God bless laywers
I seem to be getting a lot of blogging inspiration from the radio lately.
I heard a story this morning about two seminary students praying outside of a strip club in downtown Detroit.
Basically, it was just two kids praying, that’s all, no protesting, no screaming or yelling, just quietly praying. It was bothering the patrons and the dancers and the club owner so much, they called the police.
The police came and told the seminarians they had to leave the premises, the owner of the property doesn’t want them there.
So… the seminarians wrote to an attorney and the attorney started a letter writing campaign with the city to try and enable the seminarians to do their prayer vigil without harrasement from the police.
In the meantime the seminarians are back at school and more of their fellow classmates are getting excited about what they’re doing and decide to join them.
The attorney is able to secure a letter from the City of Detroit that states the semanarians are able to pray whereever they want without the threat of harrasement by the police.
Now there are 12 students praying outside the strip club and once again the owner calls the police. The police officer tells the students to leave and they show him the letter they have from the City that states they have the right to pray here.
The police officer then goes to the club owner, and says the kids have a right to be here and leave them alone.
What a blessing that the attorney they contacted was able to secure that right for them to pray there.
an intimate relationship
I was listening to the radio this morning and the DJs were talking about that governor in SC that had an affair in Argentina. They brought on the resident “therapist” and he had this to say… when there are problems in a relationship the first thing to go is the intimacy, then affection and then communication. And once all those things are gone, you’re in a lot of trouble.
I thought that was very interesting.
I started thinking about a friend of mine who is struggling in thier marriage because of a lack of intimacy.
Then I starting thinking about all the times I’ve heard in church how God wants to have an intimate relationship with us.
I’ve heard that, but honestly I’ve never really spent much time thinking about it or even really understanding it.
I thought about talking to my friend and letting them know that the hurt they are feeling in their marriage is an example of the hurt God feels when there’s no intimacy in our relationship with Him.
All that to say, it just really got me thinking about what it means to have an intimate relationship with God. Like I was saying, I’ve heard in church that is what He wants. But what does that really look like?
Here’s what I came up with: Being faithful, being there, listening, sharing, needing, trust, constant communication, submission, selflessness, etc.
I also started thinking about how it must be true that God wants to have an intimate relationship with us because of what Paul wrote about staying single.
How it’s better to be single so that all your attention can be on God and not your spouse. Wow! That’s saying a lot. Paul went on to say that if you have to get married, go ahead, but it’s better to focus on the Lord’s work instead of pleasing your spouse.
Don’t despair if you are married, I think it means He wants to be right there with the two of you. Okay, honestly I have no idea what it means if you’re married, but maybe it’s about making sure God comes first before every conversation or decision.
I don’t know if I’m going to talk to my friend about the “intimacy” factor or not, if I do, I hope I choose my words carefully.
Is it hard to have an intimate relationship with God?
Obedience to a still small voice
I was listening to Craig Groeschel this morning talk about Elijah hearing God’s still small voice and being obedient even through his fears. It reminded me of the first time I heard God’s still small voice in my life. When I was full of fear. I look back now on that moment and I’m amazed at how simple God made it for me to come to Him. All I had to do in that moment was be obedient to His instruction for my life. I didn’t have to be a good person, be clean or be better than I was. I didn’t have to seek out all the answers or try harder to change who I was. All I had to do in that moment was be obedient.
And once I was obedient, He took care of providing me with ways to change, ways to learn what was good for my life and others, ways to belong, ways to accept others and to be accepted myself.
So now 7 years later I have to ask myself, am I still looking at my life as simply as I was back then. Am I still being totally obedient to God’s instruction for my life because I simply don’t know any better. Back then I wasn’t puffed up in my knowledge of God or the gospel because I had no knowledge, I only knew to obey Him if I wanted His help. I didn’t get lost in fancy prayers or verses that I could quote back to Him and say “But you said this and you said that…” I was literally like a child who only knew that I needed to obey if I wanted His assistance.
So, my hope this morning is that I don’t wander away from God’s will for my life because I think I know better or I know enough to get by. That somehow I can still be obedient to His still small voice.
The best sermon!
Below is a transcript if you want to carry it around with you to encouarge you.
I wanted to encourage you. Many times when bad things happen in our lives, we have these moments in our lives where we ask “God, why me?” “What did I ever do to deserve this?” I don’t know if you’ve asked that or not about this brain tumor, but it reminds me of the story of Job in the Bible. Job was given an opportunity to prove his faithfulness and many times I think God allows things to happen in our life not so that we can prove how faithful we are but so that God can prove how faithful He is. In the midst of all this what you’ll find is that God never leaves us, He’ll never forsake us, He’ll never turn His back on us. Even in those moments where we wonder where God is, often times He’s just on the other side of whatever that challenge is or whatever that issue is in our life. He’s standing right on that other side and he’s waiting for us to make it through, so that when we do get to the other side we have an even better story to tell of our relationship with Christ, of our relationship with God and what He can do with us. So my encouragement to you is to make it through the other side. Obviously some of that stuff is out of your hands and in the hands of some very qualified doctors, but in the midst of all that, here’s what I know to be true, that although I have let God down hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of times, God has never ever failed me yet. And so here you are, this young guy in your twenties, full of life, full of energy, full of joy and you have this issue that comes in to your life and my encouragement to you is to understand a couple of simple things, 1. That God loves you, 2. That God has a plan for your life that none of us know or understand, He’s got a plan for you, a plan that we are all anxious to see you live out, He’s got things in store for you that you’ve never imagined, that you’ll never understand, He’s got a future for you that is bright. And what do you do in the meantime? What do you do while you’re waiting for this? Here I found this, I just want to read something to you.
Psalms 40, this is what David said:
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
And then, here’s what you can do on the other side of that, once you come out of that,
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.
I think God has something amazing in store for you and this is all a part of that story, I just want you to know that I love you and we’re praying for you, and everyone at the church, Ed, and Pace, and all the worship leaders, all of us Gabe appreciate you and we’ll be waiting for you on the other side once this is all done. We’ll be able to compare shaved heads, alright, talk to you soon buddy.
[ht: ragamuffin]
Praise God!
I’m so thankful this afternoon! I have been praying and believing for a new mac for years for my home office. The price is so high that it seemed like just a dream. Then today one of my co-workers overheard me talking about it and mentioned that his brother was selling one for about half the retail price… I am SO PSYCHED! I’m so grateful that God heard my prayers and blessed me with this tool that will help me serve others more efficiently and effectively!
what's your starfish?
today in our small group/lunch break my co-workers and I watched the nooma video shells. It basically talked about being too preoccupied with the business of life to focus on the one true thing that really matters. The question on everyone’s mind though was…what is the one true thing? In the story, the one important thing you should be chasing was symbolized by a starfish.
So in your life, is the starfish a better job, better health, a spouse, etc. or is it a closer relationship with God?
At first I thought my starfish should be my calling…the stuff I think I’ll do when I have the freedom to do it.
But as the day fades away, I’m thinking it’s probably more about a relationship, a state of being…than an actual thing or place.
What am I holding on to that’s distracting me from a relationship with my Heavenly Father? What kinds of things am I carrying around in my heart that’s preventing me from having all that God wants to bless me with? What can’t I let go of that’s limiting my life to only my imagination and not God’s amazing plan and purpose?
I am in awe of the gifts and talents God gives us to spread His message.
video created by these guys.
It wasn’t the diaper that saved him,” Massaneiro told the newspaper. “It was God.
