared so much about Thomas and his doubts that he would send me out in the cold to pray for him.
Yes, we have to. We have to be obedient to those promptings of God if we want to see His amazing work!
evangelism (26)
I heard an inspiring "I-could-do-that" story this morning at an all-city prayer meeting for the marketplace in our community. The worship leader paused behind his guitar and told us about the three or so years he worked at Starbucks. At first it was just a job to pay the bills, he said. But gradually, God turned it into a powerful prayer ministry.
How? One morning the young man sensed God inviting him to pray a simple prayer: "Lord, is there anything You want to say to folks through me today?" Well, guess what--there was!
As he started praying that question as part of his morning going-to-work routine, each day new people would open up and share bits of their lives with this friendly baristo who served up their latte's. He'd offer to pray for them, and they'd often accept. Usually they were just simple, 30-second prayers. But God answered them and made paths to their hearts through these simple acts of love and prayer. He healed people and worked other miracles. He made Himself real to the ones that received prayer. Eventually, word traveled, and people made special trips to that Starbucks just so they could be prayed for. Over his three-year tenure, our worship leader estimated that he ministered to more that 1,100 people.
His workplace became a meeting place, where people who would never go to church could come and meet with God. And, the worship leader suggested, "Your workplace could become a meeting place, too. Perhaps God has things He wants to say to folks you encounter each day . . . through you."
Do you have prayer-and-workplace stories? If you do, please take a moment to share them with us!
—Cynthia Bezek
JULY CD Track
Listing ZIP FILE - 1 MIN
ZIP FILE - 2 MIN
* JULY'S
PROMOS
06-29 * MP3 1-MIN 2-MIN *
DEALING WITH DEPRESSION/
Stephanie Newton
It’s hard to describe depression, isn’t it. Maybe you can relate. 
Today on the Lighthouse Report, Stephanie Newton (left)
conveys her experience.
06-30 * MP3 1-MIN 2-MIN *
CREATIVE CHANGE/ Randy Schoof
Plan community-wide events. It’s a great way to build relationships!
Pastor Randy Schoof (right) gives a unique example on today’s
Lighthouse Report.
More>>>
Today, especially in the wake of the events of Jan 6 in our nation’s capital and the aftermath, there have been many thoughtful things written about the dangers of Christian nationalism. One writer said: “The split we are seeing is not theological or philosophical. It’s a division between those who have become detached from reality and those who, however right wing, are still in the real world.” I disagree. I believe that the problem is theological, and the healing can only happen when we deal with the underlying spiritual issues at work here. Bad theology (another name for heresy) blinds us to the underlying spiritual truths.
I want to begin with the 18th century: Specifically the revivals and evangelistic campaigns of Finney and Moody. The pattern at that time was revival of the church then evangelism of the community. Revival was not about changing the culture or the community; it was about changing the heart of the church. The life-transforming work of the Holy Spirit can be stifled by unconfessed sin which hardens the heart. The challenge of unconfessed sin is that it is often deeply hidden in our hearts – or to use modern language, it rests within our subconscious. It is something repressed so that we, perhaps, have a vague sense of something wrong, but in our everyday life it cannot be fully grasped or acknowledged. The revival of the church happens when we individually and corporately search the depth of our souls. It comes with the deep conviction that we are sinners in need of grace. That humility at the feet of the Cross gives us the power to break through the normal human defenses that hid our own sin from our self. It is with the spiritual renewal that comes from revival that the church is then empowered to witness the Gospel of Christ to the surrounding community. The power of the gospel comes out of human brokenness – a brokenness that has experienced the power of grace.
The theological error of Christian nationalism is that it reverses the process and confuses revival with evangelism. The narrative of Christian nationalism is that the nation needs a revival and that revival can only happen when more people become Christians. The sin-focus is not on unconfessed sin within the church, but on the moral failings in the society. The believer comes not broken but empowered, having the answer to society’s problems and using power to bring about moral reform. This error is especially dangerous because it blinds us to our own failings. We never get to the place of soul searching and confession of sin. It replaces the truth of our own brokenness with the lie that Christians are powerful. It then closes off the most important truth of the gospel: our own need for grace. Thus falsely empowered, we use our sin-warped power – in the name of Jesus – in inflict more damage. In this way, Christian nationalism transforms itself into a political ideology and becomes the enemy of true evangelism.
*The Prayer-Care-Share Life
Prayer =
- praying for,
- praying in,
- with the community
Care =
- from simple acts of kindness, to
- compassion-actions, to
- resourcing and responding, to
- justice, advocacy
Share =
- showing (demonstrating) and
- telling (stories, sermons, conversations, proclaiming)
- the Gospel of Jesus
#PrayOften
#PrayNOW
@PrayerCareShare
@MakeLoveYourAim
@BlessEveryHome
@CItyreaching
It Seems To Me ...
by Pgil Miglioratti, Curator @ REimagine.Network
NOTE: See also"Fruit of the Spirit Evangelism"
It Seems To Me ..... prayer is not listed a a fruit of the Spirit.
We all know the list by heart. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (OK, I confess, I had to think about the correct order as they appear in Galatians 5:22-23). I like how the Contemporary English Version puts it: God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.
The apostle Paul is reminding us that the indwelling Holy Spirit's role is to produce these nine character qualities in each Christ follower. No matter what our society values today, there is no law against showing authentic love or simply being kind, even to people who do not seem to deserve it. It is not yet against the rules to be good. No one needs to force a believer to be gentle at times when others get angry. Some commentators would say: The fruit of the Spirit's work in our lives is love; love as evidenced in our joy, through our peace (peacemaking?) and patience, in our acts of kindness and goodness, when we are faithful or gentle or self-disciplined.
Recently this thought was downloaded into my mind: If the fruit of the Spirit is evidenced by at least nine character qualities, then what is the fruit of the Spirit's work in us as we grow in prayer? Or, is it possible that this same fruit cluster of the Holy Spirit should also be evidenced in our praying? Should we not expect similar evidence that our praying is Holy Spirit inspired, informed and instructed?
Holy Spirit motivated prayer is loving, joyful, peace-producing, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, self-controlled.
Both in our private prayers and certainly as we seek to coach those we lead in corporate praying, we must learn to listen for these vital markers of the Holy Spirit praying through us.
Holy Spirit prayers are loving -- Even when we are responding to hurt or fear, love must be the motivation of why we are asking God to act.
Holy Spirit inspired prayers are joyful -- Too many Christians only offer reactive prayers, seldom expressing or experiencing the joy of the Lord.
God Spirit's presence brings peace -- No matter what our circumstances, no matter how difficult the situation.
The Spirit of the Lord produces patience -- Are our prayers demands for instant gratification or are we capable of both patience (waiting upon) and perseverance (walking with) Christ?
Holy Spirit people are kind -- And the text and tone of their prayers reflect a kind heart, even toward enemies.
God is good -- As should be what the answer to our simplest prayer would produce . . . and not merely what is good for us.
Christ is faithful -- Every prayer uttered in His name must also be faithful to His name, faithful to the values of His kingdom.
Jesus was gentle -- Gentle prayers are meek (humble) not weak (sentimental); they destroy strongholds by releasing God's grace, mercy, healing, forgiveness, creativity.
Holy Spirit prayers are self-controlled -- Not self-focused but submitting self to the word of Christ and the will of the Father and the work of the Spirit.
It seems to me . . . that prayer may not be listed but if we look closely, it is all over the fruit of the Spirit!
Pastor Phil
NOTE >>> It Seems To Me... originally appeared in Prayer Leader Online @ www.prayerleader.com
