Pray Network Forum

After the cross, and especially the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the lives of the disciples were radically changed. One aspect of the change the Holy Spirit of God brought in their lives was the perspective of Hope. Who could have walked away from the crucifixion of Jesus without shaking their heads and asking, “What possible good could come of this?” But after Jesus rose again they saw their lives and in fact all of history from a different point of view. They rejoiced in the most dire circumstances, because they had seen the resurrection.

The Perspective of History

Their perspective was radically changed because of how they saw all of history.

In the short time before He was to be stoned to death Stephen, the first martyr to the faith, certainly with some inkling about what he was stepping into, reminded the people of what God had done down through the ages with the Children of Israel. He was able to see and show them all these things clearly because now he saw Jesus standing above all history and eternity.

The Perspective of Jesus

When we see Jesus clearly we come to a great assurance of hope. He did not simply conquer the world in spite of the evil around Him. He conquered through evil itself. James Stewart the powerful Scottish writer and preacher of the 20th century wrote these words.

“They nailed Him to a tree, not knowing that by that very act they were bringing the world to His feet. They gave Him a cross, not guessing that He would make it a throne.
They flung Him outside the city gates to die, not knowing that in that very moment they were lifting up the gates of the universe, to let the King come in. They thought to root out His doctrines, not understanding that they were implanting imperishably in the hearts of men the very name they intended to destroy.
They thought they had God with His back to the wall, pinned helpless and defeated: they did not know that it was God Himself who had tracked them down. He did not conquer in spite of the dark mystery of evil. He conquered through it."  

The Perspective of Eternity

Understanding that Jesus really rose from the dead has transformed the lives of people who followed Him all through the ages. They could minister in the midst of plagues at the risk of their lives. They gladly died to help their neighbors, and loved ones, and people that didn't even know. They were willing to stand for the Bible and the truth of the gospel even in the face of martyrdom.

We see this the death of Stephen. He could even pray for the men stoning him, “Don't hold this sin against them.” And he could pray, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit,” because he knew the Lord was there to receive him. And in fact itas not a unique testimony as he was dying, “Look, I see the throne in heaven and the son of man standing at the right hand of God.” I cannot help but wonder what they might have seen if they had looked. Stephen was certainly convinced they would see Jesus as he saw Him.

The Perspective of Prayer

My heart throbs at the simple prayer of Stephen, and so many others who have died from whatever cause, with prayer in their hearts and on their lips. When you come to know a risen Savior it radically changes the way you pray. And such prayer gives you hope in the face of life or death.

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Life events identify who our true friends are. Think about it. If you get married, divorced, have a baby, have a death in the family, graduate, are moving and need help, just want to hang out, need someone to talk to in the middle of the night and don’t want to be judged, who do you call?

Fair-weather friend is a term for fake friends…much like the many “friends” we have on FB and social media. Real friends are there for you no matter what life hands you. They don’t always agree with you, but they respect you, honor you, serve you, and love you for who you are. They will encourage you to expand your horizons, dream big, and let go of past hurts. They walk with you through life.

If you are fortunate to have more than one true friend, you are indeed wealthy. A proverb says, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” You may be thinking, yes, but I have always heard “Blood is thicker than water,” meaning family comes before everyone else. Is it possible that both are correct?

Blood is thicker than water when it comes to our relationships and priorities, but there are friends who would go the distance when even blood relatives might pause. Here is my question for you: Are you a true friend to anyone? Have you invested in someone in your life to the point that they know beyond the shadow of a doubt that if they needed anything, you would be there for them?

True friendship is not one way. It takes two people investing in each other. This takes relationships from good to great. It works in marriage, business, and casual relationships. If you don’t invest, you’ll never have the best.

If you do have a cherished friend, I hope you let them know how much you love them and that you are there for them. If you don’t have a true friend, don’t despair. Another proverb says, “If a man wants friends, he must show himself friendly.” Just get out of your comfort zone and be the friend that you would like to have. It is worth the investment.

Shalom!

danskognes.com

If you are a grandparent who would like to pray more effectively or intentionally for your grandchildren, you will want to purchase and read the book, Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren. The book provides specific examples to help you pray, such as alphabet prayers, prayers based on Scriptures, Suggestions to pray for School children and prayers for holidays.

