"The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand. And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!" Then they put their hands over their ears, and drowning out his voice with their shouts, they rushed at him. They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. The official witnesses took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And he fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died." -- Acts 7:54-60, NLT
When God leads me to the same scripture through multiple channels in the same week I take notice. What is God saying? I believe He is saying, "keep your FOCUS" -- No matter what others are doing or saying; no matter what difficulties are "shaking their fists in rage"; no matter who is casting stones, be filled with the Holy Spirit and keep your gaze toward heaven. In fact Stephen hardly noticed the shouts of the crowd because he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side" (v. 55, The Message).
Today's prayer: "God, help me keep my focus. Let me see your glory. Amen."
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A-MAZE-D
"Show me the path where I should walk, O LORD; point out the right road for me to follow." -- Psalms 25:4
Earlier this week I took part in a team building exercise with my work colleagues. We visited the Butterfield corn maze just west of Oxford. We were told to expect about an hour to get through the maze. We paid our $5 and were handed maps. After counting off into two teams we started in. Our designated leader took us through the maze in record time and our team won the race. Twelve minutes! But what I felt when we exited was far from excitement. It was more like disappointment. Where was the fun in racing through a maze with map in hand, not making a single wrong turn? Getting lost down a dead end, celebrating teamwork through forced strategy, having an adventure complete with laughter, these things were missing.
I couldn't help but ponder how going through the maze parallels life. If God gave us a map we would probably finish in record time and miss out on all the adventure. If the maze represents our life, then God has already accounted for all the wrong turns and dead ends. There are often unexpected surprises awaiting us off the path. We were told that there were mailboxes hidden in the maze containing postcards, but we were quite certain they were hidden down the dead end paths. And, having a map in hand, we were only concerned with finishing the race in record time and not in savoring the "treasures." God knows our frame. I think He knows if we had a map we'd probably do the same thing. Today I praise God for drawing in the map only as our feet touch the next step in our journey. Let us run the race in good faith knowing that God does indeed have hidden treasures down some of the "dead end" roads we travel.
Earlier this week I took part in a team building exercise with my work colleagues. We visited the Butterfield corn maze just west of Oxford. We were told to expect about an hour to get through the maze. We paid our $5 and were handed maps. After counting off into two teams we started in. Our designated leader took us through the maze in record time and our team won the race. Twelve minutes! But what I felt when we exited was far from excitement. It was more like disappointment. Where was the fun in racing through a maze with map in hand, not making a single wrong turn? Getting lost down a dead end, celebrating teamwork through forced strategy, having an adventure complete with laughter, these things were missing.
I couldn't help but ponder how going through the maze parallels life. If God gave us a map we would probably finish in record time and miss out on all the adventure. If the maze represents our life, then God has already accounted for all the wrong turns and dead ends. There are often unexpected surprises awaiting us off the path. We were told that there were mailboxes hidden in the maze containing postcards, but we were quite certain they were hidden down the dead end paths. And, having a map in hand, we were only concerned with finishing the race in record time and not in savoring the "treasures." God knows our frame. I think He knows if we had a map we'd probably do the same thing. Today I praise God for drawing in the map only as our feet touch the next step in our journey. Let us run the race in good faith knowing that God does indeed have hidden treasures down some of the "dead end" roads we travel.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
God Winks
Today, while walking across an open parking lot, I felt a nudge to change my direction and walk about 15 yards south of my current location. I usually obey these kinds of nudges because time after time God has used them to bless me, challenge me, show me something, or just wink at me. Today, He winked. About ten steps into my new direction I spotted a discarded McDonald's cup. It still contained the instant win stickers for the current McDonald's monopoly game. I reached down and pulled them off the cup. Yep! Instant winner (of a sandwich). By the way, I forgot to mention that I was on my way to McDonald's at the time. Anyway, second wink: I walked up to the counter to place an order and the lady behind the counter handed me an instant win ticket for a free small drink (as an employee she wasn't permitted to redeem it). I had planned to purchase a medium drink and told her so but she said no problem since I could get a free refill. Third wink: I finished the small drink and went for the refill. No small Coke's were ready so she gave me a medium instead, and there on the cup was two more tickets. And, that is how God winks .....
