Prayer Warrior

Epaphras

1. Dear, fellow servant with Paul
2. Faithful ministry of Christ
3. Evangelist to Colossae and Laodicea
4. Fruitbearer for Jesus
5. Pray-er extraordinaire - He is always wrestling in prayer for you (Colossians), that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully ssured. (Col 4:12)


Mentioned only three times in Scripture: Colossians 1:7; 4:12; Philemon 1:23

But what an awesome example of a prayer warrior!
First, he told them about Christ.
Second, he told others of their faith.
Third, he prayed for them with an intensity as though in contest (he was!). The word wrestling (NIV) is alo translated laboring (NAS). It literally means agonizomai - looks like agonizing - and can be defined as (1) to enter a contest; contend in gymnastic games; (2)to content with adversaries, right; (3) endeavor with strenuous zeal, strive to obtain something.

God, remind me to pray for others with Epaphras-like zeal. To pray for them with intensity, contesting the enemy's power over them and claiming Your victory in their lives.

Live with a light heart!

My small group is doing a Precept study titled Kinsman-Redeemer. One of the responsibilities of the Kinsman-Redeemer is to marry his brother’s childless widow and father children for her -- providing heirs for his brother. Jesus is that husband to the church. We are the bride of Christ.

I looked up Scriptures on Bride/Bridegroom and found the following.

Isaiah 62
1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah, [a] (means my delight is in her)
and your land Beulah [b] ; (means married)
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a maiden,
so will your sons [c] (builder) marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.

Revelation 19:7
7Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.

Revelation 21:1-4
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Revelation 21:1-4
9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

Revelation 22:12-17
12"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
17The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.


I’m confident that it is no coincidence that, after reading these Scriptures, I picked up at my previous stopping point in Jan Winebrenner’s book Intimate Faith. The topic at that point is Women of Celebration, and the author is referencing the Proverbs 31 woman, specifically 31:25, She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. I read:

It is a less-than-cordial world we face every morning. Obstacles to joy erupt at every turn. The discipline of celebration calls all of us to lighthearted living in spite of personal circumstances, national or international fears and uncertainties. As Christ’s beloved, we are always enfolded in his arms. His resources are always open to us; his power is always at work on our behalf. Our safety, in the present, as well as in the future, lies in his abiding love.

John Piper wrote:
God’s heart is not divided toward you. If you belong to Christ by faith, then everything God could possibly give you for your good he has signed over to your account in Christ. You hear the same answer at every point: Is this promise in my account? Yes. Is this blessing in my account? Yes. Yes. Yes. All the promises of God are Yes in Christ. Christ is God’s Yes to all future grace. (from Future Grace)

If we have Christ, we have God’s “Yes.” We have his assurance that he will be sufficient for whatever awaits us – today, next week, and next year. We can live free of paralyzing fear and heart-dragging pessimism because Jesus holds our lives in tender hands. His presence is our joy and our confidence. In spite of uncertainties and chaos and catastrophe, we can live among our friends and family with humor and playfulness because we have confidence in “future grace.”

As the beloved bride of Christ, we can know that all of our tomorrows are secure. We don’t have any reason for dread. We are held in the arms of one whose greatest jo is to lavish his love on us. We have good reason to smile today, and to laugh outright as we joyfully contemplate God’s care for us in the days to come.

What an awesome God we serve! He is so loving, so kind, and so ready to speak to those who seek Him with all their heart.

Live life with a light heart. That’s a Healthy Habit.

Who's in your flock?

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. (Acts 20:28)

Paul shared this with the elders of the church in Ephesus as he prepared to leave them for what he knew would be the last time. Paul had poured out his life and his heart to these beloved leaders, and he wanted to leave them with specific words of encouragement, and assignment.

- Keep watch over yourselves
- Keep watch over the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.
- Be shepherds of the church of God - the church He bought with His own blood.

We know that All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17) Knowing that, how can we apply Paul's words recorded in Acts 20?

Keep watch over yourselves...
As a believer and a Jesus follower, I have a responsibility to watch over myself. I have a responsibility to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live a self-conrolled, upright, and godly life in this present age, while I wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for me to redeem me from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14)

This "watching over yourself" doesn't by any means require a joyless, tightly wrapped, prudish life. Quite the opposite - there is joy unspeakable in living the self-controlled, upright, and godly life for the glory of Jesus. There is unimaginable joy in surrendering in complete obedience to my Lord - my Saviour - my Jesus.

