Last night was a beautiful reminder of the power of prayer and God's skill at using us when we are at our weakest. Lately I have been battling fatigue and spiritual warfare, and by the time I reached this week's GroundZero I was full of dread. Normally I would characterize GroundZero, our weekly youth worship time, as the highlight of my week. The previous mentioned battles, however, had me feeling zapped of all energy and overall reluctant to stand before a room full of youth and youth leaders.
Before rounding up our praise team to do my weekly routine of praying over them and their time of leading us in music, I grabbed a couple of friends and asked them to pray over me. After they spent a few minutes praying with me, I headed out with the praise team. I took a deep breath as to say "here we go" and begin the weekly prayer time. As I begin to pray, I felt that strength and movement inside of me that can only be credited and described as the Holy Spirit. As my mouth moved, the words that flowed seemed to not be my own and I knew that God was in control.
God filled me with the energy I needed and was faithful to give me the word's needed to deliver the weekly devotion. I cannot measure last night's success in the absence of public decisions or by the absence of complements. Humanly, we think that those two things are the mark of "a good service." Instead, I have to acknowledge what God did in me last night and remember that the results are not up to me. Trusting that God is at work can be difficult when we cannot measure it in the tangible form we hope for. But when we are willing to take our blinders off, we see His beautiful reminders...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
rambling about a banner
I've made numerous attempts at blogging since my last post, but a combination of fatigue and the feeling of a lack of something worth saying always ended my attempt. Perhaps I have come across something that is worth drawing attention to. Hopefully I will be able to fight off this unusual fatigue I've been facing to finish this post!
While reading an online article, I came across a very intriguing and yet very sad banner. The banner read "Since the start of the Iraq war 7,630,472 American children have died to abortion." I could instantly see the tree hugging, antiwar liberals bawling their eyes out at one of their "don't cut down our trees" or "stop the war!" protest. (I'll be sure to post a link later as to what exactly i'm talking about with the trees.) Yet these same people-- passionate about the cause to save the environment and end the shedding of blood in foreign countries-- fight for a woman to have the power to choose what she wants to happen to her own body, even when this results in the dealth of a child.
But before I get too busy pointing fingers at people who have been blinded by "the god of this world," I should first point the finger at myself and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Abortion is very wrong, and those that fight to keep it legal no doubt will have a price to pay. We must remember, however, that those who have not come to know the love of God cannot begin to value His word. But what about those of us who do know the love of God?
Most Christians will agree that abortion is wrong; the lines are blurred for some on determining if there is ever a case, such as rape, where it is permitted. I'm not even going to attempt to hammer away on that one. God's word is clear, and we either except all or none. While I am concerned that we do not do enough to save unborn lives, my bigger concern is that we do not value human life as a whole.
How many homes have been destroyed since the start of the "dreadful war that we must end" due to pornography? Oh, we say that pornography is horrible in one breath but we then attempt to excuse it in another stating that "it's just a normal thing that every guy does." Do we stop to realize how valuable the life of those people being exploded really is? Do we take this in to consideration when we fork out money to buy tickets to rated R movies that feed our nation's thirst for nudity and sexual content?
What about suicide? How many teenagers have ended thier lives since the start of the war because they felt rejected, abandoned, or not good enough? Do we teach our youth to set an example in speech and love and to value everyone, or do we laugh it off when they are making fun of "that nerd in class." The examples could go on for days.
Perhaps we all-- myself included--need to step back and remember what Christ summed up to be the greatest command: Love God, love others. Mark 12:28-31
While reading an online article, I came across a very intriguing and yet very sad banner. The banner read "Since the start of the Iraq war 7,630,472 American children have died to abortion." I could instantly see the tree hugging, antiwar liberals bawling their eyes out at one of their "don't cut down our trees" or "stop the war!" protest. (I'll be sure to post a link later as to what exactly i'm talking about with the trees.) Yet these same people-- passionate about the cause to save the environment and end the shedding of blood in foreign countries-- fight for a woman to have the power to choose what she wants to happen to her own body, even when this results in the dealth of a child.
But before I get too busy pointing fingers at people who have been blinded by "the god of this world," I should first point the finger at myself and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Abortion is very wrong, and those that fight to keep it legal no doubt will have a price to pay. We must remember, however, that those who have not come to know the love of God cannot begin to value His word. But what about those of us who do know the love of God?
