I Can Handle This.

As we continue reflections on this past Sunday's sermon, let's recall the three components of stewardship seen in the Matthew 25 passage.

Responsibility. God expects us to accomplish the tasks He assigns to us.

For (the kingdom of heaven) is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. -Matthew 25:14

Ability. The Lord has given us the capacity to perform the tasks He has assigned us.

To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. -Matthew 25:15

Accountability. Though the parable began with the owner leaving for a long journey, eventually a day came where the owner returned.

After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. -Matthew 25:19

Though these things were shared as part of our Stewardship Sunday for the capital campaign, Pastor Sam made it clear that God's expectations regarding our stewardship go beyond mere finances. God has created us to be successful stewards of our bodies, our families, our minds, and our spiritual graces.

I pray that when He calls us to account, we will be able to give Him a good report.

But why do people sometimes miss the mark in their stewardship efforts? Tomorrow we'll have a discussion on what makes a person fail in their stewardship.

"Distributive" Property.

Today we continue our reflections on the parable of the talents.

The LORD owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it. (Psalm 24:1)

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (First Corinthians 6:19)

Pastor Sam said, and I paraphrase here, that we must have a clear sense of what we own and what we are in charge of. And, the scriptural reality is that we don't own anything. God owns everything.

God has, however, given us the privilege of being stewards of the things He owns.

Matthew 25:14-30 presents a wonderful parable that warns of the consequences of being a poor manager of what God has placed in our custody. Implicit in God's entrusting of these things to us is that God knows we're able to care for what He's loaned us. In other words, He has equipped us to handle the job.

So why do we sometimes fail so miserably in caring for His property, whether it's our bodies, our jobs, or our relationships? Perhaps it is because we don't really understand what it means to be a steward of God's stuff.

Tomorrow we'll look at three components of stewardship: responsibility, ability, and accountability.

Sam/ I Am.

This past Sunday we spent some time reflecting on the importance of biblical stewardship.

Pastor Sam spoke as an oracle of God. He focused on four major points:

-Stewardship versus ownership
-Responsibility, Ability, and Accountability
-Failed Stewardship
-Faithful Stewardship

As we go through this week, we'll dissect each of these points.

For today, though, here's a few questions for contemplation:

Do you tithe out of an overwhelming love for God, or do you tithe out of fear?
How have you allocated the financial resources that God has given you?
If the LORD were to return today, would you be prepared to meet Him?

I encourage you to read (or re-read) Matthew 25 today in preparation for this week's blogs.

Blessings and peace to you all.

Fasting As Emptying

Our Sunday blogs during Lent will focus on the subject of fasting.

If we consider fasting in the purest sense of the word, it is to abstain from eating for a period of time. We deliberately leave our plates empty. Our normal appetites are denied. But what for?

Sometimes we take the time that would have been used for preparing and eating meals, and we instead devote that time to the Lord in prayer or Bible reading. We remove one essential activity and replace it with another activity that is more essential: connecting with God in a meaningful way.

Jesus makes a profound statement which we see recorded in the gospel of St. John chapter 4: "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." (John 4:34). In the face of His disciples urging Him to eat, Jesus points out a more urgent need. A Samaritan woman had just connected with God through the Christ, and Jesus knew more people would be coming to Him because of her testimony: it was not His time to eat and relax. Rather than filling Himself with temporal food, He filled the townspeople with eternal truths.

Hail Lent. It is time to empty ourselves. Emptied of food, the ultimate symbol of our physical comfort. Emptied of spiritual power, as we expend it through ministering life and healing to the lost. Emptied of self, as we seek to bring salvation to the masses.

Lord Jesus, we fast and reflect on how You emptied Yourself for us. Please help us to do the same for others.

High Fidelity!

Wednesday night was our final installment of this winter's revival services. Our guest speaker, Reverend Dr. Andrew Mercurio, spoke on the importance of our relationships with spouse and family.

His message centered around three themes: the spiritual models of family life, the spiritual mandate of family life, and the spiritual means for family life. The crux of the message, as summarized by our own Pastor Sam, was that the word of God is key to our modeling the love and life of Jesus in our homes.

How do we demonstrate the virtues of the living Christ? By loving and caring for those who are closest to us. Reverend Andrew reiterated the warning found in First Timothy: "If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (First Timothy 5:8, italics mine.) If the word of God equates familial neglect with denial of the faith, we would do well to take heed of such a warning.

