It's tough being a student today, especially a Christian student. Students are faced with so many choices and they are not always sure which direction to take, and so today, we gathered at the Fairview flagpole to pray.
Prayer is an awesome thing! Not necessarily because of what it does for us, but because of what it does in and through us. As we bow our hearts, minds, and body to the King of the universe something happens inside. If we try to participate without bowing, nothing happens. It is in the act of submitting to God, which starts the change, and so today, we gathered at the Fairview flagpole to pray.
One of the most challenging aspects of prayer is being able to love with sacrificial compassion those for whom we pray. One of the clearest examples of this is found in Exodus 32, where the Israelites have gotten into a difficult situation. God’s people once again have defied His command, have given up on Him and turned to idolatry. God is justifiably angry at the people, and plans to destroy them and says to Moses, “I will make you a great nation (Ex. 32:10).” What Moses does in the next verse is incredible to me. He seeks out the favor of God on behalf of the people. One commentator has translated the essence of v.11 to mean that Moses literally smoothed the wrinkles on God’s face. This is truly amazing, because I know that Moses was not always delighted to serve these people. They were always grumbling and giving him attitude about this and attitude about that. Have you ever experienced the kind of people I’m talking about. Yet somehow, Moses is able to look past the grief of all they have said and done, and see that God has planned to bless all nations through this people. So he prays, and pleads with God to turn His wrath away from the Israelites. His prayer is efficacious and the Lord relents from causing harm to His people.
Everyday students draw lines around whom they will let in and who they will lock out. There are lines because of grade level, lines about academic performance (overachievers, underachievers, geniuses, and slackers), lines about the groups, etc. The lines are invisible, but we see them clearly every day. Many are asking, "Where do I belong? Who cares about me? Why don't I fit in? Why is it that some people so mean? How can things ever be different?" So today, we gathered at the Fairview flagpole to pray. See You at the Pole™ wasn’t about groups, grades, clothes, or churches. It was about praying. It was about all of us coming together and laying aside all the labels to call upon God, just as Jesus did in John 17 and say, "Lord, may we be one in you and may the world believe that You are real and have sent us to touch others through you."
Have you prayed today?
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony;In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Albert Einstein
Have you ever found yourself in the middle? In the middle of a long line, awake in the middle of the night, in the middle between older and younger siblings, in the middle of a disagreement, or in the middle of a half gallon of ice cream and questioning whether you should eat the rest?
One time when my family and I were traveling to visit my parents in Eastern Washington, we were stuck in the middle. It was a hot August afternoon when we left Seattle. We had no problem making it down I-5 to I-90. Once on I-90 everything seemed to be going along just fine until around mile marker 47. The time was 3p, and we were not moving. Did I mention that it was hot? Did I mention that we were not moving and that we have three children? I remember looking over to my right and seeing this station wagon loaded (or should I say overloaded) with teenagers (and all their stuff) on their way to the “Creationfest” at the Gorge. This one poor kid had a pillow, sleeping bag, and a duffle bag all on his lap, and he was in the middle. Did I mention that it was hot? He looked like he was going to scream or pass out or maybe both. A little while later, I saw him walking, moving faster than the cars that waited in line. He had solved his problem. At one point, around 2 hours into our wait, I started to postulate solutions to our problem. I began to fantasize about driving our mini-van over the concrete median and heading home. Seriously wondering, how much damage could be done? Would the car still be drivable? Maybe I could just buff out the scratches. I mean really, it would just be a little elbow grease on my part right? Finally, after creeping along for 3 hours and reaching mile marker 54, we were set free from the traffic jam. It was over and we were sailing our way into the night. A simple 3-hour trip became a long and hot 7-hour one.
Have you ever found yourself in the middle? When I think about Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah in Genesis 22, I think of a man who was in the middle. On one side, was the God he believed in, loved, and served. On the other was his one and only son for whom he had waited his whole life. A man caught in the middle. Of course, you know the story. Abraham had a choice to make. In the end, it was his faith and trust in God that out weighed his fear and frustration. I hope the next time you find yourself in the middle you will remember Abraham and in so doing you will find the courage to choose wisely.
Thanks for reading.
