B2B Concert of Prayer – God of All Comfort #886

Posted on February 10, 2014 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 886

The_God_of_All_Comfort (Small)“God of All Comfort”

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Where do you turn for comfort? People have a variety of sources of comfort – some we grow out of and others stay with us all of our lives. Comfort sources can be blankets, stuffed animals, pets, and food. In extreme cases, people escape the reality of their circumstances seeking a temporary comfort through drugs and alcohol.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:16, KJV)

Jesus was the source of comfort for His disciples while He was with them. After His ascension into heaven and following Pentecost the disciples received the Holy Spirit – the Comforter to abide in them. We too, as Christians born again by the Spirit of God derive comfort from God through the abiding presence of His Holy Spirit.

Afflictions, trials, and difficulties affect us all in life this side of eternity. Trouble does not discriminate between the Christian and the non-Christian. The difference between our ability to make it through difficult times is our source of strength and hope. Those who are of the world struggle in their own strength, relying on the shallow and temporary help and comfort derived from the things of this world – many cannot sustain the effort and give up.

For the Christian, born-again by the Spirit of God, the trials of life shape our character for a purpose that God may or may not reveal at the time. We draw on the eternal depths of grace and hope from the abiding presence of God in order to persevere through the trial. Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord…Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6) We make it through by the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, and not by our strength of will or the shallow comfort derived from the things of this world.

May the Holy Spirit abide in you as you abide in Him. May the God of all comfort encourage your heart with hope as He takes you into a deeper and more intimate relationship of love and trust in Him. May the Holy Spirit equip you to comfort those in need of His comfort as He pours God’s love through you to them having prepared you beforehand to be His vessel by the light and momentary difficulties He has brought you through. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Slimy Pit #885

Posted on February 3, 2014 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 885

slimy pit“Slimy Pit”

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. (Psalm 40:1-2)

Psalm 40 is one of my favorite Psalms and it never fails to minister and bring me comfort and hope. I love the visual imagery of Father God leaning in toward me, intently and actively listening to my cry. I feel His strong hand wrap around my wrist as I grip His while He lifts me out of the turbulent pit of slimy mud that is threatening to suck me under and destroy me.

Have you ever walked through a muddy bog that literally sucked the boot off your foot as you attempted to take the next step? Imagine being chest deep in such a bog. This is a hopeless situation that you cannot get out of on your own. What hopeless situations are you in that threaten to destroy you?

The Psalmist speaks of waiting patiently and crying for help in the same breath. Patience isn’t passivity. Patience isn’t silently giving up. Indeed, the word in the original Hebrew for ‘patience’ in this verse describes the tension of enduring like a rope under strain. Ropes groan when under strain and I groan in my prayers to the Lord for help. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)

The Word of God encourages us to ask, seek, and knock. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7) Jesus taught a parable about the persistent widow to encourage us to persist in prayer. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. (Luke 18:7-8)

I recall hiking in the Rocky Mountains above tree line and emerging onto a large rocky plateau. I can smell the fresh air and see the bright sun and crystal blue sky as I read about the Lord setting my feet upon a rock and making my feet secure.

Perhaps the miry bog that seeks to destroy you is sin in your life. You have heard of Jesus but have not repented or accepted His free gift of salvation. God loves you and Jesus died for your sins. Cry out to Him and He will lift you out of your pit of destruction and set you on the rock that is Christ.

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust… (Psalm 40:4)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Speak to the Rock #884

Posted on January 26, 2014 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 884

mosesrocks5croppedb (Small)“Speak to the Rock”

…tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. (Numbers 20:8)

Have you ever taken action when you were so angry you could just spit – and then regretted it later? Moses was angry. He was fed up with all the grumbling and complaining against him by a people that he had poured out his heart and soul for in obedience to the call of God. …And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people quarreled with Moses… (Numbers 20:2-3)

This had happened to Moses before when the people were ready to stone him because of their thirst when they were camped at Rephidim. Then, the Lord instructed Moses to strike the rock to produce water. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it… (Exodus 17:6) This action affirmed Moses in the eyes of the people that he had power and authority from God to lead them as he carried the staff of God. (Exodus 4:20)

Now at Meribah, God did not want faith to be wrongly placed in Moses or his staff. God wanted to be glorified in the eyes of the people so he instructed Moses to merely speak to the rock in His Name. The rock was to produce water not because some man touched it or hit it with a holy icon, but because in the Name of God it was told to do so.

