'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #16 - "PRAY AND GO" BY THOM RAINER

I first read "Pray & Go, a 30-Day Journey: Your Invitation to Become a Great Commission Christian" by Thom Rainer in late '23. I read it again mid-'24. It may not be on my '25 list, but if not, it will be in '26. I found this a powerful challenge and want to keep this reminder before me.

Rainer gives a short lesson for 30 installments, followed by an assignment. It may be to read a Scripture, pray specifically, or to be a witness. It's designed to be either for an individual or for a church group; either way, the goal is to mobilize the Church.

One assignment that impacted me was on his first chapter about praying for your pastor, and he mentioned praying for the pastor's sermon preparation. I've been doing that ever since.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #3 - "CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD" BY J. GARY MILLAR

I've had the honor of reading several good books on prayer, including "Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church" by John Onwuchekwa. That book recommended "Calling on the Name of the Lord: A Biblical Theology of Prayer" by J. Gary Millar, which I'm recommending as summer reading.

"Calling on the Name of the Lord" is the first book I've read of the "New Studies in Biblical Theology" series. You may be familiar with the term "Systematic Theology," which is looking at what the Bible says about a certain topic. "Biblical Theology" looks at each book of the Bible in order, and then from there concludes what the whole teaching on the topic is.

Millar's premise is that prayer is first mentioned in Genesis 4:26, which tells us that when Enosh the son of Seth was born, men began to call on the name of the Lord. Thus, praying and calling on the name of prayer were synonymous, and develops that thesis through Scripture, ending with how we can apply this to our lives.
 

BOOK REVIEW - "A YEAR OF PRAYER: APPROACHING GOD WITH AN OPEN HEART WEEK AFTER WEEK" BY JOHN MACARTHUR

I will confess: I have not finished reading John MacArthur's "A Year of Prayer: Approaching God With an Open Heart Week After Week" yet. In fact, I'm not even a sixth of the way through it (I'm at week 8 of 52 at the time of writing). But this is a kind of book that you can make a fair assumption what the book is like early on and whether it's one to recommend or not.

I highly recommend this book. My wife and I are going through a section a week. It consists of a passage of Scripture (not just a verse as many devotionals do) followed by a Biblically based prayer for you to pray. 

There are books designed for a whole year that I treat as if it is for a period of days. This one can fall into that category, and finish it in 52 days, because the sections are short. But my wife and I don't want to rush through this volume and give it time to make an impact.

BOOK REVIEW - "FRITZ AND THE MIDNIGHT MEETUP" BY MEGAN HILL, ILLUSTRATED BY CHIARA FEDELE

 

Why are the children at the orphanage sneaking downstairs after bed-time? And should they worry about the resident bully?

"Fritz and the Midnight Meetup: A True Story About Kids Who Prayed" is a delightful children's book written by Megan Hill (who also wrote the children's book "Meg is Not Alone" as well as non-fiction books dealing with the same themes in her children's books) and illustrated by Chiara Fedele.

I know there was a revival taking place here in the United States right before the Civil War started. That revival was also taking place in Germany. This true story accounts for children who had a heart for prayer and wanted to have prayer meetings like the adults.

There also was a bully in real life, as there was in the story. And the results were also the same.

I highly recommend this book.

SATURDAY CONTROVERSIES - ARE FAITH AND POLITICS OIL AND WATER OR CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER? (PART 7)

Christians United Church, Indianapolis, IN

First, I know. This is being posted on Monday. Sorry I didn't get it done on Saturday, but better late than never! But if you notice I actually posted Monday's blog on Saturday (yesterday) and Saturday's on Monday. Of course, I usually don't have a Monday blog. 

Allow me to start with a list of items of debate between Christians involving politics.

• Should Christians vote? Some refuse to vote, some think not voting's a sin.
• Is it allowable for Christians to either leave one spot on the ballot blank or to vote for a "third party?" Some would claim that doing so is really a vote for your least favorite major party candidate; others would counter that  voting for the lesser of two evils is really voting for evil and that it's better to vote for a good candidate that has no chance of winning or to not vote than voting for a really bad candidate who has a better chance of beating a really, really bad candidate.
• What are Christians obligated to do or not do under Romans 13:1-7? Should Christians stand up against a tyrannical government and fight or should we be respectful and disobey only if what's commanded is directly disobeying God?
• If we have a choice between a morally sound candidate whose party has views that are opposed to their faith and a scoundrel who has better policy views, who should you vote for?
• Does the fact we're in a representative government mean we don't really need to honor Presidents and Congressmen? Or is the better view that we should show respect regardless of office or party?