One time when my family and I were traveling to visit my parents in Eastern Washington, we were stuck in the middle. It was a hot August afternoon when we left Seattle. We had no problem making it down I-5 to I-90. Once on I-90 everything seemed to be going along just fine until around mile marker 47. The time was 3p, and we were not moving. Did I mention that it was hot? Did I mention that we were not moving and that we have three children? I remember looking over to my right and seeing this station wagon loaded (or should I say overloaded) with teenagers (and all their stuff) on their way to the “Creationfest” at the Gorge. This one poor kid had a pillow, sleeping bag, and a duffle bag all on his lap, and he was in the middle. Did I mention that it was hot? He looked like he was going to scream or pass out or maybe both. A little while later, I saw him walking, moving faster than the cars that waited in line. He had solved his problem. At one point, around 2 hours into our wait, I started to postulate solutions to our problem. I began to fantasize about driving our mini-van over the concrete median and heading home. Seriously wondering, how much damage could be done? Would the car still be drivable? Maybe I could just buff out the scratches. I mean really, it would just be a little elbow grease on my part right? Finally, after creeping along for 3 hours and reaching mile marker 54, we were set free from the traffic jam. It was over and we were sailing our way into the night. A simple 3-hour trip became a long and hot 7-hour one.
Have you ever found yourself in the middle? When I think about Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah in Genesis 22, I think of a man who was in the middle. On one side, was the God he believed in, loved, and served. On the other was his one and only son for whom he had waited his whole life. A man caught in the middle. Of course, you know the story. Abraham had a choice to make. In the end, it was his faith and trust in God that out weighed his fear and frustration. I hope the next time you find yourself in the middle you will remember Abraham and in so doing you will find the courage to choose wisely.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
“You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him.” A.W. Tozer
Listen and obey. It was a simple request. Listen and obey. After all, it was in my best interest. All I had to do was listen and obey. To most, it would have seemed obvious, but I was six years old and at six, curiosities cancel the obvious.
So, here is what happened. My dad had a coat rack that kept falling over because the bottom was not heavy enough to stand when a heavy coat was hung on it. He decided that the best solution was to melt some lead and fill the hollow rack with it. We were in the garage. He told me that the rack was hot and that I was not to touch it. I believed him. I could see him melting and pouring the lead into the rack, and so I went out into our yard to see what I could find that seemed interesting. It might have only been 15 minutes, maybe a half an hour, before I came back to the garage where my dad was working. He had his back to the coat rack, and I wondered…is it still hot? Dad told me not to touch it, but that seemed like so long ago. I wondered and watched, with one eye on my dad’s back and one eye on the coat rack. I then made the decision. I reached out with both hands and grabbed the rack. Yes, I used both hands, not just the tip of a finger, but both hands. The heat that radiated from the rack was so great that it caused my hands to stick. I very quietly and quickly peeled my hands from the rack. My hands were red and felt as if I had touched fire. I quickly went inside our house and straight to the bathroom. I thought maybe I could wash the pain away. I turned on the water and then grabbed the soap. The cool water felt good on my burning hands. After a couple of minutes, I stopped washing and tried to dry my hands. It was at that point that I realized that my hands were still burning. I let out a cry for help and soon my mom, once she had enough of the story out of me, had my hands cooling in a bucket of ice water. I was very fortunate. My hands did not blister nor do I have any physical scars from the event. If only I would have just listened and obeyed.
In Genesis 22, Abraham was asked by God to do the unthinkable. Yet, he chose to listen and obey all the while trusting that God had his best interests in mind. Every day we make choices. Abraham is the example of a person who practiced living a life that pleases God. May you find the joy and strength that comes from listening and obeying God, for He truly has your best interests in mind.
Thanks for reading.
So, here is what happened. My dad had a coat rack that kept falling over because the bottom was not heavy enough to stand when a heavy coat was hung on it. He decided that the best solution was to melt some lead and fill the hollow rack with it. We were in the garage. He told me that the rack was hot and that I was not to touch it. I believed him. I could see him melting and pouring the lead into the rack, and so I went out into our yard to see what I could find that seemed interesting. It might have only been 15 minutes, maybe a half an hour, before I came back to the garage where my dad was working. He had his back to the coat rack, and I wondered…is it still hot? Dad told me not to touch it, but that seemed like so long ago. I wondered and watched, with one eye on my dad’s back and one eye on the coat rack. I then made the decision. I reached out with both hands and grabbed the rack. Yes, I used both hands, not just the tip of a finger, but both hands. The heat that radiated from the rack was so great that it caused my hands to stick. I very quietly and quickly peeled my hands from the rack. My hands were red and felt as if I had touched fire. I quickly went inside our house and straight to the bathroom. I thought maybe I could wash the pain away. I turned on the water and then grabbed the soap. The cool water felt good on my burning hands. After a couple of minutes, I stopped washing and tried to dry my hands. It was at that point that I realized that my hands were still burning. I let out a cry for help and soon my mom, once she had enough of the story out of me, had my hands cooling in a bucket of ice water. I was very fortunate. My hands did not blister nor do I have any physical scars from the event. If only I would have just listened and obeyed.