Moses’ anger clouded his judgment and dulled his faith. He probably thought that these people would surely stone him to death if he spoke to the rock and nothing happened. His fear of failing gave rise to disbelief that God would deliver him and provide the water. So in his anger, fear, and frustration he spoke harshly to the people and in an attempt to vindicate himself and Aaron, he struck the rock twice in their name – not the Lord’s. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice… (Numbers 20:10-11)

There are a couple of lessons we can take away from this Biblical account. The first is that salvation is as easy as speaking to the rock that is Christ …if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) Salvation is not by works that man would be glorified. The rock was struck once on the cross and not to be struck again. Jesus has the power to save and give eternal life – we only have to speak in faith to Him.

The second lesson is that whatever we do in life is to be done to the glory of God. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) There is a saying that ‘No good deed goes unpunished’ and Moses experienced the truth of that firsthand from the people that he led out of Egypt. We, oftentimes, experience vilification and ingratitude from those we serve in the name of the Lord. It can come from family members, coworkers or employers. It is important to never seek vindication by our own hand especially in anger. We must always look to the Lord and as Moses would bring these issues to Him at the tent of meeting, we must continually bring them to Him in prayer and allow Him to act on our behalf that He may be glorified in our deliverance.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Bless the Lord #883

Posted on January 19, 2014 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 883

bless “Bless the Lord”

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! (Psalm 103:1)

 I was convicted this week during my daily prayer time. I became keenly aware that my prayers had taken on a consistent character of complaining. Instead of worshipping God my time in prayer was more of worshipping self and the desires of my flesh that I lacked. Instead of seeking first His kingdom and righteousness I was seeking first my desires. As I repented, the Word of the Lord came to mind: Bless the Lord, O my soul…

What exactly does it mean to ‘Bless the Lord’? We use the word ‘bless’ in so many different connotations, some negative and some positive, that it is difficult to visualize the action conveyed by the verb, ‘bless’. The solution is found in the root word translated ‘bless’ and in the context that it is used.

From the Hebrew, the word ‘bless’ means to kneel. In the context of man blessing God it means to be humble before Him in adoration and worship. In the context of God blessing man it means God prospering man spiritually or materially. (1 Chronicles 4:10) From the Greek it means to speak well of; to praise. (James 3:9)

Kneeling is not commonplace in our society anymore unless it is part of a ritualized worship pattern. Our church worship services exhibit sitting and standing postures before God for the most part. Have you ever been in a worship service where the Spirit of the Lord was so palpable that people spontaneously knelt down at the altar, in the aisles, and in their pew? (Romans 14:11) That is blessing the Lord. That is when our prayers are worship and adoration and not selfish complaints about the desires of our flesh.

We fail to bless the Lord and fall into a ‘woe is me’ pattern of prayer when we forget what the Lord has done and is doing for us out of His steadfast love and perfect plan for our well-being. We fail to bless Him when we focus on what we don’t have rather than on what He has graciously provided for us.

 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:2-5)

 May your heart remain in the perfect peace that comes from a mind that is stayed upon God. (Isaiah 26:3) May your life be characterized by acceptable worship of the Lord, blessing Him in all circumstances as you acknowledge His sovereignty, goodness, and steadfast love for you. (Hebrews 12:28)

 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115:18)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Semper Fi #882

Posted on January 12, 2014 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 882

semperfi“Semper Fi”

Who then is the faithful and wise servant… (Matthew 24:45)

The United States Marine Corps adopted the motto ‘Semper Fidelis’ in 1883 on the initiative of Colonel Charles McCawley who was the 8th Commandant of the Marine Corps. The motto is Latin meaning ‘Always Faithful’.

