"Help, God, I Need You."

Jesus told us that “humility” is an important attribute for entering God’s kingdom. A key word in this regard is: “help”.  When we say, “God, help me, I’m not capable without you, I’m not good enough, I’m not smart enough, I’m not strong enough” we are in the right place. “Help me, God, I need you”, expresses the kind of humility Jesus is talking about.

A Relationship With The Living God

To be devoutly religious, basically, means that a person sincerely and strictly follows the rules of the religion. There is a sense in which this is not that difficult. True Christianity, however, would be more accurately thought of as a RELATIONSHIP with the living God, rather than religious rule-keeping. Engaging in an authentic relationship is much more challenging, but it is also much more rewarding.

The Value In Seeing Ourselves Honestly

“The best performers [in athletics, music, academics, arts, etc.] observe themselves closely. They are in effect able to step outside themselves, monitor what is happening in their own minds, and ask how it’s going. Researchers call this metacognition—knowledge about your own knowledge, thinking about your own thinking.” [Colvin] There is incredible value in SEEING ourselves honestly.

Avoiding Arguments About Minor Things

There are minor points of Christian doctrine that people can sometimes raise to levels of great prominence and then fight over. It may be that the point of doctrine is worthy of discussion, but not worthy of angry quarreling and divisiveness. “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” Titus3:9

There Are People Who Are Hard To Love...And We Are Called To Love Them Anyhow

Imagine beginning a brief conversation with God that goes like this….

You:  “I’m sorry God, I don’t know what to tell you.  I just can’t love that person.  I can’t do it.  I can’t love her.”

God:  “Why?  Why can’t you love her?”

Now, stop the conversation there.  My question is, what answer could you give God, at that point, that would justify withholding your love?  What could you say that might get this response out of God….

“Oh, that’s your reason!  Well, why didn’t you say so!?!  I understand.  If she did THAT…well, then you have every right not to love her.  In that case, I, God, formally release you from your obligation to love that person.”

I know, it’s silly, isn’t it?  What we understand from the Bible is that we have no valid justification for not loving a person.  This is not necessarily an easy truth.  Frankly, there are people who are hard to love.  There are people who have hurt us in ways that make extending love to them almost painful.

But Jesus—who loved the people who nailed him to a cross—tells us that love is the greatest commandment.  Jesus even tells us to love our enemies.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”--Matthew 5:43-45

We really are called to an extraordinary standard.  We are called to extend love to everyone.

"What We Want" May Not Be "What We Want"

When I was a kid, I can remember wanting time to speed up. I wanted to be older.  Now, I’m at a point in life where I’m not quite as excited about getting older (although I’m not yet ready for the alternative to growing older). I wonder if, sometimes, God shakes his head and chuckles when He hears our requests, knowing that there are times when “what we want”, is not really “what we want”.

What Is The "Story" Your Life Is Telling?

The way we live our lives tells a story.  And there are people who are tuned in to the story we are telling.  I don’t say this to make us feel guilty or pressured.  But it is reasonable for us to think about this reality and to consider this:  What is the story that our lives are telling? Does God figure prominently in the story? What would a person determine to be really important from your story?

Only God Fills The Longing of Our Hearts

Anselm of Canterbury wrote, “Lord, give me what you have made me want; I praise and thank you for the desire that you have inspired; perfect what you have begun, and grant me what you have made me long for.” What was he talking about? What do we long for? Answer: God.  NOTHING will, ultimately, fulfill the longing of human hearts except the God who made us.

If We Knew The Mind of God...God Would Be Too Small

“We have to learn to live in an untidy world in which we are not certain of everything—a world in which there are unanswered questions.”—Scientist & Theologian Alister McGrath. Many years ago, I realized that it’s okay that there are mysteries we don’t understand. In order to have all the answers we would have to know the mind of God and that would mean that God would be way too small.

A Little Bit of Stress Isn't Such A Bad Thing

“I consider it a dangerous misconception…to assume that what man needs…is equilibrium or, as it is called in biology, ‘homeostasis,’ i.e., a tensionless state. What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal…”—Victor Frankl.  The ideal state is not to be totally stress-free, but rather to be pursuing God-given meaning & purpose.

Christian Virtues

According to historian and New Testament scholar, N.T. Wright, people in the first century did not understand “humility”, “patience”, “chastity”, or “charity” to be virtues.  If you think about it, you can see how these would not be sought-after qualities—they don’t have the “what’s-in-it-for-me?” factor. The value of these virtues came to us, according to Dr. Wright, through Christianity.

Everything Else Is A Loss, Compared To Knowing Christ

The Apostle Paul wrote, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” Phil.3:8. If you ponder that statement for a while it becomes more powerful & moving. How would it affect you if EVERYTHING ELSE in your life was truly meaningless COMPARED TO knowing Christ? A dramatic change of perspective?