Check out the book on this website for a reduced price of $10.50 including shipping in the U.S. for a Grandparents’ Day of Prayer Special to help you pray more effectively for your grandchildren and their parents. The book is also available in an eBook version on Amazon or Redemption press for $3.99. A free downloadable study guide is available.

Prayer is the expression of human dependence on God, not a production; it is a personal intimate conversation with God, the creator of the universe. Isn’t it awesome, we have the privilege to communicate with the creator of the universe? We can bring all our concerns and fears to God? He is always available, sitting at the right hand of God waiting for us to come to him. His line is never busy, He never puts us on hold, we don’t have to press a number for our language, we don’t have to leave a voicemail, and He is available 24/7.   A great force of God’s power is released as we relinquish our concerns to Him, committing ourselves to intentionally pray for our grandchildren.  

God has given grandparents a sacred trust, an opportunity to imprint a child’s life with God’s faithfulness. This is why Christian Grandparenting Network is declaring the National Grandparents Day as a Day of Prayer for our grandchildren and their parents.

 Have you heard about Grandparents’ Day of Prayer?

Christian Grandparenting Network is asking grandparents to unite in prayer for their grandchildren and their grandchildren’s parents. This day is scheduled to coincide with National Grandparents’ Day, which falls on September 9, 2018.  We desire is to make this day a day of prayer for our grandchildren. 

We believe the battle for the hearts and minds of our dear grandchildren and their parents can be won only by praying grandparents who sense the urgency and unite to do battle in prayer.

Please check our website http://www.grandparentsdayofprayer.com for more information, testimonials, promotional materials and free downloads.

For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact us.

To learn more about Grandparents’ Day of Prayer, view this short video by Cavin Harper, Executive Director for Christian Grandparenting Network. https://vimeo.com/130942706.  Go to www.christiangrandparenting.net/prayerto find additional information, endorsements and promotional resources on the website or email me.  lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

Please feel free to share this blog with your friends.

May God show favor on your grandparenting,

By Lillian Penner, Co-prayer director for Christian Grandparenting Netwwork

Here is my latest post/video. Hope you enjoy- http://wp.me/p1Mbsb-zw ;

The wind and the waves threatened to capsize the fishing boat. Though seasoned on the water, the men aboard began to fear for their lives. Straining at the sails and the oars, bailing water and trying to control the boat, they suddenly noticed that one of them was fast asleep.

Astonished, they rushed to wake him. "Lord, don't you care if we drown?" they asked.

Jesus stood up, spoke to the wind and the waves, and suddenly everything was calm. Turning to his friends, he asked, "Where is your faith?" (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25)

Most of us can relate to the disciples' fear. Facing an unwelcome medical diagnosis, a catastrophic relational breakdown, a significant loss, we too often feel like we're about to drown with no way out. We find ourselves crying out to God, "Lord, don't you care?"

God does care, as seen in Jesus' response to the disciples. He calmed the storm - but then he asked them a penetrating question: "Where is your faith?" They had seen him heal people of all kinds of illnesses and infirmities - in fact, Matthew precedes his account with several examples of Jesus' healing miracles (Matthew 8:1-17), and Mark and Luke also include several healing miracles prior to this story.

The disciples had seen all those miracles - yet their immediate crisis obscured their memory and understanding of who Jesus was.

How often is this true of us? We see God work in all kinds of ways in our lives - providing everything from jobs to food and clothing to relationships that bring us joy, and, above all, the miracle of salvation. Yet when faced with a crisis, how easily we can forget what God has already done and the many ways he has demonstrated his love and care for us. Rather than praying in quiet confidence that God will bring us through the current crisis too, we cry out in desperation as though we had never experienced his touch.

Jesus didn't ignore the disciples' cry of desperation. He answered their plea for help - and he'll do the same for us (though maybe not always quite so immediately). And if we're paying attention, maybe we too can hear Jesus' encouragement to us to have faith, to remember all that he has done, and to have confidence in Him.

The wind and the waves threatened to capsize the fishing boat. Though seasoned on the water, the men aboard began to fear for their lives. Straining at the sails and the oars, bailing water and trying to control the boat, they suddenly noticed that one of them was fast asleep.

Astonished, they rushed to wake him. "Lord, don't you care if we drown?" they asked.