When Jesus called His disciples and appointed some of them to be apostles, He, like the Marine Corps recruiting slogan of old, was looking for a few good men. Jesus was looking for men who would always be faithful then and He continues to look for the men and women among us today who are ‘faithful and wise servants’.

The Word of God tells us that Jesus is the Lord who is always faithful. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. (Psalm 57:10) If we, as Christians, are to be followers of Him then we too need to be always faithful.

The word ‘faithful’ has its meaning rooted in moral fidelity. It carries in its meaning a sense of stability, truth, trustworthiness and being firm in allegiance.

How can we be faithful to Christ? We can start by keeping ourselves physically and spiritually pure and healthy. We are faithful when we carry the light of Christ without shame or fear into our relationship contexts of world, workplace, and government.

We are faithful and wise servants when we manage our finances as good stewards of God’s provision, being faithful in bringing His tithe, Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. (Malachi 3:10) and by being generous with those in need, Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. (Proverbs 3:27)

We can remain firm in our allegiance by our obedience to His call, yielding our will to God and allowing Him to pour His gifts through us to others as we serve Him in various areas of ministry.

We are always faithful when we bring stability, truth and trustworthiness into our family environment by loving our spouse sacrificially as Jesus loves His church.

May the Holy Spirit instill in you the moral fidelity to be always faithful to Jesus.

Semper Fi!

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Practical Wisdom #881

Posted on January 6, 2014 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 881

shrewd-as-snakes-and-innocent-as-doves (Small)“Practical Wisdom”

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

How can Jesus expect us to be as shrewd as a snake yet remain innocent? Indeed, the word ‘shrewd’ carries with it an implication of deceitfulness and evil cunning. If we examine the root word from the original Greek for our text we find that this word translated as ‘shrewd’ or ‘wise’ carries the meaning of ‘practical wisdom’. Further study of the word ‘innocent’ reveals that Jesus is exhorting us to have street smarts tempered with pure motives.

The practical wisdom that Jesus is calling for causes us to take action guided by a moral compass founded upon biblical Christian values. We are to do the right things, at the right time, and for the right reasons when in the midst of wolves.

In the book of Esther we see practical wisdom in action. Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:15-16)

All the Jews were to be killed in the Persian Empire. Not even the king himself could revoke the edict. Esther was a Jewess and the emperor’s queen. Compelled by Mordecai she decided to act.

Esther demonstrated the boldness to do the right thing in approaching the king saying: “If I perish, I perish.” She remained watchful and aware of what the enemy was planning. Esther was wary and cautious in her approach to the king. She sought the Lord’s favor and power through prayer and fasting. She knew that success was to be had by His hand and through wisdom imparted to her by the Lord. It was through two separate invitations to dinner that she created the right time for the best possible context for success. Esther remained open and transparent. Her motives were pure. She gave credit to Mordecai about the news of the assassination plot and did not accuse Haman behind his back but rather invited him to dinner with the king to be confronted face to face.

Jesus did not promise a cake walk for the Christian in this world. He was up front about the trials and persecution that lay in store for us. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

How does one obtain practical wisdom? By living a life that follows after Jesus, the study of His Word, and learning from experience. We learn from the experiences of others as outlined in God’s Word as well as from our own life experience. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

May you learn to navigate your way through life by practicing ‘practical wisdom’. May you be shrewd as snakes and remain innocent as doves.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – The Joy of the Lord #880

Posted on December 29, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 880

for_joy“The Joy of the Lord”

…for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

A swift river runs wide and deep. The surface of the water is often disturbed by objects falling or thrown into it and in winter it is frozen solid. The surface of the river is vulnerable to its environmental circumstances, yet through it all the deep water continues to flow powerfully undisturbed in relative peace.

In my prayer journal recently I wrote: ‘Lord, I want to be happy again.’ The Lord spoke to my heart at that moment that His joy is my strength. What is the difference between happiness and joy? Do I lack joy if I am not giddy with emotional exuberance all the time? Do you, like me, long for a happier time in your life?