E-Flash From Dan, 5/20/10, Eschatological Edition

Dear E-Flash Friends;

Finally!  I’ve finally found it.  This is shocking and surprising for me, but it’s cool!  I have finally come across a theologian—a legitimate, credible, genuinely credentialed Christian theologian—who admits that he does not know what the “right” position is, among the many different viewpoints, when it comes to End-Time matters, as described in the Bible.  This is rare!  (Like coming across a black swan, or a 51-year-old with completely white hair.)

It seems my usual experience is that when theologians write about the end times (also known as “eschatology”), they tend to present their own theological position as the one which is OBVIOUSLY the logical, unavoidably-correct, biblically-consistent viewpoint.

They seem to present their position with the sense of “Duh!  Anyone who approaches the subject in an honest way, with their eyes open—with an authentic love for Jesus—can see that this viewpoint (my viewpoint) is the correct one.”

That’s why this paragraph from theologian, Christopher J.H. Wright was so refreshing for me:

“Well, many of us, myself included, don’t claim to understand more than the tip of the iceberg about the end of the world.  And although there are many people who will confidently sell you a detailed timetable for how it will all unfold—complete with ‘End Times’ websites and video games to rehearse it and T-shirts to show you’re ready for it—the truth is that none of us can possibly understand all that God has in store for the universe he created and for this planet Earth in particular.” –Christopher J.H. Wright

Isn’t it nice to read such a humble, honest statement from a highly-educated person?

My friend, Gary, was asked one time, “What do you believe about the end times?”

He replied, “That they’re going to happen.”

That’s a pretty good answer, too.

I don’t mean to avoid a discussion about end times…..

Well…actually…come to think of it…the truth is that in this E-Flash, I DO mean to avoid a discussion about end times…except to say this:  #1) I agree with my friend, Gary, that the end times are going to happen; and #2) the way to be absolutely certain that you’re prepared for the end times is not to study more about the subject (although, there is certainly nothing wrong with that) rather, the way to be prepared is to walk closely with Jesus Christ and to live EVERY DAY for HIM!

That way, no matter how the end times actually unfold, you’ll be able to say, “Hey look, [referring to Jesus], all I can tell you is…I’m with Him!”

“You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” [ Jesus ]  Matt. 24:44

Just trying to help you be prepared.  Hope you’re having a blessed week!

Dan

 

"Um, I don't know what to 

tell you, except...I'm with Him."

P.S.  A few people have asked me if the world is going to end in 2012.  I don’t know.  I doubt it.  But, IF…IF…IF… (do you notice these are large, capital “IF’s”?) …IF the world ends in 2012:  #1) It won’t be because the Mayan calendar predicted it.  That will only be a coincidence.  And #2) like I said before, be prepared.  Whether it’s 2012 or 2010 or 2099 (I’m guessing I’ll be gone by then.  Do you think?) or 5200 AD (we’ll all be gone by then), walk CLOSELY with Jesus.  (Remember, we want to be able to point to Jesus and say, “I’m with HIM!”)

P.P.S.  “Jesus and Zacchaeus”, this Sunday, May 23^rd.  Be there.  Luke 19:1-10.  Totally awesome!  Invite someone.  And in the meantime…be prepared.

*NOTE:  If you would like to have the E-Flash From Dan sent directly to your e-mail, send a message to:  cog111st@aol.com

…And type “please send me the e-flash” in the subject field.

Humility...Lifting Others Up

“Pride” often attempts to tear others down in order to create feelings of self worth and importance. “Humility”, on the other hand, generally attempts to encourage and help and lift others up. Humility is one of the characteristics of Jesus with which we strongly resonate. When we see this character trait in Christ, we KNOW it is right. Let’s pray that it will be resident in us.

A Spectacular Intelligence

“…The cosmos is shot through with signs of mind…” [Physicist & Theologian, John Polkinghorne] To any honest scientific observer, our universe appears to be the product of a spectacular and incomprehensibly powerful INTELLIGENCE. What is the source of this intelligence? “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities…have been clearly seen…” Rom.1:20

Is Christ Being Formed In You?

The goal of a follower of Jesus is to become more like Him. Does “becoming like Jesus” sound attractive to you? Are there clear indications in your life that the character of Christ is being formed in you? You ask, “How would I know this is happening?” One way is that people will say things that indicate they see the character of Christ in you. Has that happened to you, lately?

True Security Is Found In Dependence On God

Fear, along with hurts in our past, contribute to our belief that we would feel safety and security if we were independent—needing no one else.  God, on the other hand, calls us to a life of true security, however, we must come to realize that this security, strangely enough, is actually found in ever increasing dependence on God.

