Intercessory Prayer
1 Timothy 2: 5 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”
When I read 1 Tim 2 I just read right over this verse. This morning as I met one of my good friends Jason, and we were walking through this chapter. He has a background in mediation and brought up something really cool about this verse.
Paraphrase: “In a mediation you always want the person that is leading to have equal/greater amounts of power as the highest person involved. This is so that person has the power to call anyone out in the room.”
With this focus in mind he related how Jesus, who is our mediator to God, is in the middle, but is at the same level as God. I just thought that was such a cool imagery of intercessory prayer.
I was encouraged this morning to really take time to intercede for others in prayer. Not just in tough times, but even when times are good to be praying for others.
Christian Enlightenment
HT: Gene Pensiero
the moment a Christian, or a church, departs from the principle of revelation and goes into high criticism or intellectual understanding of the Bible, all spiritual authority is lost.
this is very relevant to the days in which we live and to the land in which we live. instead of attacking a city in the name of the Lord, the very spirit of the city gets into the life of the church. the local church becomes full of party strife and division, and believers become materialistic. the Bible is approached on the basis of ‘what i cannot understand, i will discard.’
if we submit the Word of God to our own intellect and refuse to believe in the possibility of absolute, authoritative revelation, the church loses its power and authority. and if it loses the ability to say, ‘thus saith the Lord,’ it has no answer to the problems of our times.
during the last century we have talked about the spread of modernism &neo-orthodoxy as if those things were new. but they are as old as the New Testament.
…if you want an enlightened mind on the Word of God, you have to live a crucified life.
that’s the principle.“
{ alan redpath >> the royal route to heaven }
This One Brought Me To Tears
DISCLAIMER: this is a long read, but please find time to get through it.
when i started writing this i had just finished watching the movie “seven pounds”. this was the first time i saw this movie and had no inside information outside of the previews. [i'm sorry if i ruin the climax for you] this movie immediately struck so many cords in my heart that i had to share about it.
the movie peaks when “ben”, played by will smith, commits suicide so that his organs could be used to save lives. the reason this struck a cord was because my dad had a liver transplant nearly 9 years ago. i have to say the movie did add a bit of “hollywood” to the donation process, but it really depicted the struggle/frustration that waiting for an organ transplant places on a person and/or family.
my dad’s story started in 1996 when he was diagnosed with a liver disorder that was causing his liver to slowly fail. i had many questions for God about why this would happen to such a ‘good’ person like my dad. this was one of the seasons of my life that i am most thankful for because it gave me the opportunity to really see how a Godly man handles adversity. my dad had every right to be frustrated, but he was the strongest one of the family; constantly finding his strength in God. i know this experience was just as much for me as it was for my dad and family.
in october of 2000 we received “the call”. i was the only one home at the time when the answering machine picked up and it was the doctor from san francisco. when i frantically dialed my parents cell phone i could barely talk i was so overwhelmed at how that simple call would change our lives. needless to say we put into motion our calling chain, had friends and family over for a send-off and were off to san francisco that evening.
the transplant went off without a hitch and my dad was out touring a navy warship in san francisco within 5 days.
before i move on i would like to share about the donor. david was an avid mountain climber that lived in ashland, oregon. he was a just getting started on a journey with his new wife of 6 months, kris. he was a family man that shared his love of shakespearean theater with his wife. in his last days he was doing something he loved; climbing the ice face of mount shasta.
david slipped and fell on the ice nearly 1400 feet and sustained serious brain injuries. he was very resilient, but after a week of surgery after surgery to reduce swelling in the brain the doctors had nothing else to do. david’s family had previously talked about donation and decided they would donate his body.
this was THE greatest example of selflessness i have every experienced. even though there is nothing that can be done, the process of donation is still very hard because you are giving away your mother/father/son/daughter. i am eternally grateful for david’s family deciding to donate his body.
one of the most amazing experiences to date with this whole process was getting to meet david’s mother and wife about a year after the transplant. it was at a celebration of life ceremony in palo alto, ca. we had been in communication by letter for sometime and finally had the opportunity to meet part of david’s family. the first moment when we met is etched in my brain and heart forever [i'll be honest i am holding back sheding tears writing this part because it truly showed me first hand God's love for me].
when we first met david’s mother i don’t think she said any words until she walked up to my dad, placed her hand on his stomach where his scar was and said these words.
“MY SON WAS BORN TO GIVE YOU A SECOND LIFE”
it was like Jesus himself was standing in front of me telling me how much He loved me.
side note, i was not expecting to have a sob fest while writing this and i am finding it hard to write and wipe my tears at the same time.
to continue the story, my family has had the pleasure of spending more time with david’s family and it was truly been a blessing. after watching the movie “seven pounds” i just had to tell my story to shed light on a personal experience of organ donation.
for those of you that have not considered it or have second thoughts please reconsider. if you have questions feel free to call me, send me an email michaelfast@gmail.com or ask in the comment section.
No, Mr. President. Killing is Killing no matter what we call it
A friend on Facebook posted this video today and when I watched my blood got a boiling. I know it is crystal clear that God creates each and every baby in His own image. All abortion does is take this LIFE. This video is an exerpt of a message by John Piper on the Womb.
This exerpt is pointed at President Obama’s support of a “Woman’s right to choose”. Just watch and listen to how beautifully Piper pulls back the curtain on why abortion IS NOT protecting women/reproduction.