Happiness is what psychologists describe as ‘subjective well-being’. It is seen as a combination of being satisfied with one’s life and having, on balance, more positive than negative emotions. Happiness is fleeting at best and circumstantial. Being subjective in nature, circumstances that may make one person happy do nothing for another and may even make them sad. Happiness is easily disturbed like the surface of the river described earlier.

Jesus instructs us through His Word that if we keep His commands and abide in His love we can have His joy to the fullest. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:11)

The Greek word translated here as ‘joy’ is ‘chara’ which is remarkably similar to the Greek word ‘charis’ that deals with the favor and grace of God that comes by His Holy Spirit. In fact there are three Greek words that are cognates in that they share the same origin: Charis – God’s grace, Charo – Rejoice (joy because of God’s grace), and Chara – Joy (awareness and recognition of God’s grace).

The joy of the Lord is like the deep water of our metaphorical river. It remains undisturbed and powerful regardless of changing circumstances that disturb the surface water. I am sure that Jesus experienced happy and unhappy times in His life on earth. I am equally certain that in His agony in the garden of Gethsemane that He was not happy – yet I am sure that He knew the joy of the Lord which strengthened Him to walk the path that was before Him. It was there that He felt the weight of the world’s sin. Our weights and burdens pale in comparison. …let us also lay aside every weight…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross… (Hebrews 12:1-2)

May our prayer emphasis shift away from seeking surface happiness. May we seek instead the depth of His joy and to be strengthened by it. May we always recognize His grace and favor in all our circumstances.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Consider Your Ways #879

Posted on December 22, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 879

careful thought“Consider Your Ways”

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. (Haggai 1:2-7)

Do you have a typical year-end ritual of preparation and planning for the New Year? Many of us begin to evaluate our finances and tax liabilities. We calculate the effects on our tax burden were we to catch up on our tithes, charitable offerings and deposits into IRA’s and we make an appropriate economic decision. Summary reports from banks remind us of our annual spending habits and we resolve to be less frivolous in the coming year. Our 401k and investment reports bring worry and angst as we question our ability to retire comfortably in the future. Then there are the New Year’s resolutions, the plans that we want to achieve, the things that we want to buy and the places we want to go.

The Word of God would challenge you in the midst of all your preparations and planning with the question: Has the time come for you to rebuild the house of the Lord? Reflect on the Word of the Lord that came to Haggai:

Consider your ways: Are you too focused on the physical comforts of the flesh and satisfying the appetites of the flesh (paneled houses) while your spiritual condition – your relationship and walk with God – is in ruins?

Consider your ways: Do you have any fruit to show from all your toil (sown much and harvested little)? Do you never have enough – never have your fill, spending more than you earn (bag with holes)? What have you sown for the Kingdom of God?

The house of the Lord begins in our heart, soul and spirit. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and need to be treated as such. Our year end reflection and look-ahead resolutions should indicate that our heart’s priority is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)

The house of the Lord is also our homes, family environments and local church fellowships. Inasmuch as it depends upon us have we kept our homes free from strife? Have we allowed the temptation to sin into our homes through compromise with the world? Do prayer, love, and the presence of the Lord bind our homes, families, and church fellowships together? Is it your way to stand with Joshua and say: “…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)?

Has the time come for you to rebuild the house of the Lord? May the Holy Spirit speak clearly to your heart as you prayerfully consider your ways.

Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. (Proverbs 4:26)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Charis #878

Posted on December 15, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 878

grace “Charis”

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:14-16)

 I pray for favor often. I pray for favor with God. I pray for favor with the customers I serve. I pray for favor with the authorities over me whom I serve in the Name of Jesus and for His glory. I pray for favor with agencies that I have petitioned and I pray for favor with the hiring authorities when I apply for a job. What exactly have I been praying for?