No, I'm not giving answers to these questions. In fact, I rephrased one of these questions because I was letting my bias show (no, I won't tell which one). I'm just pointing out where there are disagreements between Christians, most of which have no verbatim Biblical commands. But instead, I'll give some challenges.

1. Between now and election day, pray for God's will to be done in the election. No, don't pray for your choice. Pray that God's choice prevails.
2. Commit to pray for the people who get elected, that God guides them and that they govern well. Yes, committing to this BEFORE the election means you might be praying for a candidate you either despise or fear. But when the apostles taught people to obey their governing authority, they were talking about Nero, and there's no absolute proof that either candidate is THAT bad! 
3. Realize - in spite of the hateful, ungodly campaign ads we get ad nausea... I mean nauseum - that ALL candidates are for justice, education, public safety, the economy, the environment, etc. The opposing candidate is NOT against these things; they just have a different opinion on how to do it. Thus, unless you're strong at loving your enemies, don't treat the opposing party candidates as enemies. 
4. Also remember - no party is righteous. Both try to appeal to Christians because ... well, they want our vote. When they get elected, they'll probably do what the party wants, and each party has ways their opposed to God's way. We won't get all the problems solved until the King of Kings returns and sets up His Kingdom.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "HOW TO GET ANSWERS EVERY TIME YOU PRAY... AS A PERFORMING ARTIST" BY VICTORIA "TORI TELLEM" HOFFMAN

 

I was introduced to Tori Tellem by following the awards on WVIU web radio, where she's station manager. When I found out about this book, it jumped to the top of my "to read" list. 

This book is a great encouragement for performing artists to take the next step in seeking the Lord. There is excellent teaching on prayer including a prayer for revival. On the artist side, I also was built up by her chapter on songwriting and her prayer for song-writers.

I will admit there are a few areas I take a different viewpoint from Hoffman. This doesn't change the fact that Hoffman succeeds in encouraging musicians in this little book, and none of them are important enough to knock this below five points on this review. 

If you're interested in music ministry (or other ministries for that matter), this is a good book to read.

DEVOTIONAL ON PSALM 5:3

Baptistry at Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Indianapolis

 "My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; 

In the morning I direct it to You and will look up."

Psalm 5:3, NKJV

First, I will pray to God: I will communicate with Him. Too many don't take that step. To many, it's a duty, not a privilege, looking at it as a person who submits a shopping list to the store app, and then waiting to see if we receive what we ask, but not personal interaction.

Second, It's important to start in the morning as well. True, any time we pray is important. There are verses that include the evening (Psalm 92:2 for example). But I want God to be directing me from the beginning of the day. I want to ask God to lead me on His path before I start out and be dependent on Him. And I want to start following as soon as I get energy, rather than wait till bed time.

GUEST BLOG: "PRAYING WITH 'ONE MIND, ONE VOICE'" BY BECKY REYNOLDS

Today, I'm sharing an article that Becky wrote for the monthly newsletter at Northside Baptist Church concerning the Southern Baptist Convention here in Indianapolis. The theme for the Convention is "One Mind, One Voice." Becky was asked to write this as a member of the Prayer Team.

Praying with “One Mind, One Voice”

By Becky Reynolds, Prayer Team Member

Local Crossroads Association churches, and the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana wait with excitement as the Southern Baptist Convention returns to Indianapolis this month. Do you know the year and city that Baptist churches first met together to fellowship and cooperate as “Great Commission Baptists?” The city was Augusta, Georgia, and the year was 1845. How encouraging to see the Holy Spirit continue to lead individuals and churches to fellowship and cooperate in the Gospel of Jesus Christ 179 years later!

This year’s theme, “One Mind, One Voice” connects us to Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 15. Romans theme of God’s righteousness by faith in Christ, Paul affirms, is lived out in love for one another.

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves… For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:1,4-6,13. (ESV) 

Paul gives us instruction in these verses on the importance of living out the gospel with “one another.” He states the means to do this in verse 1, that we please others, and not ourselves. He gives the source of power to please others in verse 13, that by being filled (continuous action) with the Holy Spirit, God will do more in our lives and community than could ever happen apart from cooperation. He answers the question, does living in Christian community make a difference for the gospel? What does serving together produce? Verse 6, our “one voice” glorifies the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And verse 13 - Together our glorious God of hope will fill each of us with his joy and peace.

