Deep Water Faith

I'm turning 49 tomorrow and I can't help but think about how I might be caught in the middle ....
As lyrics to "Somewhere in The Middle" by Casting Crowns echo in my head, I pause to ponder my life. At least half of it is over and yet I feel like I'm just getting started -- just getting started grasping "deep water faith" and just getting to the place where I think I could let go and jump in with everything I am and not look back to see who might be watching. I gotta do this thing now; time is running short; we gotta take this city for the Lord; passion for His House burns within me. I think I've left the cold, and the old, and who I used to be. I'm ready for the hot, and the new, and who I am in HIM. Deep water faith cannot be tested in the shallow end. I'm diving in. :)

"Somewhere In The Middle" by Casting Crowns

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle

OHOP

"My house shall be called a house of prayer..." Mark 11:17

I attended a workshop at C-HOP (Cincinnati House of Prayer) last week and one thing (among many) really stuck with me. Core Values. What are the core values of Oxford House of Prayer (OHOP)?

#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; the HOP will seem familiar to you -- but, if you're not spending time in prayer when you're all alone; HOP 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 transferrable.

#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).

Edit / Prune

"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:2)

"I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" (Nehemiah 6:3)

I'm in edit mode these days, which I liken to self-pruning. God has given all of us a great work to do and we cannot afford to stop that work and come down or slow down for anything that distracts from that high calling. Of late, I've wrestled with commitment overload; information overload; and possession overload, just to name a few. I recently attended a Ministry Board meeting and as I listened to each Director describe exciting opportunities, I began to say to myself, "Wow, that sounds good. I should do that." But I can't. There are not enough hours in the day to participate in everything. Don't get me wrong. These are all good things; great things, but not everything good is God's best for ME. I've vowed to slow down and think and pray through each new request; and I've also begun the hard work of pruning and editing things out of my life and schedule. I just wish it was as easy as hitting the 'delete' key on the keyboard. :)

Today's prayer: "God, show me how to empty my hands of things I shouldn't have grabbed hold of. Help me prune and edit with excellence and integrity; truly giving up the things that are not your best for me; and yes, keeping the hard things if they are my calling. Your WORD cuts like a knife through the darkness. I need that precision-type pruning! I don't want to leave ragged edges for others to stumble on. I vow to help with the process; to do so willingly; and to allow you to do a thorough work in me. Thank you for your patience with this child."

GOP

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV)

Dr. David Faust, CCU, recently spoke at Cobblestone and challenged us to find our "GOP" -- He defined GOP as the intersection of your gifts, opportunities, and passion. When those three things come together (or intersect), we ignite! I think he was trying to say that our GOP needs to be our priority -- we need to find that intersection; and throw off everything else that hinders or gets in the way of running the race marked out for us.

I've been asking God about my gifts -- I'm not musical, athletic, scientific, or craftsman material. I can get lost on a one-way street. I often refer to myself as directionally-challenged. I cannot put together a bookshelf or other piece of equipment without very clear directions, complete with pictures and lots of arrows. And, even then, I have to turn the diagram so that it lines up with what's in front of me.

On spiritual gift assessments, I consistently score high in faith, intercession, discernment, leadership, and wisdom. But, my passion is prayer; both in the secret place (or prayer closet); and in more public settings (praying over & laying hands on others). Since we're all called to pray without ceasing, I ask, "Is it possible to be gifted in prayer?" Or, is prayer the passion, and faith & discernment the gift that makes it powerful? These are the kinds of questions I've been pondering of late.

Today's prayer: "God, thank you for calling me by name and preparing a plan for my life in advance of my birth. Thank you for directing my steps along that path and steering me back when I veered off that path. You, by your Spirit, have ignited a passion for prayer in me and I thank you. It was not always that way. You have selected my gifts and I am grateful for your wisdom. O, Lord, now I ask you to set before me opportunities in which my 'GOP' will glorify your Holy Name."

Deep Secrets

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him (wow, that includes me)...But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God's deep secrets." (1 Cor. 2:9-10)

I love this scripture. The Message Bible says that since I'm spiritually alive, I have access to everything God's Spirit is doing and that I cannot be judged by unspiritual critics. Do you dream big with God? I do. Sometimes, my dreams are so big that I have to ask God if He's really talking to me or if I'm eavesdropping on a conversation meant for someone else. My eye has not seen everything revealed to me by his Spirit; my ear has not heard everything; and certainly my mind has not imagined (or has not grasped hold of) what God has prepared for me. But, the Scripture says I KNOW these things because God has revealed them to me by his Spirit. How do I know them? That's what I've been pondering. I know them because his WORD tells me that I will heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, and cure those with leprosy. I know them because his WORD says that the Holy Spirit will give me power to do these things. I know them because the WORD says that my God gives me counsel in the night. I also know them because I am one of his sheep and I know his voice; a stranger's voice I will not follow. I know them because he speaks to me in a still small voice and then confirms his voice in numerous ways. I know them because on occasion he uses people or circumstances to shout them to me. And lately, my dream life is overrun with the deep secrets of God, revealed by his Spirit; confirmed in his WORD, through his voice, and through circumstances. WOW, my God cares for me that much. He cares that much for you too. His thoughts toward us are innumerable. How many of those thoughts are you catching?