I found that the word ‘favor’ is used in the Bible to translate many different root words from the original Greek and Hebrew texts. Many of the root words convey the meaning of acceptance. One root word, however grabbed my attention: charis. Charis is often translated as both grace and favor. So I dug deeper.

The Bible tells us that Mary found favor (charis) with God (Luke 1:30) and that Jesus grew in stature and the favor (charis) of God was upon Him (Luke 2:40). At the time of Pentecost, the disciples had favor (charis) with all the people. (Acts 2:47)

What is Charis? It is the free and unmerited favor of God toward us. We cannot earn God’s favor. Grace is not an abstract concept. It is the active power of God’s Holy Spirit working in us and through us. It is the power that saves us from condemnation and sin. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Charis is the power that transforms our lives and gives us the power to overcome our weaknesses and to say no to temptation. It is the power to live a Christian life. It is the power of sanctification as we grow in our personal relationship with Jesus and it is the power that will ultimately be our glorification at the last day. (Romans 12:2), (2 Corinthians 3:18), (Philippians 3:21)

When I pray for favor with people, authorities and agencies I am praying that they will respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit that is present and active in my heart and life. When I pray for favor with God I pray for more of His Spirit, more of His power. I am seeking more than His hand of provision and material blessing.

The beauty is that inasmuch as I give favor to others – when I respond in Christ’s love to others – even those who are hateful and demanding of me, I receive more of His favor, grace upon grace.

Like a sponge over-saturated and dripping with water, may you have grace upon grace, dripping with the Holy Spirit and bringing God’s favor to those whom He divinely appoints to cross your path. May you know the abundant charis favor of God in every relationship and aspect of your life. Praise God for His free gift of grace through Jesus Christ.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – The Bottom Line #877

Posted on December 10, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 877

Money Heart“The Bottom Line”

…there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. (Acts 19:23,24)

Happy HallowThanksMas! That seemed to be the appropriate retail services greeting beginning in September. The Gospel of Jesus Christ stood in the way of the bottom line for Demetrius’ idol crafting business and he incited a riot against Paul. Jesus continues to stand in the way of an unrighteous bottom line today.

People desperate for employment are paid minimally and exploited as seasonal help before being discarded as easily as yesterday’s newspaper. Retailers, in pursuit of a greater bottom line have tossed family values to the side and are opening on Thanksgiving Day denying employees respite time with their families in celebrating God’s blessing. (James 5:4-6)

The pursuit of the bottom line of unrighteous mammon has made retailers fearful of offending those who are offended by Jesus Christ. Therefore, the greeting of ‘Merry Christmas’ has been replaced with ‘Happy Holidays’. Christmas trees are marketed as ‘Holiday Trees’ or ‘Xmas Trees’. The time to celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ, our savior has been replaced in large part with a time to celebrate our love of mammon.

Retailers are not solely to blame. They are only giving the public what it wants. Like the rich young man who asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life the heart of our society is after greater possessions and wealth. (Mark 10:17-22) No one is forcing people to camp out for days before Thanksgiving hoping to be the first to buy the latest and greatest gadget.

How about you and me? Is Jesus standing in the way of our bottom line also? If God were to ask us to give it all up – house, cars, wealth, and to come follow Him, would we – or would we go away sad? If God were to allow you to win a multi-million dollar sweepstakes one day and then ask you to give it all away the next day, could you? (Luke 12:16-21)

Do you rush to ‘tithe’ at the end of the year because of the tax deduction rather than act in faithful obedience to God’s stewardship principles throughout the year? Would you continue to tithe if there was no tax deduction for it? (Malachi 3:8-10)

Does what God’s Word say about fair wages for your workers or submitting to authorities or the love of money get in the way and conflict with your personal or business practices? Are you prone to ‘stretch the truth’ on your income tax forms?

All the wealth of this world is not worth the value of the pavement on the streets of heaven. (Revelation 21:21) May your heart’s bottom line be for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. May you be free from the entanglement of material possessions that possess you and hinder your freedom to follow Christ as He directs. May you be a catalyst in our society to put ‘Christ’ back in Christmas.

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