Keeping watch requires more than behavioral disciplines. What are my attitudes? What are my unspoken longings? What is my heart's desire? What words come out of my mouth? What do my eyes speak even when my mouth is silent? What do my hands and feet say? My wallet?

Watch over your flock...
As a Christian, you have a flock, appointed to you by the Holy Spirit. Read that again: You have a flock. That flock has been appointed to you by the Holy Spirit. And that flock was paid for - redeemed - by the blood of Jesus.

It doesn't matter whether you hold a "leadership position" in your church. It doesn't matter whether you have an official role as teacher, small group leader, small group coach, pastor, ministry leader, etc. If you are in an "official" leadership role, the responsibility is even more pronounced. But every Christian has a flock. Who is in your flock? Your children? Your co-workers? Your friends and neighbors?

Pray on this and ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of who is in your flock. Doesn't it just awe you beyond words that the God of the universe not only knows you by name, but appointed others unto your care? What will you do with that? I pray that you will shepherd them as carefully as you would hold the most precious, delicate jewel!

Be shepherds of the church of God...
The church is the community of Christ-followers. Shepherds watch their sheep. They guard their sheep. They guide them back to safety when they're wandering away. Shepherds love their sheep. The sheep know and love their shepherd. Jesus used shepherds and sheep to demonstrate responsibility and relationship. Although in the United States in 2008 we are not as familiar with a shepherd's daily life and duties, it is not difficult to understand this principle if we spend just a little effort researching the life of a shepherd in Biblical days.

So what does a 2008 shepherd look like? Like a small group leader. Like a mentor. Like a trusted friend. Like a family member. Like me. Like you. Shepherd the church Christ paid for with His blood. It wasn't a cheap purchase - it wasn't "on sale" He paid full price for you. He paid full price for me. Shepherd His purchase!

So honor God with all you've got. Watch yourself. Watch your flock. Shepherd the church. Those are Healthy Habits!

Tell them about Me

You will be accused before governors and kings of being my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me. And the Good News must first be preached to every nation. But when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry about what to say in your defense. Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Mark 13:11

Jesus had been in the Temple with his disciples, and on the way out one of His disciples commented, "Teacher, look at these tremendous buildings! Look at the massive stones in the walls!" Jesus replied, "These magnificent buildings will be so completely demolished that not one stone will be left on top of another."

Later, as Jesus was talking with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, four of His disciples came to Him privately and asked him when the destruction of the buildings would take place, and how they would know that the destruction was near. What they heard would be enough to frighten the strongest man. They heard about wars, earthquakes, famines, personal arrests and trials in court, about fathers betraying their children, brothers betraying their brothers, and being hated because of their allegiance to Him.

My focus this morning was on just one verse in that section - Mark 13:11. Don't worry about what to say in your defense. Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit."

When we are accused, or when we're in a tight spot, our normal response is to craft the most compelling argument we can think of that will justify our actions, or get us out of a tough spot. Jesus tells His disciples to do just the opposite. "Don't worry about what to say in your defense." You're standing in a courtroom, accused of crimes that can bring penalty of death. And you're not to worry about what to say. How do you prepare for that?!


Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

This is big. One little verse in the middle of the 13th chapter of Mark. But it's huge!

As Christians, we WILL be tried. We wil be questioned and sentenced, whether in a court of law, or a court of peers. We must prepare for a day when someone accuses us of being a Christ follower. It may be a 1:1 trial - a friend, co-worker or family member accuses you of being weird because you don't do the things you used to do anymore. Or they ask you why you appear to live at peace. Or they ask you to do something that you know is not God's best for your life.

How do you get ready for that?
Don't worry about what to say in your defense. It's not really you who is on trial anyway - it's Jesus!
Say only what God tells you to. Better practice listening for what God says. Stop defending yourself and listen to Him. What does He whisper? What does His Word shout? What does God speak into your very soul as you wait upon Him in the early hours of the morning?
Then you will know it is not you who is speaking, but the Holy Spirit. No matter how eloquent our words may be, no matter how clear our diction, and how well crafted our message, without the Holy Spirit our words will be powerless. When He speaks, the words have power. They penetrate the target. They achieve God's goal.

It's not too soon to practice these three steps. Don't worry about your own defense. Listen for what God is speaking to you, so that you will be ready to speak only what God tells you to. Listen for the Holy Spirit's speaking - stop listening for the sound of your own voice.

Intentionally listen for God's voice. That's a Healthy Habit.