Father God, you call us as individuals, each coming to trust Jesus and follow him in a personal way. Yet we are not called to live our faith and obedience alone. Believers in closed and restricted places often have no choice but to believe alone; we pray for them to enjoy and benefit from fellowship with others. We, however, have the remarkable privilege to serve one another and partner together for the gospel! Thank you for each Southern Baptist Convention church, pastor, leader, and member. By your Holy Spirit revive each of us to please others and not ourselves. Thank you for giving us endurance and encouragement to do this in real ways. May the result be your glory, and our joy and peace. We do your will by faith in you, worked out in love. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

IT'S THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER! AND THIS COUNTRY (AND THE REST OF THE WORLD) NEEDS PRAYER!!!

At Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Indianapolis. On the left of the bouquet on the Communion Table is the American flag, and the Christian flag on the right.

First blog in over two weeks, and I get inspiration on the National Day of Prayer!

I'm sure you've been reminded how divided our country is. Are you, like me, sick of all the negative political ads going on, making you wish the election is over? Not unusual for me to feel that way early November, but early May? After the primaries?

For those who aren't in the area, we have an open Governor's race (like many states, we have a term limit on governors, and the current one is finishing his second term), and an open U.S. Senate seat (the incumbent announced two years ago he would be leaving the Senate to run for Governor), as well as all the congressional seats.

Now, I find the Senate race peaceful. Basically because all the Republican candidates except one dropped out, and the two Democrats have been very quiet.  In fact, I haven't heard or seen any ads by Democrats. 

Unfortunately, the Republicans aren't so quiet. There are six candidates for Governor, and some of them have hit the airwaves on how bad the other candidates OF THEIR OWN PARTY are. The one that grieves me is the current Senator is paying for attack ads on a challenger, though he also is running positive ads promoting himself. One of the U.S. Congressional races is no better.

Of course, I'm chuckling. A couple of candidates are using the support of Former President Trump as a reason to elect them. Five months from now, the Democrats may quote those ads as a reason to oppose the same candidate.

I used to like primary elections, though I felt the purpose was to weed out the good candidates. I had seen some Primary fighting - years ago the Marion County GOP leader would send out flyers tearing apart one Republican candidate, but this takes the cake. 

Yes, I'm discouraged. No, I don't think the country's going in the right direction, and the in-fighting of the Republicans is, I believe, hurting their chances of having an influence.

But the solution is to pray! I'm weekly praying for the people currently in office, whether Democrat (which most of them currently are) or Republican. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 encourages us to pray for our kings and those in authority, and to give thanks for all people. 1 Peter 2:17 tells us to honor all people and to honor the King. (You want to hear a bad joke? It's those who say that we have a President, not a King, so we're not obligated to honor and pray for them.)
 

BOOK REVIEW - TORTURED FOR CHRIST (50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) BY RICHARD WURMBRAND

 

I have been aware of this book for most of my life  (and all of my adult life). When I was a teenager, I heard my pastor mention this book on a Sunday night sermon. About a year later, I heard Richard Wurmbrand at chapel at my college. My wife and I get their monthly newsletter and served as volunteers for a few years. However, I have never read this book until now.

One reviewer commented that the book moved from auto-biography to manifesto. Reading it, my impression is the author intended it to be the latter. He admits he went through horrific torture, but Wurmbrand makes it clear that he wasn't an isolated example and that there are things we can do. He didn't write this book to focus on himself but to focus on those still enduring persecution and on what we can do (his list includes leading a godly life).

He states two important things Christians need to do: 1) Hate Communism and 2) Love Calvinists. Some reviewers didn't like Wurmbrand calling atheism evil and equating the belief there's no God with a system that tortures others. His point is not that all atheists are torturers, but the foundation of their disregard for life and freedom is the belief that there is no God to reward the righteous, no Deity to punish the wicked, so they can do whatever cruel thing they desire over the powerless. Telling - Wurmbrand quotes a Communist publication calling Christ's command to love your enemies dangerous. 

The critical reviewers stuck at the "Hate Communism" part, but ignored that he also says a true Christian will love Communists. He points out that he and others in countries where there's persecution are praying for their persecutors. 

I mentioned this is the 50th anniversary edition. Most of the material is from the original book from '68, with some added information reflecting the fall of the Soviet regime and the increase of persecution in the Muslim world. He stated in one section that the original book was written in three days! Thus, it is a book of the heart. Additionally, it points out how his focus is more on Russia and Romania, because that was where this happened.

This is NOT an easy read. Part of it are the horrific acts performed on the author and others. Part of it is an activist tone, and some things seem to be a little repetitive. But should Christians avoid things that are challenging? Uh, no. And definitely we should be aware of how we can comfort the afflicted; don't be naive enough to think we will always have it easy.