Dispatch From Another Closed Caption Soup Cook-Off

Imagine hundreds of competitors coming together with some of the best soup recipes on planet earth and vying for millions of dollars in prize money, while tens of thousands of fans look on in rapt attention, at the “Closed Caption Youth Group 2^nd Annual Soup Cook-Off”.  Can you picture such an intense and exciting scene in your mind?  Good.  That means you have an outstanding imagination.  And it means that you are capable of seeing things that have never occurred.

But that’s okay.  We didn’t need hundreds of competitors and we still had lots of excellent soups to sample.  (In fact, it’s 8 o’clock at night and I’m still full, I probably won’t eat again until Tuesday or Wednesday…. Um…you believe that, right?)  And we didn’t need millions of dollars in prize money, we had the pure thrill of simple victory for the winners! 

(Note:  You wouldn’t have wanted to win a million dollars, anyhow, would you, Diane?  Simple pleasures in life are so much better, right?)

It was a terrific day!  And the “Closed Caption Youth Group 2^nd Annual Soup Cook-Off” was a great success.  Thanks to all those who attended.  And a special thanks to all those who submitted their soups.  They were outstanding!  And an EXTRA SPECIAL thanks to all those who showed up and ate.  Cooking contests are so much better when there are people present to sample the goodies.

You know what?  I realize that it’s not Tuesday or Wednesday, yet, but I’m going to go ahead and have something to eat, after all.

….Has anyone ever heard of deep fried Twinkies?

Soup Cook-Off Winner, Diane Hayes.

Crouching behind Diane, her son, J.D.

Looking down from "on high" Sarah and,

of course, God.

Grown Up Thinking

One of the things that we are called to do, as followers of Christ is to GROW UP in our thinking.  We don’t have complete control over every thought that enters our mind, but we do have some measure of control over our thoughts and we have, therefore, some responsibility concerning our thoughts. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”Rom.12:2

The Joy That Comes From Hope

“Hope” is a firm belief that some positive expectation will be fulfilled.  When we hope, we believe something about the future.  It is interesting to note, however, that having a FUTURE hope has a positive effect on who we are NOW.  Hope breathes life into us.  When our hope results in the assurance that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead then it brings to us:  JOY!

Review of: "On Guard"

When a world class philosopher writes a book, you would think the approach to the book would involve sound logic.  Right?  Well, that is the case with “On Guard” by William Lane Craig.  “On Guard” is a well reasoned approach to apologetics.

The material is presented in such a way that each subject lays the foundation for the next subject, moving from the existence of God to a more specific case for Christianity, and concluding with a relevant question in our culture:  "Is Jesus the Only Way to God?”  And, of course, in each subject the position which Dr. Craig defends is supported with sound, convincing, helpful, logical arguments.

William Lane Craig is a terrific communicator and he is able to write about deep subject matter in an understandable and, even, interesting manner.  This is an outstanding skill and it is not one that all Christian apologetic writers possess.  (Believe me, I’ve fallen into comatose states while reading many of these types of books.  In fact, I got a little sleepy just writing that sentence.)  “On Guard” is written with a lay audience in mind, but don’t take that to mean that it is unchallenging.  There is helpful material in this book even for those who’ve done a good bit of reading in the field of apologetics. 

“On Guard” is more personal than most of Dr. Craig’s works that are intended for a more scholarly audience and he includes what he calls a “Personal Interlude” a couple of times in the course of the book.  I found the personal interludes to be interesting. 

(But then again, I’m one of Dr. Craig’s close personal friends…on Facebook, so perhaps that’s my just my bias showing.)

One of the endorsements for the book comes from J.P. Moreland (who’s a pretty sharp thinker, himself) and he writes that Dr. Craig, “is simply the finest Christian apologist of the last half century, and his academic work justifies ranking him among the top 1 percent of practicing philosophers in the Western world.”  Pretty good.

The Bible says:  “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1Peter3:15.  If you take that challenge seriously, then this book would be well worth your time.

Being Careful About Anger

The Bible doesn’t forbid anger and it doesn’t condemn it outright, but it does caution us to be slow to get angry.  Because anger is such a powerful and consuming emotion it can easily spiral out of control quickly.  Before we know it, in anger, we can say & do things we regret.  So, be very careful about where anger can lead us.  “In your anger, do not sin…” Psalm 4:4

Is It Okay To Be Mad?

When something sad or difficult or bad happens, is it okay to cry?  Is it okay to complain to God?  Is it okay to be mad?

Theologian Christopher J.H. Wright writes this, “In the Bible…there is plenty of lament, protest, anger, and baffled questions.  The point we should notice…is that it is all hurled at God, not by his enemies but BY THOSE WHO LOVED AND TRUSTED HIM MOST.”