Lord, please help us to stand firm in our faith. Please help us to express that faith in our most intimate environment, the one in which our family has center stage. May we be a blessing to our close relatives first. May we hold them in high regard and pray the plan of God over them. May we give You glory, Lord Jesus, by the way in which we bless our spouse and family. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.

Flash Photography.

Last night was our third evening of revival services. Our guest speaker, Reverend Dr. Melrose Rattary, spoke on Psalm 139 and Matthew 15.

The sermon revolved around a series of key truths:

-God knows us.
-God knows our hearts.
-God knows our thoughts.

And, in light of His holy knowledge of who we really are, we are cautioned to take heed:

-Does our lifestyle show the world that we know, and OBEY, the living God?
-Are our hearts repositories for the purity of Christian life and doctrine, or are our hearts filled with sin?
-If the thoughts in our minds were exposed to the world, what assessment would the world make of us?

There was a clear prophetic warning delivered to Bronx Bethany. The external exuberance of praise and worship, for some of us, is a false cover. In Matthew 15 Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah: "These people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." (Matthew 15:8)

What do we do in light of this indictment?

-We repent.
-We plead for mercy.
-We ask the Holy Spirit to tranform us by His power, so that we can reflect the image and likeness of God.

Lord, help us to hear and obey so that we will not be crushed by Your judgement.

We're All One!

Revival services continue at Bronx Bethany. On Sunday night Reverend Gabriel Salguero preached (totaling three sermons for the day), and on Monday night Reverend Garry Frost preached.

Both men, though preaching from different texts, echoed the same theme: There is a critical need for unity to be demonstrated in the body of Christ. Unity in our belief of who God is, unity between cultures, unity in our families, unity between denominations.

Reverend Garry led a prayer for the men in our church. We are encouraged to support our men in prayer, just as Moses's hands were held up until Israel's victory had been won.

And we have been exhorted to pray. Are you praying?

Faith In The Face Of Loss

It's revival time at Bronx Bethany!

Today's guest speaker, Reverend Gabriel Salguero, spoke on the importance of attaining to mature faith. We have been called to reflect on Biblical examples of mature faith:

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (see Daniel 1:6): The three Hebrew boys who expressed faith in God's power to deliver, then went a step further and proclaimed that their loyalty to God was not dependent on whether He rescued them.

Stephen (Acts 7): In his final moments, Stephen's faith caused him to see beyond the stoning and experience an open heaven. In seeing Jesus, Stephen was empowered to forgive the men who were killing him.

The Shunammite woman (Second Kings 4): Though her son had died in her arms, her response was to say "it is well". She demonstrated a faith that was not dependent on whether her son was revived.

Job (Job 1 and 2): Job's faith and integrity was such that God Himself pointed out Job: "Have you considered my servant Job?" In the face of losing everything, his response was to bless the Lord just as he had when his resources seemed endless.

How about you? As Pastor Sam said during the altar call (and I paraphrase here): Are you in love with God no matter what happens, or do you need Him to keep giving you lollipops?

"Our" Joel!

Another week of blogs comes to a close. And the question for all of us is, how does our personal and collective ministry reflect the heart of God for the poor of the earth?

Perhaps it is fitting that our guest speaker for this past Sunday is named Joel. Here in the U.S.A. there is a famous Joel who pastors a church of tens of thousands in the Midwest. But we have our own Joel! Joel Edwards, our brother in Christ whose work in the U.K. is a clear reflection of the heart of God for the poor of the earth. Micah Challenge is intentional in its mission to make a difference in the world, to the end of saving many lives.

I encourage you to support Micah Challenge in whatever way you can. Post a hyperlink on your blog, write an article, send money, add their link to the bottom of your emails, volunteer if you have the time and means. Let's spread the good news of what Micah Challenge is doing. And let's keep them in prayer.

Here at home (Bronx Bethany) we see clear indications of care for our community and our world. There is the food pantry, there is the low-cost afterschool program and summer day camp, there are international and local opportunities for missions, and the list goes on. There is no lack of opportunity for service to bless the poor. In serving, though, let us take care to reflect not just the heart of God, but the humility of our Lord Jesus who set the standard for servant leadership.