In Genesis 22, Abraham was asked by God to do the unthinkable. Yet, he chose to listen and obey all the while trusting that God had his best interests in mind. Every day we make choices. Abraham is the example of a person who practiced living a life that pleases God. May you find the joy and strength that comes from listening and obeying God, for He truly has your best interests in mind.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
“So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide.” Genesis 22:14a
Our theme this year, “Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord our Provider,” is taken from the Bible passage found in Genesis 22. It is sometimes translated, “The Lord will see it,” or “The Lord will provide,” or “The Lord will be seen.” I think that C. H. Spurgeon may have summarized it best in the following statement, “Our heavenly Father sees our need, and with divine foresight of love prepares the supply.”
The biblical story is most likely familiar to you. It tells of how God tested Abraham by asking him to take his son, his only son, whom he loved, and go to a mountain and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. What an amazing test of faith, and what a man of faith! The writer of the book of Hebrews states that Abraham had reasoned that God could raise the dead (Hebrews 11:19). This makes sense for how else could he reconcile the fact that God had made a promise to him regarding Isaac. God had never let him down and had always taken care of his situation no matter how difficult he himself had made it.
Have you ever thought about what Abraham must have felt during this ordeal? As a father, I can only imagine what he might have thought and felt. However, things are rarely seen as they truly are. Something I heard John Maxwell say recently was that “People don’t see things as they really are (the things, events, etc.), they see things as they are (in their person).” What an incredible statement. People have this problem of thinking that they see things objectively when in reality they see things through many different biases.
So what do you think God is asking of you this coming year? Is there some area in your life that He may be testing you? Some have a problem with thinking that God may be testing each of us. The Word tells us that God tested Abraham (Genesis 22:1), and it states that He never tempts us (James 1:13). It may sound like a fine line, but schoolteachers do not give tests to their students attempting to trick them in any way. Rather, the test serve as tools to reflect how much the student has learned. It is an immensely satisfying feeling to be asked, “How did you do on the big test?” and respond, “I aced it!” I believe that God always wants the best for us, and that He does not want us to be ruled by fear, but by faith. I look forward to what He has in store for us individually and as a community in the coming school year.
Thanks for reading.
The biblical story is most likely familiar to you. It tells of how God tested Abraham by asking him to take his son, his only son, whom he loved, and go to a mountain and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. What an amazing test of faith, and what a man of faith! The writer of the book of Hebrews states that Abraham had reasoned that God could raise the dead (Hebrews 11:19). This makes sense for how else could he reconcile the fact that God had made a promise to him regarding Isaac. God had never let him down and had always taken care of his situation no matter how difficult he himself had made it.
Have you ever thought about what Abraham must have felt during this ordeal? As a father, I can only imagine what he might have thought and felt. However, things are rarely seen as they truly are. Something I heard John Maxwell say recently was that “People don’t see things as they really are (the things, events, etc.), they see things as they are (in their person).” What an incredible statement. People have this problem of thinking that they see things objectively when in reality they see things through many different biases.
So what do you think God is asking of you this coming year? Is there some area in your life that He may be testing you? Some have a problem with thinking that God may be testing each of us. The Word tells us that God tested Abraham (Genesis 22:1), and it states that He never tempts us (James 1:13). It may sound like a fine line, but schoolteachers do not give tests to their students attempting to trick them in any way. Rather, the test serve as tools to reflect how much the student has learned. It is an immensely satisfying feeling to be asked, “How did you do on the big test?” and respond, “I aced it!” I believe that God always wants the best for us, and that He does not want us to be ruled by fear, but by faith. I look forward to what He has in store for us individually and as a community in the coming school year.
Thanks for reading.
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