Today's Prayer: "God, I've been pondering many things in my heart over these past several months. I admit I don't know the future, but I say YES to you. Even when I'm slow to respond or obey, my answer is always YES. Even when the things I sense you saying seem scarey or unattainable, my answer is YES. My answer can only be YES because of your amazing love. Where else would I go? Who else would I turn to? You are the Faithful One, the Holy One, the One I cling to. So, again, I say YES. Oh, and what was the question? Doesn't matter; the answer is still YES!"

Hiding and Spying

I'm currently reading a book by Edward T. Welch, "When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man"

I was particularly struck by a comment the author made about the way in which we hide behind walls. He implies we all do it to some degree; some walls are thicker than others. But in our hiding, we peek out through the cracks in our walls to "spy" on the lives of others. This spying takes on many forms. Two examples given by Welch: 1) following TV reality shows; and 2) reading "people-type" magazines. We feel as if we "know" these people if we can just get a glimpse into their lives. And, in truth, it makes us feel better about ourselves when we find out that others struggle with some of the same issues.

And then, it struck me, what about Facebook? Isn't Facebook a form of hiding and spying? We often friend people we barely know; maybe in hopes of actually getting to know them! I recently had someone "unfriend" me and it nearly drove me crazy trying to figure out WHO it was. Never did figure it out. That's absurd; ridiculous even. Apparently, someone I barely knew "unfriended" me and I took it personal. God, help me!

Today's prayer: "God, I pray that my hiding will occur in the secret place of the Most High! I pray that my spying will be done in the enemy camp in order to know and thwart the plans of the evil one. I pray for the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord to fall on me and remain. I pray that I will not succumb to the fear of man. I pray that I will live a life worthy of being spied upon, for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom and bringing encouragement and edification to the Body of Christ. All my hope is in you, the Light of the World."

Dynamite

"But you shall receive power [dunamis: dynamite miraculous power, force, might, strength, enabling power through the Holy Spirit] when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." (Acts 1:8)."

"I get excited about the dunamis power of God. With God's power (dynamite!) all things become possible. God takes ordinary people and through the Holy Spirit brings power to their speech, their preaching, their witness, their worship, their prayers, and their life. The Spirit of God and power go hand-in-hand. Paul himself said that his speech and preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (see 1 Cor. 2:4).

Today's prayer: "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I give thanks to you for your incredible working in and through my life. I give thanks that you allow me to participate in what you're doing. I give thanks that you called my name before time began. I give thanks to you for orchestrating the events in my life to bring me to this particular place in time. I again say YES to your plan for my life. I know it's going to be a wild ride."

The Counsel You Keep

Psalm 1: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."


I attended a Casting Crowns concert last week. It was AMAZING! Mark Hall described the song "Slow Fade" by linking it to Psalm 1. If we aren't being intentional in our walk with God, we begin a slow fade. We begin to walk in the counsel of the wicked. He stated that it's all about the company we keep (i.e. the counsel we choose; the people we surround ourselves with). If we get slack in this area, pretty soon we won't be walking anymore, but "standing in the way of sinners." Standing means no movement; we've become lukewarm; and a danger to sinners. We're neither hot nor cold and they're confused by us and WE trip them up. Next thing happens is we SIT DOWN with the mockers and scorners. Be careful, it's a SLOW FADE when we give ourselves away. POWERFUL STUFF!

Lyrics:
"Slow Fade" (Casting Crowns)

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Compassion

After Jesus heard the news of John the Baptist's beheading, he was greatly grieved and went off to be alone and pray. A vast crowd followed Jesus and he had compassion on them and healed all their sick (Matthew 14:13-14). Jesus set aside his own grief and had compassion on the people. I've seen this type of servant-leadership demonstrated in my pastors. Day after day and week after week they set aside their own grief to minister to the needs of the people. God, I'm asking for a special blessing on these mighty servants who LIVE OUT LOUD the compassion of Christ.

Sweep Me Away

I love the lyrics to the song, Sweep Me Away, by Bryan Duncan. And, today that's my hearts cry. Sweep me away Lord. Hide me from the dungeons of evil where the captives lay. I'm growing weary from the arrows that fly. Yet, I will stay, patiently watching the sky.

Lyrics:
Sweep me away
To an all new horizon on a brighter day
Sweep me away
From the dungeons of evil where the captives lay
Carrying on but waiting
Always ready, willing, I watch the sky
I'm in hope of seeing your face returning
I could never live here without you
I'm just waiting for the day you sweep me away
Like a sail in the ocean, on a windy day
Sweep me away
In the sparkle of sunlight on a distant bay
My ties here are temporary
I know that we're all running out of time
But I'm not gonna cry out to the rocks to hide me
Patiently I'm waiting here for you
Until there's nothing left to do but sweep me away
Sweep me away!
Coming back for me
I don't know when
But you'll have my allegience until then
Promises are true
They've always been
And I will live or die to honor you, yeah
Sweep me away
To an all new horizon
Sweep me away
From the dungeons of evil
Sweep me away
Like a sail in a the ocean
Sweep me away
In a sparkle of sunlight
Sweep me away!