You can read or watch the full sermon @ www.desiringgod.org
The Well Talks: Addiction
Continuing on my post from last week about The Well Talks series I wanted to reflect on this week. The message was stellar and I would really encourage everyone to take a listen. You can download the message from The Well Community website or from iTunes. [this week wasn't online when I posted so be patient]
This week the message was on addiction. For me it was definitely a good shot in the gut because it pulled back the curtain on the issue of addiction. In that light I write this post with a honest vulnerability.
Addiction was defined as “an unhealthy attachment to anything/anyone”. Right there it kicks some doors down in my life.
The “unhealthy attachment” that I continue to struggle with is sexual purity or plain and simply put, porn. It is not something I am proud of but I have allowed it to lingere and when looked at honestly is a “comfort food” in my life. It has surfaced when I am prideful and think I can overcome it on my own. Obviously this is not the case and I am thankful to have some great guys around me that I can confide in.
Something else I appreciated was a look at addiction from a neurological point of view. Paul Mavrogeorge is a Marriage and Family Therapist at Link Care in Fresno and was one of our experts on the subject. He described what happens in the human brain when we find pleasure in anything from worshiping at church to finding it through an addiction. The brain deceivers all of those experiences as the same and when we stimulate that part of the brain it needs more over time for our body to feel the same level of pleasure. This concept was very good to hear explained. It really challenged me to think about where I am finding pleasure and focus on how I can adjust those habits.
All in all it was summed up at life group this morning as we talked through the topic of addiction.
1. Grace is a gift and is totally sufficient [Ephesians 2: 1-10]
2. Humble Yourself
3. Obey
4. Be motivated by love
The Well Talks: Economy/Finances
So this last Sunday The Well started a new 3 week series called “The Well Talks”. This a really cool concept that will cover the economy/finances, addiction and relationships. As you have guessed this week was on the economy. This really hit home and made me think for a few key reasons.
1. Where is my heart when it comes to giving?
2. Mad me think about my attitude and priorities in the area of giving.
3. Is debt bad? This was a great discussion at life group this morning. We came to the conclusion that there can be “good” debt, but that same debt can be bad if it is controlling you. As a society we really need to look at debt from a biblical perspective. Check out “The Ripple” - This is The Well’s sermon discussion guide.
4. Finally, this was just a good kick in the butt to really take a good look at my finances. Not only that, but to re-evaluate the role that God has in my finances.
I would love to hear your thoughts about this.
A Nation That Works
Here is a quote sent to me by a friend. I think this illustrates the importance of working for what you receive. I was taught from a young age that I must work hard in everything that I do. Also, being a good steward does not mean you sit and expect someone to give you what you don’t work for. Read the quote and give me your feedback.
“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”
~~~~~ The late Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 – 2005
George Straight
I was inspired last night while I was driving. I was listening to XM Radio and on came a song by George Straight; “Love without end, Amen”.
I was struck by the chorus of this song which I have heard several times before. This is how it goes:
And he said, “Let me tell you a secret about a father’s love,
A secret that my daddy said was just between us.”
He said, “Daddies don’t just love their children every now and then.
It’s a love without end, amen, it’s a love without end, amen.”
This really reminded me the love that God, my Abba Father, has for me. It doesn’t matter if I screw up. He is still gonna be there when I turn around. So if I can encourage you through George Straight, “Daddies don’t love their children every now and then. IT’S A LOVE WITHOUT END, AMEN, IT’S A LOVE WITHOUT END, AMEN.
Spurgeon
–
on truth:
i suppose you have met, in your pastoral work, with the great evil of questioning fundamental truth. brethren have always differed on minor points, and it has not been unusual for us to meet each other and discuss matters of doctrine upon the basis of the Holy Scripture. all were agreed that, whatever Scripture said, should be decisive; and we only wished to ascertain what the Lord had revealed. but another form of discussion has now arisen: men question the Scriptures themselves.
to some, the teaching of Scripture is not of final authority: their inner consciousness, their culture, or some other unknown quantity is their fixed point, if they have a fixed point anywhere. the fount of inspiration is not now within the Book and with the Holy Spirit, but within man’s own intelligence. we have no longer, ‘thus saith the Lord,’ but, ‘thus saith modern thought.’
unless we have infallibility somewhere, faith is impossible. the true faith teaches us facts which cannot be questioned. where is faith to build if there be no rock and nothing left us but shifting sand?
i see the spirit of compromise concerning holiness and sin, truth and error, far too prevalent. the spirit of compromise comes not of the Spirit of God, but of the spirit of the world.
if the Gospel does not attract men, nothing will; i mean, nothing which can do them good. personally, i have no reason to doubt the attractiveness of the old, old Gospel.
…in large towns a practical atheism is supreme. why is this? the ministers have done it. they preached the people out of their faith in the Scriptures; they taught them to be doubters. the most mischievous servant of Satan that i know if is the minister of the Gospel who not only doubts the truth in his own soul, but propagates doubt in the minds of others by his criticisms, innuendos, and triflings with words. some ministers believe nothing except that nothing can be believed.
C.H. Spurgeon An All-Round Ministry pg. 285-298 selections, some emphasis added
[HT: Gene Pensiero]
Election Thoughts
A friend of mine wrote a status update on Facebook that was very thought provoking especially given the canidates for the presidency.
“If you put your faith in the government to solve your problems, what does God get?”
What are your thoughts on this with how it relates to our responsibility to the government [give to Cesar what is Cesar's] and being a follower of God?