God loves to bless us! He says in Malachi 3:10, "Try it! Put Me to the test." He wants us to put Him to the test because He wants us blessed. He says, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in My Temple." If you do, He will bless your socks off! "Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe..." (Malachi 3:11). He wants to show the world that living for Him is the way to live. "Then all the nations will call you blessed!" (Malachi 3:12 NLT).
God loves to bless us! He says in Malachi 3:10, "Try it! Put Me to the test." He wants us to put Him to the test because He wants us blessed. He says, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in My Temple." If you do, He will bless your socks off! "Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe..." (Malachi 3:11). He wants to show the world that living for Him is the way to live. "Then all the nations will call you blessed!" (Malachi 3:12 NLT).
Monday, October 19, 2009
OHOP
OHOP or Oxford House of Prayer began on April 4, 2008 and has met every Friday night, with few exceptions .... that's 81 weeks. We've seen roughly 100 individuals come through the doors, representing about 10 different churches. Attendance varies from 10 to 35, but has never exceeded 35. People ask why it doesn't grow. And here's what God impressed upon my heart:
It's not about the masses, it's about the one.
It's not about the one, it's about the masses.
Two simple statements that appear, at first, to contradict one another, but in reality they complete each other.
OHOP is about the one who has a need and meets that need in Jesus on a Friday night. I've prayed with a college student anxious for an exam, a mother anxious for a child, a person needing physical healing or healing for a family member, a man needing deliverance, a woman needing to feel God's presence and love, and 100 other stories. God always makes provision for the one, and when that one receives a touch it becomes about the masses.
OHOP is also about the masses. We pray for the city, for area churches, for the nations. We know that when God is about to move He always sets His people to praying. When the masses are changed, they will impact the one.
I'm called to OHOP and to prayer and I'm not that concerned with the numbers. I made a committment to pray for the one and for the masses every Friday night. Because in the end, the ONE who really matters will always be there .... and worship and prayer for an audience of ONE will always impact the masses.
....................................................
OHOP Core Values
"My house shall be called a house of prayer..." Mark 11:17
#1 - You will become what you gaze upon. Participating in OHOP will cause you to focus on the King -- in prayer -- in worship -- in surrender. The more you focus on HIM the more you will become like HIM and everything else will begin to fade away (sin; bad habits; meaningless noise; misguided priorities).
#2 - Praying together brings about unity. We are all encouraged to pray alone in our prayer closets and that's a vital part of prayer. But when we join together in prayer; our voices combine into powerful prayers. The Bible says (Deut. 32:30) that one can put a thousand to flight (or subdue a thousand enemies) and two can put ten thousand to flight. Now that's the kind of multiplication I like. Prayer will crush the enemy. Also, praying with others will challenge you; just like iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17); God will cause the rough edges to get smoothed out. You will be challenged; even uncomfortable at times; and that's a good thing. If you're comfortable with prayer in your prayer closet; then OHOP will seem familiar to you -- but, if you're not spending time in prayer when you're all alone; OHOP will seem foreign; maybe even make you feel like you just visited another world -- and the truth is YOU HAVE.
#3 - OHOP is a discipleship/training program. If you hang out at the House of Prayer you will hear prayer modeled; see prayer in action; hear the WORD being lifted up in prayer; learn to pray. It's a learning tool. Want to have a powerful prayer life? Hang out at the House of Prayer. Prayer can be taught; but more often it's "caught." The anointing is transferable.
#4 - Prayer changes things. God does nothing but in response to prayer. And, when He wants to act, He sets his people to praying. When you grasp that your prayers are making a difference; that your prayers are changing your city or region; that your prayers are being heard by God; that you just saved someone's life in prayer; you will NEVER be the same. You won't be able to stay away!
#5 - Prayer is exciting. God loves to talk (more than we love to listen). God even calls us His friends (John 15:15) and He enjoys sharing His secrets with us. His thoughts toward us are innumerable (Psalm 139:17-18); ask Him and He will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3).
It's not about the masses, it's about the one.
It's not about the one, it's about the masses.
Two simple statements that appear, at first, to contradict one another, but in reality they complete each other.
OHOP is about the one who has a need and meets that need in Jesus on a Friday night. I've prayed with a college student anxious for an exam, a mother anxious for a child, a person needing physical healing or healing for a family member, a man needing deliverance, a woman needing to feel God's presence and love, and 100 other stories. God always makes provision for the one, and when that one receives a touch it becomes about the masses.