Jesus stood up, spoke to the wind and the waves, and suddenly everything was calm. Turning to his friends, he asked, "Where is your faith?" (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25)

Most of us can relate to the disciples' fear. Facing an unwelcome medical diagnosis, a catastrophic relational breakdown, a significant loss, we too often feel like we're about to drown with no way out. We find ourselves crying out to God, "Lord, don't you care?"

God does care, as seen in Jesus' response to the disciples. He calmed the storm - but then he asked them a penetrating question: "Where is your faith?" They had seen him heal people of all kinds of illnesses and infirmities - in fact, Matthew precedes his account with several examples of Jesus' healing miracles (Matthew 8:1-17), and Mark and Luke also include several healing miracles prior to this story.

The disciples had seen all those miracles - yet their immediate crisis obscured their memory and understanding of who Jesus was.

How often is this true of us? We see God work in all kinds of ways in our lives - providing everything from jobs to food and clothing to relationships that bring us joy, and, above all, the miracle of salvation. Yet when faced with a crisis, how easily we can forget what God has already done and the many ways he has demonstrated his love and care for us. Rather than praying in quiet confidence that God will bring us through the current crisis too, we cry out in desperation as though we had never experienced his touch.

Jesus didn't ignore the disciples' cry of desperation. He answered their plea for help - and he'll do the same for us (though maybe not always quite so immediately). And if we're paying attention, maybe we too can hear Jesus' encouragement to us to have faith, to remember all that he has done, and to have confidence in Him.

A CHRISTIAN WRITER

Many years ago I had a friend who was a Medical Doctor. He had gone on some kind of retreat for Christian Doctors where they discussed the difference between a Christian doctor and other doctors. Their conclusion was fairly simple. They said a Christian doctor prays.

What does it mean to be a Christian writer? I'm not sure the answer to this is much different from the question, “What is a Christian?” But there is a crucial and specific application for a Christian writer.

A Christian writer begins everything she writes from a vital relationship with Jesus Christ. We are absolutely dependent upon Him. He determines our purpose and values. That does not mean that everything we write is devotional or theological. I may write a travel log on a trip across Canada. Or I may write a baseball story. But in both of them I must personally surrender to His lordship over my life. I trust His perspective on my thinking and writing. In what I write, I try not to project my own competence, but His.

In 2 Corinthians 4:5 Paul wrote about his own Ministry.

“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.”

I want to stop saying, “Listen to me.” Instead, often in subtle and creative ways, I want to say, “You can listen to Him.” This will radically change the underlying message of my writing and my entire life. If I belong to him, it is his message that I desire to get out.

And being, or at least growing, as a Christian writer will completely redefine my idea of success. If I truly belong to him, I will desire to honor Him rather than myself.  In John 7:18, Jesus gave us this clear definition of our purpose.

“He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.”

As Christian writers we right from a Vital Relationship with Christ.

And as Christian writers we become Verifiable Representatives of Christ.

Similar things will be true of a Christian artist, a Christian carpenter, a preacher, or a godly janitor.

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I think I want to be one of those, as soon as I figure out what that means. Maybe grow in grace is more my speed. I need a lot of grace because I don’t have life all figured out. I have stumbled and fallen, picked myself up (with the help of the Lord) and done it all over again so many times! My life is full of ups and downs, failures and triumphs. I have tried to walk the narrow path of greatness and failed miserably. God never fails me though. This is what He has to say to us:

“I am the One and Only true God who has and can offer grace to the human race. I ask my followers to be Grace Growers or Growers of Grace. When you exhibit grace for others, you give them the space they need to see My presence in you and then practice that same grace for others. I have grace for all and I give grace freely, asking the same of you. Come to Me for ultimate grace. I will show you what it looks like. I will grow you up in amazing grace. I will lavish your lives in the pool of grace. Yes, grace will grow out from Me, on to you and you will carry it out to others. Through you they will receive my grace and through my grace they will find peace.

I am the way the truth and the life. I am Love, I am Grace, I am Peace. Those who come to me will receive this life. It is not magical, it is not a one-time gift. It is a lifestyle that grows from a life lived with me. Following me, seeking me, reading my Word that I have poured out through the Holy Bible. As you receive my grace, you must share it with others for it to grow. Everything I give you will need to be shared in order for it to grow in you. It is the way I have made for you to receive and for you to grow. Give Grace all the time.