BOOK REVIEW - PRAY & GO: YOUR INVITATION TO BE A GREAT COMISSION CHRISTIAN (CHURCH ANSWERS RESCOURCES) BY THOM RAINER

Does the concept of witnessing terrify you? Do you want to help evangelize the world, but don't know how to start? Would you be encouraged with a, let's say, month long plan broken up into small and simple projects?

Pray & Go: Your Invitation to Become a Great Commission Christian by Thom Rainer is "A 30-Day Journey" to encourage Christians - either individually or as a study group - to become equipped to start witnessing for Christ. 

Each day is about 6 pages dealing with the subject of the day. There is a specific project for the day which is manageable to do with a busy schedule. As the title hints at, a lot of those projects are simply praying for you, your pastor, unsaved  people, and your church, while others will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and speak about your faith.

Most books I read once. There's only a handful that I would read over and over again. This is the newest item in the group.

 

DON'T TRUST IN PRINCES: POST '23 ELECTION BLUES AND THE ANSWER

Christians United Church, Indianapolis, IN

"Don't trust in princes or in a son of man, in whom there is no help." Psalm 146:3 

Is this the worst case of post election blues I've ever had? Probably others were at least as bad, but for mayor/city council elections, this takes the cake. Let me make several points why.

First, the scorecard. There were eight offices I voted for: Indy mayor and City Council, and Lawrence mayor, town clerk, district councillor and three at large councillors. The Indy Councilor was the only one I didn't vote for the loser, and that's because that candidate was unopposed.

Second, the challenger for Indy mayor focused on the incumbent's record, specifically an annually increasing murder rate, loss in numbers of police force, and telling the police to stand down during the George Floyd riots. The Incumbent's party responded with the charges that the Challenger was a Trump supporter, had an extreme view on abortion, and had an A+ rating from the NRA. Any of those mayor issues? Even if they were, those views are similar to mine; are they saying I'm a deplorable because I lean Republican? That you need to be a liberal lemming to be worthy of being elected?

In Lawrence township, the Republican mayor candidate and his party's town clerk and council candidates visited my apartment complex. I had great conversations with a couple of the gentlemen. I didn't have great conversations with their Democrat counterparts because they never came. :'( Likewise, the GOP candidate had a billboard on a main road and I regularly drove by three campaign signs for him. Only one for the Democrat. Yet the Democrat won 53-47%. (The Democrat Indy mayor did better, with 60%-40%, normal result for the U.S. Congressional seat in the same area.) Is that saying that I'm not worth the Democrats trying to earn my vote? Worse yet, is it saying that a vote for a Republican is meaningless, the same claim they make when I vote Libertarian?

I'm also discouraged with voter turnout. We are ready to vote for President, where we represent 0.000001% of the eligible voters, but we don't have time when our vote may actually have an effect on the election. When the GOP showed up at our apartment with six candidates, it looked like those who came to talk to them were two residents per candidate. 😱

Last week (Nov. 5, '23), Pastor Jeremy Couture at Northside Baptist Church preached on James 4:11-17, and made the point that "Magnifying other people's problems violates the second greatest commandment." He said it includes "slander, gossip, and exagerated accusations (emphasis mine). Couture gave an example of lighting candles when the power is out, and added that we often try to make our light brighter by dimming the light of those around us. Doesn't this sound like political ads? What if we started treated our opponents with respect?

But the bottom line is I SHOULD NOT GET POST-ELECTION BLUES! The Democrats aren't the answer to our problem. The Republicans aren't the answer to our problems. No, not even the Libertarian Party is the solution. As the billboard I posted above reads, we should trust only in the Lamb, in Jesus Christ.

Things may not be as bad as I think, or they may be a lot worst. But we need to remember that the authorities  that exist are appointed by God (Romans 13:1), and the fact we're in a democracy does not change that fact. Also, we're commanded to honor all men and the king, and to give supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for all men, including kings and those in authority over us (1 Peter 2:17; 1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Post Election Blues are a symptom either of fear or idolatry in our party. Neither is what God has called us to. He did call us to pray, and I pray regularly for those in authority for me, from President to town council, Democrat or Republican.

PENDLETON PIKE PRAYER DRIVE

 

Driving Southwest (inbound) on Pendleton Pike.