OHOP is also about the masses. We pray for the city, for area churches, for the nations. We know that when God is about to move He always sets His people to praying. When the masses are changed, they will impact the one.
I'm called to OHOP and to prayer and I'm not that concerned with the numbers. I made a committment to pray for the one and for the masses every Friday night. Because in the end, the ONE who really matters will always be there .... and worship and prayer for an audience of ONE will always impact the masses.
....................................................
OHOP Core Values
"My house shall be called a house of prayer..." Mark 11:17
#1 - You will become what you gaze upon. Participating in OHOP will cause you to focus on the King -- in prayer -- in worship -- in surrender. The more you focus on HIM the more you will become like HIM and everything else will begin to fade away (sin; bad habits; meaningless noise; misguided priorities).
#2 - Praying together brings about unity. We are all encouraged to pray alone in our prayer closets and that's a vital part of prayer. But when we join together in prayer; our voices combine into powerful prayers. The Bible says (Deut. 32:30) that one can put a thousand to flight (or subdue a thousand enemies) and two can put ten thousand to flight. Now that's the kind of multiplication I like. Prayer will crush the enemy. Also, praying with others will challenge you; just like iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17); God will cause the rough edges to get smoothed out. You will be challenged; even uncomfortable at times; and that's a good thing. If you're comfortable with prayer in your prayer closet; then OHOP will seem familiar to you -- but, if you're not spending time in prayer when you're all alone; OHOP will seem foreign; maybe even make you feel like you just visited another world -- and the truth is YOU HAVE.
#3 - OHOP is a discipleship/training program. If you hang out at the House of Prayer you will hear prayer modeled; see prayer in action; hear the WORD being lifted up in prayer; learn to pray. It's a learning tool. Want to have a powerful prayer life? Hang out at the House of Prayer. Prayer can be taught; but more often it's "caught." The anointing is transferable.
#4 - Prayer changes things. God does nothing but in response to prayer. And, when He wants to act, He sets his people to praying. When you grasp that your prayers are making a difference; that your prayers are changing your city or region; that your prayers are being heard by God; that you just saved someone's life in prayer; you will NEVER be the same. You won't be able to stay away!
#5 - Prayer is exciting. God loves to talk (more than we love to listen). God even calls us His friends (John 15:15) and He enjoys sharing His secrets with us. His thoughts toward us are innumerable (Psalm 139:17-18); ask Him and He will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3).
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Rudder
Job 22:28: "You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways."
It's a good idea to line up our mouth—the rudder of our life—with where we are going and then to keep it steady and on course.
If a ship heading in one direction suddenly turns in the opposite direction and keeps doing that over and over, it will go nowhere.
Our tongue, the rudder of our life, often has the power to cause us to go nowhere. If we speak about our blessings and the good things we are expecting to happen one minute, and then spend the next half hour talking about the negative things happening that are keeping us from getting there, we begin turning our lives in circles.
When we line up our spoken words with where we want to go for a little while and then focus on the bad weather when we meet a storm along the way, we lose track of where we were headed in the first place. We forget that we have the power (in Christ) to turn our lives around the storm or press on through it to the sunshine on the other side. We often forget that the "Son" has never stopped shining on our lives, no matter how dark the clouds in the sky are.
Even in the midst of what looks like catastrophe, let's keep speaking the blessing, keep the ship of our life on a steady course, and before you know it the storm clouds will clear and we will have broken through difficulty and left it far behind.
It's a good idea to line up our mouth—the rudder of our life—with where we are going and then to keep it steady and on course.
If a ship heading in one direction suddenly turns in the opposite direction and keeps doing that over and over, it will go nowhere.
Our tongue, the rudder of our life, often has the power to cause us to go nowhere. If we speak about our blessings and the good things we are expecting to happen one minute, and then spend the next half hour talking about the negative things happening that are keeping us from getting there, we begin turning our lives in circles.
When we line up our spoken words with where we want to go for a little while and then focus on the bad weather when we meet a storm along the way, we lose track of where we were headed in the first place. We forget that we have the power (in Christ) to turn our lives around the storm or press on through it to the sunshine on the other side. We often forget that the "Son" has never stopped shining on our lives, no matter how dark the clouds in the sky are.
Even in the midst of what looks like catastrophe, let's keep speaking the blessing, keep the ship of our life on a steady course, and before you know it the storm clouds will clear and we will have broken through difficulty and left it far behind.
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