Thank You, Lord, for this privilege of serving the Bronx and the world in Your name. May You be pleased when You see the motives of our hearts as we engage in humble service, to Your honor and glory. Humility, mercy, and justice, all for You Jesus. Amen.

Three Men, Two Tenors.

During this past Sunday's sermon, Reverend Joel referred to a previous sermon he had preached last fall. It referenced the lives of three well-known Black leaders:

Mugabe, a man who was once was imprisoned, rose to power and ruined his country.
Martin, a man who was once imprisoned, influenced politics and became a key figure in changing the laws regarding racial and social justice in the U.S.A.
Mandela, a man who was once imprisoned, became an international symbol of the demise of apartheid and an example of the right way to do "succession planning".

Why is it that Mugabe did not have the same long-term legacy as Martin or Mandela?

In a word, humility. Reverend Joel shared with us that, when a man is able to recognize his strength without lording it over others, there results an environment in which men and women are empowered to do good. There is an example modeled in which men and women recognize that they, too, can be among the great influencers of the world without being cocky or rude.

We have two tenors: that is, we have two conditions. There is pride, and there is humility. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela? Definitely humility won the day in the transformative work of these men. Robert Mugabe? Well, as the Bible says, "Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). The land of Zimbabwe stands as testimony to the destructive consequences of the pride of man.

What about us? What tenor fuels the work we do?

Humble π

Why Humble Pi and not Humble Pie?

Pi, the famous mathematical constant, has the characteristic of transcendence: it is an expression that never ends.
Pie, especially if it is a good tasting pie, is transient: it will not last long at all.

This past Sunday, Reverend Joel caused us to reflect on the importance of humility. He shared that, although humility appears last in the short list of Micah 6:8, it is in fact the aspect of our being that must be present first in order to accomplish the other two aspects, justice and mercy.

Reverend Joel spoke of humility as not just a mental assent, but a practice that must be expressed in order to be relevant. It is the character trait that marks authentic prayer (see Second Chronicles 7:14). It is the thing that ushers in the grace of God (First Peter 5:5).

Another key point during the sermon was that humility is not a denial of our spiritual gifts and talents, but it is instead a means by which we use our gifts and talents to encourage and lift up other people. As Reverend Joel shared, and I paraphrase here, humility can only be exercised by those who legitimately have something to be proud about.

Let's have a slice of humble "Pi": constantly humble, eternally humble, for the sake of serving others with the gifts God has given us.

Lord, we thank You for giving us spiritual gifts and talents. And we recognize that we will not be on this planet forever. Please help us, while we have breath, to honor You by using these gifts and talents in the service of Your kingdom. And please help us to remember that Your kingdom has a special love for the poor, the widow, the stranger, the sick, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised.

Obligation Versus Obedience

[This week's blogs are reflections on Reverend Joel's sermon from this past Sunday.]

There are things that God requires, and there are things that God requires.

Micah 6:6-7 lists the inquiries of the people of God, which can be summed up in a current colloquialism: "What do You want from me?"

An interesting question. Perhaps some of us are are asking the same question today.

"God, what do you want me to do?"

Well, according to Micah 6:1-8, the question has a multi-part answer:

Enter the LORD's presence (Micah 6:6). With what? With praise and thanksgiving (see Psalm 100).

Bow before the LORD (Micah 6:6). With what? With the confession of His exclusive status as Lord and King (Philippians 2:9-11).

Bring offerings (Micah 6:6-7). What sort? Gifts that indicate our gratitude to God (Psalm 90); prayers that show our contrition and repentance from sin (James 5:16).

Make payment for rebellious acts (Micah 6:7). How? Through taking hold of the Christ, our Lord Jesus who gave Himself so that we might be saved (Isaiah 53:5).

But, beyond these things, God requires His people live in a way that brings glory to His name in the earth. Reverend Joel reminded us of the Matthew passage where Jesus picks up the strain: "Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law- justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others" (Matthew 23:23). In other words, they were definitely fulfilling their religious obligations. But at the core of their being was a heart disobedient to what God said was the most important part of the law. It made their worship stink in the nostrils of God.

Lord, You have answered our inquiries by Your word. Please help us to appropriate Your word, and to live and walk faithfully- not merely fulfilling obligations, but demonstrating a joyful obedience in doing the things that really matter to You.

Ground Micah.

[This week's blogs are reflections on Reverend Joel's sermon from this past Sunday.]