This is true and it’s an interesting thought to ponder.  The people in the Bible who offered up the most “lament, protest, anger, and baffled questions” were the people who “loved and trusted him most.”

I’m not trying to intentionally stir up feelings of anger toward God, far from it.  And, obviously, lament and protest toward God is something about which we should exercise caution.  However, I think part of what Wright is dealing with, here, is the issue of being VERY HONEST and expressing our REAL thoughts and feelings with God.  We could say it like this: Phoniness never works well with God.

Wright suggests that the Bible itself gives us the example and even the words to express our frustration and hurt.  He writes this, “It surely cannot be accidental that in the divinely inspired book of Psalms there are more psalms of lament and anguish than of joy and thanksgiving.”

Again, this is an interesting statement.  In part, this is interesting to me because I’ve never done a count of anguished psalms compared to thankful psalms.  I was surprised to read that there are “more psalms of lament and anguish than of joy and thanksgiving.”  I wouldn’t have thought that was the case.

Now, we know that the Bible also tells us, “…when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”  James 1:2&3.  So these thoughts that I’m writing here need to be considered with the reality of these verses from James, and others like them, in mind.  There can be JOY and PEACE even in the midst of difficulty.  However, sometimes the truest reaction that we have to a situation may be confusion and hurt and anger and we need to know that the Bible acknowledges and clearly presents that reality among people of God.

Here’s one more thought on the matter from Christopher J.H. Wright.  It is a provocative thought, to me, and it offers something that is worthy of taking some time to really ponder.  I’m sharing it with you, in part, because I found it to be challenging and honest, in a bold way.  I hope it stirs your thinking.

Here it is….

“I feel that the language of lament is seriously neglected in the church.  Many Christians seem to feel that somehow it can’t be right to complain to God in the context of corporate worship when we should all feel happy.  There is an implicit pressure to stifle our real feelings because we are urged, by pious merchants of emotional denial, that we ought to have ‘faith’ (as if the moaning psalmists didn’t).”

“So we end up giving external voice to pretended emotions we do not really feel, while hiding the real emotions we are struggling with deep inside. Going to worship can become an exercise in pretence and concealment, neither of which can possibly be conducive for a real encounter with God.” –Christopher J.H. Wright

Again, I hope you will understand that I am NOT attempting to encourage bitterness or frustration.  I’m trying to give permission and encouragement for truth and honesty...this is always the path to AUTHENTIC encounter with the God who is truth.

God IS good.  This is the truth.  He is always gracious, loving, compassionate, patient, and understanding.  That means we can ALWAYS be honest with Him.  He is never, ever frightened or put off by the truth.  Even if no one else can handle the TRUTH—the real truth—about what we think and feel, believe this:  GOD CAN.

God always wants us to be honest with Him and it is in that honest encounter that our relationship with Him grows.

I Choose Faith In God

For those who fear that the exercise of faith in God is an act of intellectual suicide, it might be helpful to bear in mind that all views of reality require some measure of faith. No worldview, whether atheism, scientism, naturalism, theism, or whatever, has all the answers to the questions of life wrapped up neatly with full and conclusive proof. Everyone must exercise faith. So, I choose faith in God.

Love Can Be Messy

Love is messy because people are messy.  What I mean is that we can sometimes be inconsistent, moody, irritable, illogical, and unpredictable. This is very frustrating for people who like to understand everything and figure everything out. Frankly, we will not figure everything out with the people that we love—that’s God’s domain—but we can love them anyhow. That’s what God calls us to do.

Being On The Side Of Truth

It is always in our best interest to BELIEVE what is true and to stand firmly for what is true. God IS truth and so He is ALWAYS on the side of truth. “There are two ways to be fooled, one is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” [Soren Kierkegaard]

Being Genuinely RADICAL

It’s true that real Christianity is, in a sense, “radical”. But that shouldn’t scare people. Because radical Christianity is not about violence, it is about extreme love, truth, grace, faith, hope, trust and service to others. Frankly, we would all experience a tremendous blessing from having a few more GENUINELY RADICAL—radical in the sense that Jesus was radical—Christians in our lives.

I Want Joy, Optimism, Thankfulness And Hope...Not Cynicism

I’ve noticed that it’s really easy to become cynical about life and about God as we get older.  I see it happen in others and I can sense my own heart moving in that direction, sometimes.  I pray that the experiences of life will bring wisdom not cynicism.  I pray that joy, optimism, thankfulness, hope and trust in God’s goodness will grow and not diminish with age.