Romans 5:17: For if by the one man’s (Adam) offence death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6:24: Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity. Amen.

1Peter 5:10: But may the God of all grace who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after you have suffered awhile, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.

If you want to know what the perfect Father looks like, look at God… the Father of all mankind. He loves us completely in spite of our human frailties. That fact alone should give you pause to think. His love directs us, completes us, and gives us our daily bread. His love lights the way through the darkness and comforts us in the losses we encounter. He also corrects us when we are going astray just as any loving Father would. His love is generous, complete, and never ends.

Being a great Father is a daunting task for most men. It is a huge responsibility, but I do believe it is a worthy goal for any Father. You know what I believe helps make that a reality? Love God with all our heart first and foremost. The second thing is to love our fellow man as we love ourselves.

If you really want to take being a good Father to a different level, do those two things, but add one more thing to make it very personal: love your wife completely. Serve her. Honor her. Make her the priority that she deserves to be in your life. Listen to her. Protect her. Provide for her. You want to be treated like a king? Treat her like a queen. The children will love and respect you as a result.

Too many men miss this point and think they can be great Dads by spending a lot of time with their kid(s), but neglect or even abuse their spouse. That type of behavior is a ticking time-bomb. Sooner or later it is going to explode and the very thing the Dad was trying to nurture (relationship with his children) will very likely be taken from him.

Love God, love your fellow man, and treat your wife like a queen. Those three simple things will elevate you in the eyes of all and give you peace that passes understanding.

Happy Father’s Day!

Shalom!

Dan Skognes
danskognes.com

I fear many Christians have the notion that we are saved by grace, but we are trained for righteousness by legalism. This is a serious mistake for Christians and it misses one of the most wonderful truths of scripture. In Titus Chapter 2 Paul tells us the grace of God trains us for Godly living. Look with me at these verses.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

Titus 2:22-14

Let me point out for you several ways that God uses His grace to train us to live Godly lives.

First, We Are Trained In The Gratitude of Grace.

We do not develop self control and godliness so we will be saved. We obey God out of gratitude that He has already saved us. This gratitude brings great devotion. “Look what  He has done for me!” It also produces humility in us that is foundational to a changed life. And focusing on His grace frees us defensiveness about our sin. Our sins were paid for on the cross.

We Are Trained In The Hope of Grace.

We are like a bride being adorned for our bridegroom. We love Him. And we are preparing our hearts to be ushered into His presence. We desire God's grace to be worked  into our lives more and more because we are looking forward to seeing Jesus face-to-face.

We Are Trained In The Transformation of Grace.

When we begin to follow Christ God brings about a radical change in our desires. But we still have habits of mind and behavior that must be changed on a deep level. Because the penalty for them has been paid we have freedom to deal with the root motivations of our pride, greed, lust, or whatever sin we would avoid dealing with if we were still being defensive. And God is planting more and more of His thinking and His holiness into our lives. The more we read His word, and live in fellowship with Him, the more like Him we become.

We Are Trained In The Fellowship of Grace.

God's Grace has appeared so that He might make us a people who are zealous for good works. We cannot do this, or be this, alone. We stand together. As we are united with Him by God's grace, we are united with others in the family. We love one another and encourage one another every day while it is still called today. (Hebrews 3:13)

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Years ago I wrote an article for a state denominational paper beginning with the statement, “I was going to title this article, 'I Call Myself A Fundamentalist.’ But I didn't want to spend the next six months explaining to my friends that I don't own an assault rifle or any plastic explosives.” Even then few pastors in my denomination would call themselves Fundamentalists, although I didn't know one who would reject the basic tenets of the faith. I tried to be careful not to call myself a fundamentalist in places where I was not able to explain what I meant. But I didn't want to give up the term. My reasoning was two fold. First, I did not want to give up the word Fundamentalist to people who whose hearts did not reflect the fruit of the Spirit or the fundamental attitudes of Jesus and the New Testament. And I wanted to resist giving up our language to the barbarians.