Listen to what the LORD says: "Get up! Defend yourself before the mountains! Present your case before the hills! Hear the LORD's accusation, you mountains, you enduring foundations of the earth! For the LORD has a case against his people; he has a dispute with Israel!" (Micah 6:1-2)

The LORD has set up His courtroom. The mountains and hills are jury and spectators, and ancient Israel is on trial.

In Micah 6:1-8, the LORD presents His evidence: God has been great and gracious, while Israel has been unjust. And a rock-solid argument springs forth, the argument of a gracious God who sees that His people are not agents of grace. They are not meeting God's three-pronged criteria: doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly. The evidence sticks.

Millennia have passed since Micah was written. And, sadly, the evidence still sticks in much of the world. As was shared in our services this past Sunday, the church can come together in exuberant celebration of what God has done for "us". Certainly it's a good thing to do, keeping the mandate to assemble together in the name of the LORD (see Hebrews 10:24-25). But where is the exuberance in giving? Where is the joy in serving? What evidence is there that we as believers are extending ourselves for the sake of the poor and marginalized of the world? How are we treating the "them"?

The crux of God's controversy with ancient Israel, and with us here in the twenty-first century, is that we know the right thing to do but we're not doing it. "He has told you, O man, what is good" (Micah 6:8).

So why are we not doing what God wants? Perhaps it's because we're too absorbed in doing what God "wants". In tomorrow's blog we'll reflect more deeply on this paradox.

Extension Cord.

[This week's blogs will reflect on Reverend Joel's sermon from this past Sunday.]

Reverend Joel, during his sermon, mentioned a passage of scripture that is familiar to many of us. It is the story in Daniel chapter 4, where Daniel tries unsuccessfully to counsel King Nebuchadnezzar.

"O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged." (Daniel 4:27)

At the close of yesterday's blog I briefly mentioned that God is aware of what we do, or don't do, to meet the concerns of the poor. And as Reverend Joel mentioned, the act of giving to the poor leads to consequences that can bless individuals, families, and even the world.

How does the Lord figure into the dialogue between the rich and the poor? Proverbs 19:17 gives us a clue: "The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the LORD, and the LORD will repay him for his good deed."

It seems that when the poor are lifted up by the well-off, then God Himself becomes a third party in the exchange. The rich give, the poor receive, the LORD rewards.

An interesting side note is that, in the case of Nebuchadnezzar, his refusal to heed Daniel's counsel did not result in immediate judgement. Twelve months passed before the fateful day came, in which God severely afflicted Nebuchadnezzar by removing his kingdom and his sanity. It is a warning for us all.

Lord, help us to have a heart like Yours... a heart to give to the poor, for the sake of Your name.

Edward-ian Architecture.

This Sunday we are privileged to have Reverend Joel Edwards as our guest minister. Those of us who have been at Bronx Bethany for a while will remember he joined us back in October of 2009 during a leadership conference.

Reverend Joel is the international director of Micah Challenge, a worldwide ministry that seeks to bring hope and provision to the disenfranchised of the world. Specifically, Micah Challenge seeks to hold governments accountable for the ways in which they care for the poor. The prayer of the organization is to see extreme poverty cut in half by 2015. You can read more at http://www.micahchallenge.org/.

Our church, and churches all over the world, are asked to do our part in helping to make this happen.

What is “extreme poverty”? It's living life on LESS THAN one dollar and twenty-five cents per day.

For about $1.25, in my neighborhood, I can get a quart of milk and have enough change to get one banana. No flour, no eggs, no fish- all those are well over $1.25.

If I may, can I challenge you to feel the condition that fuels the passion of Reverend Joel and the Micah Challenge staff? Try to live one day on less than $1.25.

Jesus did say we will always have the poor with us, but He also indicated that He keeps record of how we bless (or ignore) the poor.

Lord, please transform our hearts. Cause us to love deeply, to pray earnestly, and to give in a way that reflects Your heart for the poor, the widow, and the stranger in our gates.

Nothing Personal...

Prayers that are prayed according to the will of God are dangerous. When we let go of our personal agenda and submit ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit, there's no telling what might happen. But oh, the joy of complete submission to Christ Jesus!

I pray that as we give ourselves completely to Christ, we will also experience His greatness and glory as He moves in response to our prayers.

Allow Him to direct your prayers today... and every day.

