Isaiah 8:12-14

"Do not call conspiracy all this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling..."

In context, this prophecy of Isaiah refers to both houses of Israel and their impending judgment at the hands of the Bablylonians and Assyrians. As I was meditating on this passage, I was thinking of it in terms of the coming judgment, how God will judge the earth in the last days.

May we not fear what the people fear nor be in dread of man. Even powerful men will cry out for mercy at the hand of the Judge. Let us fear only the Lord, and may he be our sanctuary in time of trouble. Oh Lord, open our minds and help us to understand your coming judgments that we may not be offended by your ways. God, help your people to fear you and understand what your Word says about the Second Coming of the Lord. Give us revelation and peace to endure.

Prayer to Be Still

I often journal my prayers, but I've been neglecting to share them here on the blog. I'm hoping to get more regular in sharing some of these prayers with you.

God help me to not fear,
though the earth gives way
and the mountains fall into the sea.
Help me to trust in you God
in every circumstance.
Increase my faith.

God, if you are within me,
I will not fall.
Nations are in uproar.
You lift Your voice,
and the earth melts.
You bring desolations on the earth.

God, let nothing hinder
your people from loving You.
It is amidst destruction and war
that you say,

"Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in all the earth."

We can be still
because we know that there is an end.
You WILL be exalted.

How can I live with this as the vision?
How can I live so that You will be exalted?

I need to be still.
I need to trust You.
I need to know You
to know You as GOD.

I can claim to know someone
without knowing all their sides.
God I want to know You fully,
as You know me.

THE LORD ALMIGHTY IS WITH US.
THE GOD OF JACOB IS OUR FORTRESS.

23 October 2005

Anger

During the past year I have been dealing with anger a lot more than I have in the past. The Lord seems to making it clear to me how dangerous and destructive anger can be. Several times I have completely broken down from my anger, thrown things on the floor or yelled. When this happens, I scare even myself. Anger seems to take over and I need the power of the spirit to gain control over my flesh. I have spent a lot of time meditating on the following verses from James,

19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Praise & Prayer Update May 25th

Hey everyone,

Please keep us in your prayers this week as D is leaving for the states in just a few days. We haven't been apart from each other for more than one day since we got married, so two and a half months seems like a long time!

Praises:

• We were able to spend time this week in prayer and thought about our vision and how we can serve here
• We both were sick during the week and have recovered
• H has been asking the Lord to send her sick people to pray for, and this week a woman with breast cancer showed up oustide our door begging. H was able to pray for her in the name of Jesus. Pray that God would reveal His Son to this woman.
  
• We were both able to connect more with parents of the kids we teach this week. It was really encouraging to get feedback from a few parents about how much their sons or daughters look up to us.
  

Prayers:

• That our time together before D leaves would be blessing
  
• One of our friends and some national partners have been busy meeting women and sharing the gospel in villages this week. H is helping edit the materials and do background research for this outreach. Pray that the Lord would lead us to bridges to share the good news and reveal Jesus to these women and their families.
  
• That the Lord would send us to 'people of peace' who will be receptive to the gospel
  
• That we would finish well at school and be a light to our students and colleagues
  
• That we would grow in our marriage even when we are ten time zones away from each other!

Thanks so much for your prayers during this time of transitioning from school year to summer. We are excited for all the Lord has for us during the coming season. May we be faithful with all that He has given us.

Cry out for Justice

I wrote the following prayer in November after reading a novel, based on a true story, about the wife of a 'holy man/saint' in this country. It was heart wrenching. It led me straight to my knees. The basic storyline was about a young girl who was married off to this 'saint' about the age of puberty. The 'saint' had such a hunger for sex that he used not only her, but prostitutes and several poor orphan girls, even very young ones. The 'saint' tried to molest his own daughter and the only way the mother could save her was to give her husband other young girls instead. She became an unwilling accomplice to his crimes. Not only that, but because the 'saint' kept his wife in seclusion and since no one had seen her face, he felt that he could masquerade her as a prostitute for all his friends.

This story may seem extreme, but I have heard many stories from women that could each be their own novels. The spirits of lust and death seem to have a strong hold on the entire region.