My Oxford English Reference Dictionary released in 1996 only has the word as an addendum to “FUNDAMENTALISM,” which they define as, “Strict maintenance of the basic teachings of a religion.” I read a book written earlier that simi-seriously defined a Fundamentalist as a conservative Christian who is angry. Who could read 1 Corinthians 13 and call themselves fundamentalists by that definition? I recently heard someone raise a question about Ephesians 4:31. It reads

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.”

He asked, “Does this mean to put these other things away from you with malice toward them?”

Incidentally, that is not a possible interpretation this verse. In the original language the reading is, put these other things away “together with all malice.” Malice is not the attitude of putting the other things out of our lives, but one, and possibly the worst, of the things of which we are to rid ourselves. However you read this verse, its words, the entirety of Ephesians 4, and everything the New Testament says about our attitudes, completely exclude an angry and divisive expression of the Christian faith.

I first started calling myself a fundamentalist while I was still in seminary. In a Biblical Backgrounds class the teacher presented several lists of hermeneutic principles. Hermeneutics are the underlying principles that determine how you interpret Scripture. One of them was labeled a Fundamentalist Hermeneutic. And as far as I could tell everyone in the class including the teacher agreed with those principles. But the teacher said, “You can hold these without being a Fundamentalist.” I asked, “How?”, and he said “Just because you decide you're not.” I need to say that professor was a great teacher. Even though I'm not giving his name, I don't want to say anything bad about him. But, that didn't make a whole ton of sense to me.

But, I have given you this entire rambling dissertation, because I'm giving up the title, fundamentalist. As much as I hate it, I have to admit that our language has been hijacked. The word no longer means what it should mean to people. It is a little more complicated than that. I recently reread Bodie Thoene’s Zion Chronicles. These are historical novels about the foundation of Israel in the years immediately after millions of Jews were shipped, often in the name of Christianity, to death camps. The refugees of that Holocaust we're trying desperately to reestablish the Jewish state in the face of local and world opposition. I think it may have been in the Gates of Zion, the first book in the series, that a Hebrew archaeologist was explaining to an American friend how he had come to be convinced through the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Messiah. He said “I believe in Him, but I will never call myself a Christian.” I have never understood what this character said as well as I do now.

Steve Brown, the radio preacher on the Key Life broadcast used to say that Jesus was a Pharisee. He was alluding to Acts 23:8 and other passages that indicate that the Pharisees unlike the Sadducees believed in the Spirit, and angels, and the resurrection. Jesus believed in all of these. But Jesus never called himself a Pharisee.

I have recently been exposed to people in several circles in more than one state, who are not only angry, but arrogant, brash, rude, domineering, hateful, and hurtful, all in the name of Scripture. And while I am unhappy about it, I cannot continue to call myself by the term fundamentalist.

However lest everything I write sound so gloomy, I need to add that I do have a solution to my dilemma. From now on I'm going to call myself a Christian. I may even use the term Christ-follower.

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We live in a world that urges conformity. Everyone needs to just walk in step and not make waves. This blog is dedicated to the wave makers. Wave makers are earth shakers. They dare to be different and add spice to our lives. They often are the ones who are the difference between our success or failure.

I know that non-conformists are often met with discipline, stern looks, and admonitions to get in line. A non-conformist can be the drill sergeant’s nightmare. They march to the beat of a different drum and make conformity look absurd. Don’t get me wrong. I do believe we need conformity in the military and in many other areas of our lives; I just think we sometimes don’t know how to handle non-conformists productively.

If you have a non-conformist in your classroom, your organization, or in your family, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Every non-conformist will share some common elements:

• They need to feel heard.
• They want to know why they are doing something and why it matters.
• They love to think outside the box.
• They don’t care so much about what you think as long as they know you care what they think.
• They are often seen as quirky, strange, or loners.
• They need to feel appreciated.

You can’t really change them (or anyone for that matter). All you can do is reason with them, listen, and try to get them engaged in the project. Do yourself a favor when dealing with a non-conformist. If you will take the time to develop a relationship with them, you just might find they have incredible talents and thoughts to contribute to the project at hand.

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Some of the best books I have read had non-descript covers. Likewise, some of the most compelling and thought-provoking ideas have come from people who seem strange to the general public. “Sometimes the masses just need new glasses.” Different does not have to be an argument waiting to happen. It does not mean they are automatically wrong. They are just different. Take the time to know and understand them. Who knows what it will unlock for both of you?

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

danskognes.com