-Are you open to being transformed in prayer, in such a way that people who see you will know that you have been in the presence of God?

-Are you willing to completely change your schedule and give God more time?

-Are you prepared to, with His help, exert the effort necessary to meet Him at the hours and places He chooses?

-Has God placed in you a passion for consistency in your prayer relationship with Him?

-Will you eagerly pursue these things even if God's response to your prayer petition is "no"?

Why “Us”? And why us?

The Lord has spoken clearly to our church leadership, and we are in the midst of experiencing the fruits of their obedience to Him. The intensified focus on prayer has made a palpable difference in the spiritual atmosphere of our church. Today, let’s reflect on two questions.

Why “Us”?
The Lord’s Prayer is distinguished by its use of plurals: “our” Father, give “us” this day, as “we” forgive. Pastor Sam has shared with us that when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, immediately we are reminded that we are never alone. We are in a community of believers, we are in partnership with God through Christ, and Jesus Himself is present to intercede for us as we pray.

Why us?
Bronx Bethany has long been called a place of prayer. So why is Bronx Bethany being called to prayer? It seems God has called us to a new level in this practice: intentional prayer, continual prayer, prayer according to God’s agenda and not our own. Pastor Sam has encouraged us not just to view prayer as a stand-alone activity, but to intentionally have prayer infused into everything we do.

Oh, there's a third question. Are you praying?
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are also part of this community called to prayer. I encourage you to pray with us. We eagerly look forward to seeing the hand of God at work in us, in our families, in our communities, in our world.

God calls us to pray.
God hears when we pray.
God answers prayer.

You Can't Handle It!

Pastor Sam’s sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer (see Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4) is currently looking at a wonderful and challenging section of the prayer: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

I find this to be challenging. After all, in Matthew 4 we see another phrase: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” There is a place and a time when our faith in God must be tested, and our reactions/responses in those situations allow us to see where we stand in our Christian walk.

But the wonderful thing is that we can ask our Father to deliver us out of those situations!

In the sermon, Pastor Sam stressed the importance of avoiding temptation. There are certain occasions where it’s better to run than to fight. Of particular note is the insidious nature of sexual sin. Temptation is a deliberate trap set by a real devil, and we as the people of God are advised to pray both for avoidance and deliverance.

Avoidance. The book of Proverbs is chock-full of warnings against being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people. The Word of God and the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit are available to us, so that we might be steered away from paths that lead to destruction.

Deliverance. Pastor Sam referred to that key verse, First Corinthians 10:13, that stresses the Lord’s provision of “a way of escape” when temptation occurs. We who believe in the Lord should make a habit of presenting ourselves before God in prayer, so that when we are tempted our first response is to seek God for help rather than seeking to handle situations on our own.

Sometimes, we falsely believe that we are “strong enough” to walk along the edge of a precipice without falling off. Folks, that’s not cool. Rather than testing our own limits, we are called to the discipline of hearing and heeding the still small voice of God. It is He who can explain to us the true nature of the situations we face. It is He who provides the way of escape.

Whether your walk with the Lord has been for ten days or forty years, the counsel is the same: We can’t handle temptation on our own.

Night Time? Right Time.

[This week's blogs are reflections based on Pastor Sam's sermon series on the Lord's Prayer.]

How does one develop a prayer life that models the prayers of Jesus?

Today, let's reflect on the importance of consistency in prayer.

“Pray without ceasing.” (First Thessalonians 5:17)

Earlier this week we referred to the Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-8) as an example of transformation in prayer. Pastor Sam's recounting of that passage generated a few thoughts in my mind, a couple of which I'll share here:

Was this a unique occurrence, or did Jesus always have these awesome prayer times with the Father?
I'm thinking that it was the norm for Jesus to have some sort of physical or spiritual phenomenon occur as a normal part of His prayer life. As Pastor Sam shared the past two times he preached, the disciples must have had a reason for asking the question, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Maybe something He said, or something they saw. But there was some indicator that He was praying in a fashion that they wanted to emulate.

In the Scripture, on more than one occasion, we see that the disciples Peter, James, and John would fall asleep during Jesus's prayer sessions (Luke 9:32; Luke 22:45). I wonder if Jesus's face was reflecting the glory of God many a time, but the disciples had missed it because they slept through the manifestation.