Iron Man 2 -- Dan's Review

I’ll start this movie review by admitting that I have the taste of a 14 year old boy when it comes to movies.  I like ACTION!  I’m not really interested in great drama with heavy emotion and tear-jerker moments that make a person ponder deep and meaningful questions of life, while Sally Fields makes me feel guilty about some kind of sad issue.  Frankly, I get a fair amount of that every day in my office.  That’s what I’m trying to get a break from, when I go to the movies.  I want Willis or Schwartzenegger to blow some things up, and I want to see some Bruce Lee-type fight scenes with really bad guys getting what’s coming to them.  And then I want to go home thinking about how I would like to beat up some really bad guys, but instead, I’ll have just have ice cream.

Alright then, having made that disclaimer, I liked Iron Man 2.  There was a lot of fun action and the bad guys get it in the end.  Well, come on, what do you expect?  It’s a comic book made into a movie, it’s not a documentary about the ozone layer.  Once again, the “action” and the “bad guys” are just about the right level of movie sophistication for me.

But even though I’m not one to pay particularly strict attention to the artistic nuance of acting, I will say this, Robert Downey, Jr. is an interesting actor.  Maybe I’m subconsciously influenced when I’m watching him act by knowing that he’s had a somewhat troubled life off the screen.  But he just seems to be kind of edgy in a way that makes him interesting to watch.  His character, Tony Stark, Iron Man’s alter ego, is arrogant, witty, a little bit self-destructive, unpredictable, slightly conflicted about his life, irreverent and amusing.  And that comes across in a very engaging and convincing way in the hands of Downey.

For me, it was a couple of hours of fun entertainment…Taylor and Rachel said they liked it, too.  Hey, what do you know?  See? You just got 3 reviews for the price of one!

[ NOTE:  Don’t get the popcorn, the movie’s been over for almost 2 hours and I’m still prying the kernels out of my teeth. ]

The Blessing Of Having A Great Mom

One of the greatest blessings of my life was to have a mom who loved me irrationally. I had a mom who was a profound positive spiritual influence on our family. She was a loving, kind, generous, fun, person and she was an absolutely authentic follower of Jesus Christ.  Her faith was sincere and genuine. I am a follower of Jesus today, in large part, due to this wonderful woman.

Trip To Anderson...Summer Break Begins

Last night Nadia and I drove to Anderson, IN to pick up Taylor from school.  He has officially completed his freshman year…I can hardly believe it!  (But I stopped in to check with school officials and they confirm that it’s true.  And then they charged me $250.00 for asking.  College is expensive.)

On the way to Anderson, we got stuck in a horrible traffic jam in Indianapolis.  One of the worst I have seen in a long time.  Have you ever traveled about 3 or 4 miles over the course of 50 minutes, on an interstate highway?

Grrrrrrr!!!!!  It’s really frustrating.

[By the way, I looked up “Grrrrrrr” in the dictionary and couldn’t find it.  But I’m pretty sure that’s how I felt, even if it isn’t a real word.]

And then, when we finally got to the point where the traffic started to move freely, do you know what it was that caused the traffic congestion? 

….Well, join the club.  Neither do we!

There was no wreck.  There was no incident involving large amounts of debris all over the highway.  There was no escaped elephant from a local zoo laying down on the highway taking a nap.  There was nothing!  As far as we could tell, there was nothing that caused this terrible gridlock.  At a certain point on the highway, the traffic just started moving again.

Has that ever happened to you?  Stuck in heavy traffic, barely moving, frustration…and then, at some point, it just starts moving again for no apparent reason?  Why, I ask you?  Why?  Perhaps it’s one of those imponderable mysteries to which we’ll never know the answer.

We were planning to meet Taylor and Lauren for supper at about 8pm.  But because of this traffic jam, we didn’t end up getting to the restaurant until about 9:30pm.  This incident made for a long, frustrating, exhausting, patience-draining trip.

Fortunately, on the way home today, there were no troubles, no major traffic incidents.  And after we got to the house and unloaded all of Taylor’s stuff, I was ready to lay down and rest for a few minutes.

But guess what?  Yep, you guessed it.  An elephant from the local zoo was taking a nap in my bed, so I couldn’t lay down!

Grrrrr!!!!

[I just looked it up again.  It’s still not in the dictionary, but maybe if I use it often enough the folks at Webster’s will catch on and include it in the next edition.]

No Other Gods But GOD

The first of the 10 Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before me.”  As I ponder the reality of my life, honestly, it occurs to me that it’s actually not too difficult for me to allow other things: job, family, worries, etc. to consume more of my thoughts and my time and my efforts than my relationship with God. The 1^st commandment reminds us that God MUST ALWAYS BE FIRST.