Most Christians will agree that abortion is wrong; the lines are blurred for some on determining if there is ever a case, such as rape, where it is permitted. I'm not even going to attempt to hammer away on that one. God's word is clear, and we either except all or none. While I am concerned that we do not do enough to save unborn lives, my bigger concern is that we do not value human life as a whole.
How many homes have been destroyed since the start of the "dreadful war that we must end" due to pornography? Oh, we say that pornography is horrible in one breath but we then attempt to excuse it in another stating that "it's just a normal thing that every guy does." Do we stop to realize how valuable the life of those people being exploded really is? Do we take this in to consideration when we fork out money to buy tickets to rated R movies that feed our nation's thirst for nudity and sexual content?
What about suicide? How many teenagers have ended thier lives since the start of the war because they felt rejected, abandoned, or not good enough? Do we teach our youth to set an example in speech and love and to value everyone, or do we laugh it off when they are making fun of "that nerd in class." The examples could go on for days.
Perhaps we all-- myself included--need to step back and remember what Christ summed up to be the greatest command: Love God, love others. Mark 12:28-31
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Some unusual venting
Want to know what really puts a bur under my saddle? No? Well too bad as this happens to be my blog.
It amazes me how during the super bowl and college bowl games, a nation of non football fans seems to rise around me. These people do not experience the gut wrenching agony of following a team's ups and downs through out the season. They do not invest any time or effort in to following statics, rankings, or anything that would classify them into the mildest category of a football fan. Yet when "the big game" kicks off, they take some misguiding information from bias sports commentators and develop an opinion as to "who the better team is." This is always the team picked to win by the previously mentioned bias sports commentators. And when that team wins, they gloat and rub it in in the nastiest, most undignified way.
Why is this so nasty and undignified? Because they have not earned an opinion in the matter. Watching one game a year does not qualify you as an expert on the matter, nor does it give you the benefit to rub it in as those fellow rivals that battle it out with you week after week, season after season. To some, it's a stupid boring game only worth watching when "the commercials are good." To others of us, it is a fine art and only those of us who belong to the family of true football fans earn the right to rag each other.
Now, with that said. No, I do not believe you should root for the Cardinals and Kurt Warner JUST because he is a Christian. But unless you fall in to that fine art appreciating, bear it all season I previously mentioned, do not criticize my sadness over Kurt's loss.
Kurt, you had an amazing year. You were written off as long gone and in much need of retirement, and yet you guided your team to the Super Bowl. No, your team did not get to come home with a ring. But you did prove to be one of the two best teams in the game by simply earning your way into the Super Bowl. I love to see Eli Manning play, but Kurt will always be my favorite quarterback!!
It amazes me how during the super bowl and college bowl games, a nation of non football fans seems to rise around me. These people do not experience the gut wrenching agony of following a team's ups and downs through out the season. They do not invest any time or effort in to following statics, rankings, or anything that would classify them into the mildest category of a football fan. Yet when "the big game" kicks off, they take some misguiding information from bias sports commentators and develop an opinion as to "who the better team is." This is always the team picked to win by the previously mentioned bias sports commentators. And when that team wins, they gloat and rub it in in the nastiest, most undignified way.
Why is this so nasty and undignified? Because they have not earned an opinion in the matter. Watching one game a year does not qualify you as an expert on the matter, nor does it give you the benefit to rub it in as those fellow rivals that battle it out with you week after week, season after season. To some, it's a stupid boring game only worth watching when "the commercials are good." To others of us, it is a fine art and only those of us who belong to the family of true football fans earn the right to rag each other.
Now, with that said. No, I do not believe you should root for the Cardinals and Kurt Warner JUST because he is a Christian. But unless you fall in to that fine art appreciating, bear it all season I previously mentioned, do not criticize my sadness over Kurt's loss.
Kurt, you had an amazing year. You were written off as long gone and in much need of retirement, and yet you guided your team to the Super Bowl. No, your team did not get to come home with a ring. But you did prove to be one of the two best teams in the game by simply earning your way into the Super Bowl. I love to see Eli Manning play, but Kurt will always be my favorite quarterback!!
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