What is it that keeps us from having profound experiences in prayer?
Well, I could say that prayer is hard work and we don't like to work so hard. But I see lots of hard-working people, and lots of praying people. Maybe it's rather that we have not developed a consistency in prayer.

How do we develop consistency? One way is through an ever-deepening relationship with God. As the Holy Spirit helps us to grow in grace, we increase in love for God and love for others. This love-fest births in us the desire to remain in the company and presence of our Lord.

A sense of obligation might cause us to get up at 3 in the morning for prayer. But what sort of prayer is generated from a heart that says “I have to do this”? Release yourself from obligation. Trade it in for love, a love that grows over time. And you may find that your getting up at 3 a.m. for prayer is a joyous loving exercise, because you are spending precious time with the Lover of your soul. Not because you have to, but because you long to (Psalm 42:1).

This is a good place for a cautious commercial. Our church is having a prayer meeting on February 17 from 8 p.m. to midnight. In Bibical terms, the meeting overlaps the first and second watches of the night. According to the template Jesus has established, night time is a wonderful time to pray.

But it's not so wonderful if you're showing up out of obligation.
It's not wonderful if your prayers are not in sync with God's agenda. Remember the Lord's Prayer? “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done”. Let us pray in a way that lines up squarely with the Word of God.

Yes Lord, the cry of our heart echoes the request of your disciples: "Lord, teach us to pray.”

F for Effort?

[This week's blogs are reflections based on Pastor Sam's sermon series on the Lord's Prayer.]

How does one develop a prayer life that models the prayer of Jesus?

Today, let's consider the aspect of effort in prayer.

“And when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray... and about the fourth watch of the night He came to them” (Mark 6:46)

This past Sunday, our worship leader (Isaiah) shared his experience of being corrected and directed by God. The worship team's Saturday rehearsal fell flat because, although they were committed and exerted a lot of effort, they had failed to hear the gentle prompting of God to skip the rehearsal in order to minister for an event occurring during their rehearsal time.

In human logic, the worship team was correct to decline to minister. They had not rehearsed. They had not been told about the event until, literally, the last minute. They had one hour available to work together as a group and needed to maximize the time. But God's logic was different. Yes, His ways are not our ways.

So here we are, Sunday's over and we are still reflecting on prayer. What do we mean when we speak of effort in prayer? Definitely not our own effort. Left to ourselves, we are rarely inclined to “be like Jesus” and spend upwards of five or six or nine hours in prayer. Dude, that's like having another job.

YES! That is the job to have, that is the place to exert yourself, to wring yourself out. Effort in prayer is generated with the help of God Himself, who draws us in, who invites us to participate in His plan and program. It is not easy. That is why we must exert effort. “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). Never forget we are at war. The strategy of the devil is to convince people that the effort of making time to pray the will of God is unnecessary. The strategy of the kingdom of God is to stay clothed in the armor of God, and to pray all kinds of prayers (see Ephesians 6:18).

Jesus is the perfect example of effort in prayer. At a time when most of his contemporaries were sleeping, he was praying through the night watches. He, in His human nature, would stay awake. Not staying awake for a party or last-minute packing for a trip. Not staying awake to be among the first shoppers at a store sale. Not a one-shot deal. Jesus made a habit of subjecting His body to the discipline of all-night prayer.

Jesus's effort in prayer was underlined by the locations of His “prayer closets”. Here are two of the verses from yesterday's blog:

“And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)

“And in the day time He was teaching in the temple: and at night He went out, and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives.” (Luke 21:37)

Not just prayer for hours, prayer all night, but also prayer in locations that required some hiking. Out in the wilderness, up in the mountainous regions. As our worship leader shared, sometimes God calls you to meet with Him in a particular place at a particular time. And meeting those criteria demands effort on our part.

Do we hit the mark? Do we even try to hit the mark? I guess each of us will have to answer for ourselves. I am reminded of a line from Keith Green's classic song Asleep in the Light: "Jesus rose from the grave, and you can't even get out of bed."

God help us all. Because, without His help, we can't sustain this practice of prayer.

Tomorrow we'll look at the third aspect: consistency.

Time For Prayer.

[This week's blogs are reflections based on Pastor Sam's sermon series on the Lord's Prayer.]

I am part of an online small group that is currently reflecting on the prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17. That prayer, which is sometimes referred to as the High Priestly Prayer, is famous for its selflessness (that's self-LESS-ness, not selfishness), its transparency, its depth of intimacy. Jesus is hours away from death on a cross, and He is not praying for Himself- he is in the depths of prayer for His disciples.