Prayer for Women, in response to the novel Blasphemy.
November 14, 2007

Let me cherish my time with you. Oh Lord, I feel far from you, draw me after you. Draw me into your chambers that I may entreat of you. That I may share in your heart.

Lord, what do you feel when young girls are being sold into their slavery under the guise of marriage? When lust-filled husbands satiate their hunger savagely on virgin girls, not yet reached womanhood.

How do you feel when the girls are bleeding and broken, crying out to a God who is not near? Does your heart break?

When women are made to play the whore, and all they want in purity.

When a man’s flesh rules, ruining lives. Entering forcefully to change their bodies, minds and hearts forever.

Scarred.

When a man’s every action is ruled by his lust. Breaking young girls and mother’s hearts. Caring only to satisfy his flesh.

The greater the pride,
the greater the lust.

Does you heart break for these women, or are they cursed forever? There is no justice here. They cry out and cry out. Only to say that God is far away. God is only here to weep. God must take delight in the suffering of women, for hell is full of us. And even in heaven men’s lust is rewarded by virgins.

What is the depth of the evil of man’s heart? Lord, how can I bring your hope to these women?

LUST

PRIDE

GREED

This land is riddled with curses for the sins committed in her. The bloodguilt is great. Oh Lord, cleanse the land. There is so much evil here. Let us be messengers of your coming. Shine through us. SHOW YOURSELF with signs and wonders. Dreams and visions.

Let me cry out for justice day and night. Continue to give me glimpses of your heart. Show me steps I can take to reach out to women around me and in this broken society.

Reveal your Son.

Open prison doors and set these captives free.

Bind up the brokenhearted oh Lord!

Come and bring your perfect justice.

*New* Prayer Journal Posts

I've recently felt that I should share some more entries from my prayer journal here on the blog. I I wasn't quite sure why, as many of my prayers are me crying out to God in repentance or intercession, but then I remembered that although many of the Pslams of the Bible were personal songs of worship, repentance, prayer, or intercession they are inspiring, encouraging and challenging for us even thousands of years later. 

I hope that the Lord will bless you through these prayers. Recently the Spirit has been challenging me to 'bare my heart' more, and I think this is one way I can start to do that. 

The Promise of the Father: Bible Study

In our house fellowship we have been studying the book of Joel. This week we were on Joel 2:28-32, so I decided to compare this passage with what happened on Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. Here's the study questions as well as some further discussion questions. Inspiration from Peter Wagner's Acts of the Holy Spirit. Email me if you'd like the two page worksheet or the answers.


1) Joel 2:28-32 – What does God promise?


2) Acts 1 – The Lead up to Pentecost

a.) After Jesus ascended, what were the disciples to do?
b.) What did Jesus promise them?
c.) Why did they need it?
d.) Were they “better off without Jesus?” (John 16:7)
e.) How long would this waiting period be?


3) Acts 2 – Pentecost

a.) What is Pentecost?
b.) What had the disciples been doing between Passover and Pentecost?
c.) Do you think there is any significance or strategy to God choosing this day to send the power of the Spirit?
d.) What were the visible signs of the invisible spirit?
e.) What does God use fire for in the Old Testament? Can you think of any examples?
f.) Who was present when the disciples started speaking?
g.) Can you break these people into different categories? In which category did the disciples fit?
h.) In your culture, who could you compare the disciples to?
i.) Is it significant that people hear God’s message in their own languages?
j.) How does this compare to other religions?
k.) How did the people present react?
l.) In Peter’s speech, what are his main points?
m.) What are the characteristics of the “last days”?
n.) What is the two-part action plan Peter gives to those who are “cut to the heart”?
o.) How many people came to faith that day?

4) Discussion Points
a)What parts, if any, of Joel’s prophecy were fulfilled or partially fulfilled on Pentecost?

b) What do you think the “last days” refers to?

c) Do the characteristics of the last days seem common in your church experience?

d) Did they seem common in the experience of the early church?

e) How do prophecy, dreams and visions, signs and wonders relate to salvation?

f) Do you think some cultures are more apt to expect and look for “signs” from God?