Be Careful About Trying To "Control" Someone Else's Life

Sometimes, out of a very sincere and noble motivation, we find ourselves stirred by a desire to control the lives of others whom we love. This is an impulse we should be very careful about. The Bible is clear that followers of Christ are called to speak truth and even correction into each other’s lives. But attempting to actually “control” a loved one’s life takes us into territory that is beyond our capabilities.

True Friends

“The folks I’m most willing to share myself with are nonintrusively compassionate, they listen well, they offer wisdom I trust, they think deeply about the human condition, they know their Bibles, their authority comes more from their character than credentials, and they keep confidences.” [Larry Crabb]  Hey folks, REJOICE and be truly GLAD if you have a friend or two who fit this description.

Is Prayer Pointless?

On several occasions I have been asked:  What’s the point of praying, Dan?  God is sovereign, so He is going to do whatever He wants to do anyhow, right?

My answer:

First of all, I think it’s important for us to acknowledge that there are plenty of aspects of prayer that we do not completely understand.  So, this is a subject that should be approached with humility.  In light of what we DON”T know, it would be rash to quickly dismiss prayer with the two simple questions mentioned above.

In a way, I feel hesitant to even attempt to address the questions.  But since they have come up a number of times, recently, I’m going to humbly take a shot at it.  This certainly is not a definitive answer to the questions (I don’t have that) but hopefully this will provide some thoughts to consider.

1) We do not have a full understanding of how or why our prayers affect God.  Similarly, we do not know why certain prayers are answered in the way that we hoped they would be answered and others are not.  We do not know the full extent of the influence of our prayers.  We simply do not know.  Some people may confidently assert that they do know these things, but I would suggest that anyone who thinks they fully understand how and why God answers prayers isn’t being honest about the magnitude and mystery of the issue.

We are definitely limited in this matter, however, we do know this: the Bible clearly teaches that our prayers do affect things.  “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16. 

So, it is not accurate to say that God is “going to do whatever He wants to do anyhow…” and, therefore, our prayers are meaningless.  Actually, our prayers are—or, can be—effective.

You say, “But wait a minute, isn’t God sovereign?”

Yes, He is.

Then how would our prayers have any affect over a sovereign God?

I don’t know.  That’s why I began my answer by appealing to the idea that there are truths about prayer that we do not understand.  But our lack of understanding does not mean we should not pray.  It will not be helpful for us to wait until we “have God figured out” in order to pray or to relate with Him.  Especially since we’re never going to have God “figured out”…at least not on this side of eternity.  He’s too big.  He’s beyond us.  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

Nevertheless, it is fair to say that our prayers do have an effect.  The fact that we can’t answer all the puzzling questions related to the effectiveness of prayer does not mean we shouldn’t pray.  Pray anyhow.  Believe anyhow.  Trust God anyhow.

2) There is a flaw inherent in the questions.  If you will notice, the questions make the assumption that “praying” is solely about making requests of God.  The questions suggest that God will do whatever He wants to do and…[watch this]…therefore, the entire act of prayer is pointless.  Do you see how the sole reason for prayer, according to the questions, is getting God to do something?  

The assumption built into the questions is: if we can not get God to do something then, obviously, prayer is pointless.

But what if there is more to prayer than just making requests of God?  Would prayer still be pointless?

Now, actually, we all know that making requests of God is a legitimate aspect of prayer.  I’m not denying that truth.  The Bible clearly describes prayer as communication with God that involves making requests of Him.  But making requests is not the ONLY aspect of prayer.  There are other aspects of prayer such as: thanking God, praising God, listening to God, confessing sins to God, and even, just, being silent in the presence of God.

From a strictly logical standpoint, we could say this:  Even if God never granted a request, that would not necessarily render prayer pointless, because there are other reasons for prayer besides making requests.

[Please note: I am emphatically NOT saying that God will never grant requests or that it would be a good thing if He did not grant our requests.  I’m simply putting forth the point that making requests of God is not the ONLY important aspect of prayer.]

3) God says to pray.  We don’t always understand how or why certain requests are answered or not answered in the way we had hoped.  I freely admit that there are mysteries about prayer that are far beyond me.  However, we should pray because God says to pray.  In fact, for followers of Christ, this response can stand alone as a reason to continue praying: because God says so. Over and over again the scriptures call us to prayer.  So, if we believe in God and we trust that the Bible is His word, then we should pray, even though we don’t fully understand everything about it.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Eph.6:18

Blessings,

Dan

Can We Forgive Too Much?

Jesus says that we’re supposed to forgive others again and again and again. It seems like it’s TOO MUCH. You can go too far with this forgiveness stuff, right? But forgiveness is put into an amazing perspective when Jesus looks down from the cross at those who were CRUCIFYING him and says, “Father, FORGIVE them, they don’t know what they’re doing.” So can we really go too far with this forgiveness stuff?