Lord, have mercy!

Lord, have mercy! What does that bring to mind these days? Probably a little shaking of the head, a little "what was I thinking?!" chuckle. It's probably not a true cry for God's mercy. But oh, what if it were!

I read today Mark 10:46-52, the familiar story of the blind beggar Bartimeaus, whom Jesus healed on the way between Jericho and Jerusalem.

You know the story. A blind beggar sits on the side of the road. He hears commotion. He's heard about Jesus and the miraculous healings Jesus has performed in the area. He wants some of that. He thinks, "What do I have to lose? I'll cry out. He probably won't hear. But I'll give it a shot anyway. And if Jesus doesn't hear me the first time, I'll yell a little louder."

And so he does. The beggar cries out,

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted ouder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

Wow! Jesus heard Bartimaeus cry out - in the middle of a crowd. How cool was that?!

Bartimaeus knew exactly what he needed - his eyesight! So when Jesus asked, "what do you want me to do for you?" there was no hesitation.

And Jesus's response: Your faith has made you well - and he was healed.

Did Bartimaeus run off in his own direction, doing his own thing? No, he "followed Jesus down the road."

So what can we learn from this story? It's way more than another story about a miracle Jesus performed. It's way more than prayer for healing answered. It applies to me. Personally.

I'm not blind - or so I think. But at times I AM blind; there are shadows in the corners of my attitude. I may not see the lost, the hurting, the lonely, the alone, the lady who feels unlovely.

I'm not a beggar - but I MUST be! I must cry out to Jesus daily for His mercy. For His vision. For His touch.

Brings new meaning to, "Lord, have mercy!" Today, Lord, have mercy on me. I want to see!

Pray daily for God's vision: that's a Healthy Habit!

White flags

The world's view of success is that the more money, the bigger house, the fancier car, the more credentials you have, the more exciting your vacations and travel, the more successful you must be. That is the lie Satan would have you believe. Get more, be happier. Control more, be happier.

But Jesus says that your soul is the most important thing to be concerned about. Jesus is very clear about this: "...how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?"

It's not that acquiring the world is in itself a bad thing. But if you gain the world but lose your soul in the process, you have lost everything.

So how do you gain, but not lose your soul? Again, Jesus is clear: "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life."

Surrender. Surrender your personal, selfish ambition - gain for the sake of having more, being more, flaunting more.

Surrender your plans. Look for His plans. His people.

Surender your path. Follow His path. How do you know the way? (Thomas asked the same thing!) Look for the path Jesus walked. Look for the path laid out in God's Word. Love the Lord with all your heart. Love others as yourself. Serve Him with all that you've got.

Surrender all that you have. It's not really yours anyway! All that we have comes from the Lord. If we think that we own anything, we are blind to the fact that it all belongs to Him.

So wave the white flag of surrender. Though it goes against all the world's descriptions of power and victory, only the flag of surrender to Jesus will truly gain you power, victory, joy, rest, peace, and everlasting life for your soul.

Nothing but surrender to Jesus will satisfy your soul. And, as Jesus said, what is more important than your soul?

Surrender to Jesus. That's a Healthy Habit.

(from Mark 8: 34-38)

With all your heart

Jesus said that the most important command is to, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mk 12:30).

I desperately want to love the Lord with all my heart. I think I do. I say I do. Still, I wonder...is there more of my heart that can love Him? Is there a part of my heart that doesn't yet love Him more than anything or anyone? How do I know? Is there a "test" I can take? A questionnaire to complete?

If I want to love the Lord with all my heart, I need to examine my heart. But I also need to seek God's heart on every attitude, every desire, every habit. I need to search the scriptures to understand the LORD's heart - what does He love? What breaks His heart? What pleases Him?

Today I will focus on a simple but familiar scripture:
With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?...He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:6, 8)

I will lay my heart before the LORD. Holy Spirit, teach me to love the LORD my God with all my heart. Teach me to love with God's love, seeing others through the eyes of Love Himself, walking in humility, filtering every thought, every attitude, every action, every plan through Love.

Be still

How hard is that, in these days of instant-everything, drive-thru, microwave, take-out, etc. We wake up with a long list of "to do's" and go to bed thinking of what we need to get done the next day. Electronics surround us - in our homes, cars, stores, offices - our Blackberries keep us connected with everyone all the time.

But our LORD calls us to "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth." (Ps 46:10).