How does one develop such a prayer life?

It takes time. It takes effort. It takes consistency. Today, let's consider the aspect of time.

“And when He had sent them away, He departed into a mountain to pray... and about the fourth watch of the night He came to them” (Mark 6:46)

In Mark 6, we see the depth of time and energy Jesus exerts in His ministry. There is preaching in His hometown, there is the commissioning of His disciples for the ministry of healing and deliverance, there is the compassionate teaching ministry to the thousands who followed Jesus. There is the miracle meal, thousands fed from five loaves and two fishes.

Then Jesus does something interesting as evening approaches. First, he sends away His disciples. Then, He sends away the multitude. At last Jesus has some time to Himself... and He spends that time in prayer with His Father, not re-joining the disciples until during the fourth watch of the night (see Matthew 14:25 and Mark 6:48).

Scholars believe the fourth watch of the night was between 3 in the morning and sunrise. And the first watch of the night began at sunset. How much time would Jesus spend in a prayer session? Apparently, hours.

“And in the morning, rising a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

“And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)

“And in the day time He was teaching in the temple: and at night He went out, and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives.” (Luke 21:37)

In light of the hours Jesus spent in prayer to the Father, the question Jesus asks in Gethsemane is no surprise: “Could you not watch with Me one hour?”

Will you watch with Him one hour?

Lord, Sovreign and Holy, forgive us for spending so little time with You! Give us a deep desire and move us, by Your Spirit, to release our schedules to You. You, Lord before time, re-order our time so that we might develop true intimacy with You.

Body in the Bronx. Spirit in Olathe.

[This week's blogs are reflections based on Pastor Sam's sermon series on the Lord's Prayer.]

For the past two Sundays Pastor Sam has, in his sermon introductions, touched upon a mystical aspect of prayer that we as “postmodern” Christians often don't discuss. It's the aspect of transformation in prayer.

We are okay with discussing transformation through prayer, or transformation as a result of prayer, but we hedge when confronted with the reality of transformation in prayer. What does Scripture say? Pastor Sam mentioned two examples of this transformation.

Spiritual. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to a prayer session on a high mountain (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36). While in prayer, Jesus's face and clothing shone brightly as He conversed with Moses and Elijah.

Physical. In the Luke account of Jesus's prayer in Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-44), we are told that His sweat fell like great drops of blood.

Why does the Bible tell us these things? I don't know. But I can tell you that, especially over these last couple of Sundays, I've had two personal reactions. The first is a longing to get more serious about my relationship with God through prayer. The second is an incredible reluctance to get more serious about my relationship with God through prayer. No, that's not a contradiction- that's me being human. I want the benefit of spiritual highs without the price tag of the physical lows. But, we all know it doesn't work that way.

Are we serious about prayer? Then we have to accept the whole package. There's no avoiding it! When God sees our longing for Him, He calls us to draw near. And as our prayer life deepens, things happen that signal the power and presence of God. And like our Lord Jesus, every now and then there are people in our vicinity who see what transformational prayer does in us.

The prayer of blessing says it well: “The Lord make His face to shine upon you...” Do you want that? Moses, we are told, would descend from his encounters with God with a shining face. God shined on him, and the people were able to see that Moses had been with God.

It seems, though, that this deep relationship with God in prayer was a normal thing for our Lord Jesus: not because he was Lord, but because as Jesus He had made certain investments that resulted in the Presence of God being experienced. Tomorrow we'll consider the investment of time.

Doctor? Gee.

Dear Friends,

Glossa Water is coming back online. It may have a bit of a different flavor than it had when I stopped blogging in June of 2010, but I promise you it will still be unapologetically Christian, still unmistakeably Genise-esque, and still written with an eye towards challenging people to grow closer to our Lord Jesus for the sake of His kingdom.

During my one and a half year absence from Glossa Water I've completed and defended my doctoral dissertation, "How ministers understand and address emotional and sexual pressures in ministry work". The document will be available later this year on the ProQuest database. (I'll try to remember to tell you when it can be viewed.)

God has been gracious to allow me to return to writing this blog, and I am grateful to Him. I hope you'll check in on my page frequently as we continue to provide a forum for reflection on the word of God. Blessings and peace to you all.

Genise