E-Flash From Dan, Mother's Day 2010, And More...

Dear E-Flash Friends;

This Sunday, May 9^th, we will be celebrating Mother’s Day by honoring moms.  Hey, it’s a biblical thing to do, it’s even one of the 10 Commandments.  I hope you will invite your mom to come to church and then take her out afterwards for lobster and caviar.  Then I hope you will take her to a luxury car dealer and allow her to pick out any car that she chooses.  Then I hope you will lavish pearls and diamonds and other types of fine gold jewelry on her….

…Oops, sorry about that.  Every now and then I get in some type of strange mode and I start typing things with no consideration for logic or making sense.  I apologize, I’ll try not to let it happen again.

Okay, forget about the lobster and the luxury car and the expensive jewelry.  But we’re still going to honor moms this Sunday and I hope you will be able to be here.  “The Guys” will be leading the worship, that’s right “The Guys”—and that’s always something special.  We are praying and believing that God will be greatly glorified and that moms will be wonderfully blessed…and that somehow, we will all have a great time and be challenged in the faith, as well. 

If you say, “Oh, come on, all those things are not likely to happen in ONE service.”

I say, “Well, be here on Sunday and let’s find out.  That’s what we’re praying for.”

And the great time of worship together isn’t the whole story.  This Sunday our Mountain Movers discipleship group will also be having a Bake Sale fundraiser which will include selling “Biggest Loser” cookbooks.  I love it!  A “bake sale” in which we also offer cookbooks with recipes that will help you lose weight.  This proves that the Mountain Movers are becoming incredible disciples of Jesus because you have to have a fantastic amount of faith—mountain moving faith—to sell cookies, brownies, and cakes with frosting, along with a cookbook containing diet recipes.  The sheer beauty of that combination is likely to make this their best fundraiser ever!  In fact, in honor of that fundraiser I’m going on a very strict diet until dinner tonight, and then I’m going to eat 2 or 3 packages of Twinkies, followed up with a large chocolate sundae.

No, no, don’t thank me.  It’s the least I can do.

Moms, we love you and we hope to see you on Sunday!

“Honor your father and mother, as the LORD your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”  Deuteronomy 5:16

Blessings,

Dan

I'm thinking of using this photo for the cover of

my up-coming diet cookbook.  I don't know...

what do you think?

P.S.  If you would like to have the E-Flash From Dan sent directly to your e-mail, send an e-mail message to: cog111st@aol.com    

....and type, "Send me the E-Flash" in the "subject" field.

Finding Contentment In Christ

Did you ever get what you prayed for and then felt sort of let down because it didn’t turn out to be all you thought it would be? Yeah, me too. Until we can truly find contentment, strength and genuine satisfaction in Christ, we will never find authentic contentment anywhere else. “…For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”—Apostle Paul, Phil.4:11

Am I "All In" For Christ?

I read this line recently: “The Global Evangelization Movement reports an average of 165,000 [Christian] martyrs [every] year, more than four times the number of a century past.” [Lucado]  When I read that type of thing it usually makes me pause for a heart-check. I don’t write this quote here to make you feel guilty, I write it to prompt us to think about this: Am I really ALL IN for Christ?

The Future Is Looking Good

Christianity is, ultimately, an incredibly optimistic faith.  For followers of Christ there are many passages of scripture that lead us to an expectation that—at least, in the long run—the outcome will be very good. For example: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Rom.8:28

Having Fun At Whirlyball

It was a wild and crazy afternoon of whirlyball!!!

You say, “Wow!  Really?!?  You guys actually played whirlyball, this afternoon!?!”

Yep.

You say, “Man, that is so cool!  You got to play some WHIRLYBALL, what a thrill!  What a riot!”   ….[pause] “…By the way, what is whirlyball?”

Well, let’s see, how can I explain it?  Think of some elements of basketball, mixed with some elements of hockey.  Now, add in “scoops” which are plastic basket-like handles about a foot long which each player uses to hold or throw the whiffle ball.  (In whirlyball, “scoops” have nothing to do with ice cream.  Drats!)  Got it now?  No?  Well, let me confuse you some more.  Throw this in too: all the players on both teams get around the court in bumper cars.  That’s right, bumper cars, like the kind at the carnival.

If it all sounds a little strange or a little unusual…well, I guess I’d have to admit that it is.  On the other hand, if it sounds fun, that’s DEFINITELY true, too.  We had a ball!

About a dozen youth from our church were accompanied by about 5 energetic, adventurous, lean, sharp, young-at-heart adult helpers (oh, and I was there, too) for two hours of good, clean, sweat-producing, adrenaline pumping, whirlyball fun, this afternoon.