If we truly believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and we believe His Word, we cannot ignore His call to step away from busy-ness. To disconnect from distractions for a while. To cause our minds to focus on Him - only Him - and dwell in the secret place of the Most High for a time.

Be still. Some call it meditation. Scientific studies have shown that meditation is good for the body in terms of heart rate, anxiety levels, blood pressure. But they can't begin to measure what holy meditation - time spent "being still, knowing that the LORD is God" - does for the health of the soul.

I will be still. I will know that He is God. I will revel in His wonder, His awesomeness, His Being.

And when I return to the electronic-filled, busy, hectic pace of my workday, I will pause every now and then and remember my "Be still" time, smiling and knowing that He is also there with me in the not-so-still time.

Be still. It's a healthy habit.

Wisdom Seeking

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. (Ps 111:10)

Seeking wisdom is a good thing - a healthy habit. Wisdom brings understanding. Wisdom brings knowledge. By "turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding" you will "understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."

Where do we begin if we desire to seek wisdom? We begin by fearing God. Not a cowering in the corner kind of fear, but a realization of Who God is, Whose we are, what He has done for us, and what He promises to those who love Him.

We begin by gaining perspective. When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, Moses asked a reasonable question: Whom shall I say sent me? If I say to the Israelites, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" - what shall I tell them? (Ex 3:13) God's response: I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you." (Ex 13:14)

Focus on that one short section of scripture -- Who God says He is -- what that means in terms of who I am (or who I am not!). His role/my role. His promise/my acceptance of the Promise. His boundaries/my freedom. His great love. It's all wrapped up in just a few words: I AM WHO I AM.

Stay there a while. How does that NOT bring you to fear the Lord, and to the beginnings of understanding and wisdom? How can you keep from praising the Lord, our God, who loves us beyond measure?

Need more details about gaining wisdom, or why it's imperative that we develop the healthy habit of seeking wisdom? Spend time in the book of Proverbs, written precisely for, "attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young -- let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance -- for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Prov 1:1-7)

After spending time in Proverbs, spend time on your knees. Ackowledge Him. Fear Him. Praise Him. Worship Him. Surrender everything to Him. Then do it again tomorrow - it's a healthy habit!

Staff of strength

OK, you know the Lord has something in mind when you sense a prompting to read a daily devotion from a book you haven't picked up in many months, and then see the same theme on the very page you are on in another book. Here's what happened this morning:

This morning as I'm praying and trying to come to life with my coffee in hand, I feel prompted to read today's devotion from Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman, a devotional I picked up over a year ago. From time to time I've read a few days at a time, but not really consistently. So I turn to the reading for today, and the verse is short and simple: Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Ps 23:4). The writer tells the value of a staff when walking in difficult territory - and his reminder that the Word of God is a staff. He then notes other verses that have been his staff in times of impending danger, He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord (Ps 112:7), and at the loss of a child, Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning (Ps 30:5). He quotes Martin Luther's wife as saying, "I would never have...come to appreciate certain difficulties, or known the inner workings of the soul; I would never have understood the practice of the Christian life and work of God if God had never brought afflictions to my life." God always sends His staff with His rod. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be (Deut 33:25). Each of us may be sure that if God sends us over rocky paths, He will provide us with sturdy shoes. He will never send us on any journey without equipping us well. (pp 47-48)

Less than an hour later, I opened Intimate Faith by Jan Winebrenner, to the page I stopped on yesterday. The section began, "Say "staff" and I think of the good Shepherd from David's psalm. I think of his promise to guide, protect, provide, and comfort. But held in the hands of the King of Kings, the staff becomes a scepter representing sovereignty and the divine authority of our omnipotent God." (p 72) When sending out His disciples, Jesus said, "take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff... (Matt 10:10) - they were to take the sandals and the staffs they had, but not additional ones.

Winebrenner comments that "We are to travel the path of discipleship gripping the staff as a symbol to remind us of the Shepherd's goodness and faithfulness, and as a symbol of his sovereignty and the strength he gladly exerts on our behalf to demonstrate his lavish love for us." (p 72)

The disciples were not asked to go barefoot - they were to wear their sandals. Paul told us to have our feet "fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." That means to keep your gear on and be ready for the journey. "Assured of the truth of the gospel - that God has made a way for us to become his children through trust in his Son, that we are his beloved, and that he has promised never to leave us or forsake us - we can be ready for anything that enters our lives. (p 73).