We enjoyed ourselves greatly and, fortunately, no one was hurt.  Oh wait, I take that back.  Actually Lauren’s hand was injured.  (But she’s going to be okay.)

But other than that, no one was hurt.  Oh wait, I take that back.  Johnny T’s bumper car was crashed into hard and he suffered an…(ahem) injury…. well, you see…it’s like this… oh, nevermind, I’m not providing any more details on that one.  It was painful.

But other than that, no one was hurt.  Oh wait, I take that back.  Eric’s car was crashed into and his chest hit the steering stick and it’s been hurting as a result.

But other than that, no one was hurt.  Oh wait, I take that back, we did have the electrocution....

But other than that…. You know what?  …Maybe it would be easier to say it this way.  Everyone was able to walk out of whirlyball on their own two feet.  No one was carried out on a stretcher.  Hey, that’s pretty good, right?

                                                                                                                                            

When you play a casual, laid-back game, entirely for the fun of it, no trophies or championships at stake, with a church youth group—and it’s the first time that anyone has ever encountered the sport, you have a terrific opportunity to find out quickly who are the super-competitive people in your group of friends.  Some of our folks spent a fair amount of time on the court just spinning around in circles in the bumper cars, and seemed to have quite a good time doing so.  While other folks went charging back and forth across the court with ferociousness and tenacity.  Driven.  Relentless.  Bent on winning at all costs.  Taking no prisoners.  Little bits of foam on the corners of their mouths.

You’re probably thinking, “Gee Dan, it’s crazy to get that worked up over a friendly little game.  For crying out loud, there’s no point in it!  Fortunately, as a devout man of God and a reverent and mature disciple of Christ, you probably spent most of the time that you were on the court, simply praying and encouraging the other players, right?”

Um…uh…yeah.  Sure.  Uh huh.  That is correct.  Yep, you got it.  “Prayer” and “encouragement”—I was a model of these two spiritual disciplines.  You betcha!  It’s remarkable, really…if you think about it.

Okay, I have to get going.  I have to make a run to Baskin Robbins.  It’s possible that lightning might be hitting our house, shortly.  And, all that talk about “scoops” has finally gotten the best of me.

P.S.  Many thanks to Paul and Susan Romano for spearheading a really fun event!

Praying For Wisdom

Wisdom: “…the ability to combine intellect, knowledge, experience, and judgment in a way to produce a coherent understanding. Wisdom is the fulfillment of the ancient admonition, ‘With all your getting, get understanding.’” [Thomas Sowell]   When I pray for leaders in our church or in any other capacity—gov’t, schools, business, military, families—I pray that they will seek Godly wisdom.

Prom Time For Rachel

Well it was time, once again, last night, for Rachel to get all decked out in her fanciest clothes and go to the “Prom”.  I dropped her off and then stayed for a few minutes to chronicle the event photographically.  But after a few moments, one of the teacher/chaperones gave me a “two minute warning”.

“You have two more minutes and then you have to go, Mr. Marler,” she said to me over the sounds of the blaring disco music.  [Was it really “disco” music?  I don’t know.  I can’t even figure out how to classify music anymore.  Whatever they were playing sounded like part disco and part rap….with just a hint of “Gregorian Chant”.  But what do I know?  ….I know, I sound “old”.]

She gave me the two minute warning with a condescending tone of voice that suggested I was one of those pathetic parents who doesn’t know how to let go and leave the kid to handle things on her own.  Sheeesh!!!  So, thirty-five minutes later, I was on my way.

It was interesting to see Rachel interacting with the other Prom attendees—her peers from school.  In my brief time, I noticed three categories of people for Rachel: 1) boys that she seemed to be flirting with; 2) kids she was mad at due to some previous incident from school; and 3) kids whom she “corrected” because they weren’t behaving the way she thought they should behave.  (The kids that Rachel corrected didn’t seem to be the least bit interested in her opinion on matters.  And I suspect these might be people who will soon be moving into Rachel’s category #2.)

In previous years, Rachel’s Prom experience hasn’t always been wonderful, so when I went to pick her up, I was happy to see a big smile on her face.  She ran to greet me and gave me a big hug.  I said, “Did you have fun?”:

She said, “Yes.”

I said, “Are you ready to go?”  And she promptly ditched me for about 10 minutes as she did some more mingling with the crowd.  It seems like it went pretty well.

There Is A Way That SEEMS Right...

“There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death.” This line from Proverbs has always seemed sobering and almost haunting to me. A way that… “SEEMS” right…but it leads to death. It’s important that we are very honest with ourselves—we have a great capacity for self-deception. The truth of God’s word is the plumb line that helps us know what’s REALLY right.