What an awesome God we serve! He provides the shoes and the staff - we are to keep them handy, on our persons, ready at all times for the journey. Thank you, LORD, for speaking into my heart this morning, and for showing me Your truth.

David believed God

I ws reading Psalm 116 this morning, simply desiring a fresh perspective since we have spent so many months in the Gospel of John. I was struck by the simplicity of this Psalm, and by the powerful application to our own lives as believers.

"I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me;
I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, save me!"

The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumblng, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
I believed; therefore, I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars."

How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
O LORD, truly I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.

I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the LORD - in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD.

David's experience:

• David recognized that he was in need
• He cried out to the LORD
• In the middle of sorrow and trouble, he asked the LORD to save him
• The LORD heard his cry and saved him from death.
• He was freed from his chains of sorrow and trouble.

David's response:

• He believed.
• He understood that his salvation was from the LORD, and not coincidental, nor his own doing.
• He responded with a heart of love and devotion - a desire to "repay the LORD for His goodness."
• He recognized his own - and all mankind's - sinfulness, his affliction, the reality that indeed, "all men are liars." For us to receive LIFE, we must recognize our need for a Savior!
• He lifted up the cup of salvation - interesting that this sounds much like Jesus' words to his disciples that they were to "drink this cup in remembrance." Though David did not live in Jesus' day, he got it - that there was a cup of salvation poured only by his God.
• He fulfilled his vows in the presence of the people - he lived out his faith in community, publicly, where all could see his commitment to the LORD. He demonstrated transparency and openness.
• He "sold himself" into servanthod to the LORD - realizing that God had freed him from the chains that had been binding him to trouble and sorrow, and that true freedom comes in total submission to God's hands and His plans.
• He praised the Lord!

David demonstrated a heart for God - loving the LORD with all his heart, soul, mind and strength.

Passionate people are not bystanders

Just finished reading David Jeremiah's book, Life Wide Open. I long to be a passionate person. Correct that: I am a woman of passion for her God, and I will follow every opportunity for Him, I will enter every door He opens.

Scripture that came to mind during my prayer time is:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

1. We are not alone - we have a cloud of witnesses surrounding us!
2. Sin does easily entangle us, and we are all beset by encumbrances.
3. We are not helpless - we are to lay aside the encumbrances and the sins which entangles us. Laying aside encumbrances gives us a concrete vision of our role in achieving the freedom Jesus desires for us. Laying aside requires identifying the encumbrances, and the sins which entangle us. Can you see it? Sin entangles us like ropes wrapped around our arms and legs. Have you ever been caught in a tangled web of rope? Seaweed? Spider web? Sin entangles us much the same - but we CAN remove it from our persons. It takes work, it takes diligence, it takes intentionality. But with Christ we can find freedom.
4. When we believe the promises of Jesus, when we look back at the evidence and understand - and borrow - the faith of the "great cloud of witnesses" who surround us, we can run with endurance the race set before us.

5. There is a race to run - Christ wants us to finish strong, having run with endurance.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow!

Being Still

Today is a Day of Reflection for me - a "God day" - a day when I commit myself to seekng the Lord, listening, searching God's Word, resting in Him, yearning to hear from Him. It began with John 17, the chapter my small group will discuss this week. The intensity increased as I realized Jesus' prayer for future believers (that would be me!):

May Beth and the believers in her life be brought to complete unity to let the world know that God the Father loves them as much as he loves His Son, whom he gave up on the cross for their sake. (personalized 17:23)

So it's all about love. It's all about letting the world know that God loves them, that He sent His Son to demonstrate his Love. Love in the form of a baby, gentle and dependent on others to care for him. Love in the form of a man who laid down his life for his friends. Love in the form of a servant, who washed the feet of his disciples. Love in the form of healing for those who believe in Him, the Son of God. Love in the form of a man who - though He was God - set aside his equality with God and tok on the very nature of servant, in human likeness, and was obedient to the Father, even to death on a cross.

Love. Agapao. Love that desires closeness. Love that is unselfish. Love that delights in another. Love that regards with favor, goodwill, benevolence. Love that is faithful. Love that acts - not stagnant, ineffective - but actively esteems, loves, indicating a direction of the will and finding one's joy in someothing or someone.

And Love. Phileo. Friendship love. God extends His phileo love to us. He applied the word phileo to Abraham, His friend, willing to give up his son if God so desired, just as God gave his one and only Son for us.

Today I commit that I love God the Father with agapao love. And I desire his phileo friendship. I desire to be called His friend.