 I have several options for driving in to work. I can get on 56th Street going west, and then take that either to the I-465 and get off at Shadeland Avenue or go straight down Shadeland and ignore the Interstate. Those, depending on construction and traffic, might be quicker. But the most direct is to get on Pendleton Pike - which goes from Northeast to Southwest - and take that to Shadeland. Not only is it a little more as the bird flies, but it also has become a prayer drive.

Note - I'm referring to the drive to work. I take a variation going home - I get off Pendleton at Franklin Road, because I find the light safer to turn left on than Post Road or Mithoffer. Thus, I miss some of the prayer focuses I have in the morning.

When I moved to this part of town (Indianapolis, in a township called Lawrence, thus giving me two mayors and two councils), one thing I noticed is that I passed by a pair of strip clubs, both stand alone buildings on my left side. I've driven down the road even before moving to Lawrence and noticed those businesses, and both have changed their names.

Well, one day an idea hit me. I need to pray for those two spots. After all, they're on God's Property, since the earth belongs to the Lord. I pray for the salvation of the workers there. Also, is there any connection between these "Gentlemen's Clubs" and human trafficking? I pray against that.

It took months for me to realize - I'm driving by a third strip club, on the other side of the road. Between it being hidden from me for a while and the fact that it's part of a two business strip mall (the other business being a payday loan place) and having the plaza named after the club, I consider it a stronghold. While I'm praying for God to take ownership of the other two, I'm praying for God to close down the "stronghold" and have a church start there.

I don't remember if it's before or after noticing the "stronghold," but I noticed that one of the two on the left side (the one closest to work) started advertising featured entertainers. That excited me for this reason - I have names of people to pray for their salvation! Yes, those names are stage names (I doubt, for example, a set of parents named their daughter "Shortcake"), but God knows who they are. So I pray for the featured act each month, and there's half a dozen I continue to pray for (including "Shortcake"). NOTE - only the side of the marquee I see on the way to work mentions the names, while the other deals with drink specials - another reason why the inbound route is more of a prayer drive than the other.

One other feature on this drive that does motivate me to prayer -  a billboard on the left side of the road. It first caught my attention when we drove down that road after visiting my Dad when he was in a nursing home. At that time, I was moved by the artwork "Millimeters" by mixed media artist Shelby Alexander. She's an artist I need to add to my prayer list. 

After moving to Lawrence, another billboard at that sight was one of the Prayer billboards put on by peopleforChrist.org, It read, "Pray: Time is of the essence." Unfortunately, that's no longer up, but I now have another prayer target - currently that spot hosts Dave Hofmann for Mayor. So now I have an encouragement to pray for him and his campaign. 

Well, I better finish this blog so I can get to bed, and be rested up for my prayer drive tomorrow morning! (Okay, confession - tomorrow morning I won't be taking this route because I attend a bi-monthly prayer time. But I can look forward to Wednesday!)

AN INVITATION AND CHALLENGE FOR BOTH MUSICIANS AND NON-MUSICIANS

 

 

I would like to invite all my readers (particularly those in the Indianapolis area) to join Becky and I for the annual Fall Dessert Night for Central Indiana Child Evangelism Fellowship on Oct. 12th this year at Castleton Community Church. I'll give you a link for the information below.

Not to exclude anyone - I''d love for all of you to attend - but allow me to focus on one group - local Christian musicians, be they Southern Gospel Quartets, soloists, or rock bands. Let me explain.

A while back, I posted about an idea of a music chaplaincy. One thing I would want to do is encourage Christian musicians to get interested and involved with various ministries. For example, my friends Amy Shreve and Gary Wixtrom are actively connected with Voice of The Martyrs - I've had the honor of hearing them 8 times, 6 of which were VOM conferences.

While there are a lot of great ministries, I believe it's a natural for Christian musicians to get involved with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). This ministry is involved in starting Good News Clubs in Public Schools. But what about Separation of Church and State? Well, in 2000 the Supreme Court ruled that Christian groups have equal access. (Some schools, to keep CEF out, stopped allowing any group to meet at the school.) 

Yes, this is a fundraiser, but that's just a part of it. No less important are their goals to raise prayer support and workers. They especially encourage local churches to be effective in running Good News Clubs, where they can be active in following up on those involved.

I would love to see at least one table filled with some of my favorite local Christian rock bands, and an equal number of Southern Gospel singers.  

For those interested (and I hope that's several of you reading), here is the link:  https://www.cefcentralindiana.com/2023dessert.html

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 29 OF 48 - PSALM 119:17-24

Log Church, Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, IN

 17     Deal bountifully with Your servant,
        That I may live and keep Your word.
18     Open my eyes, that I may see
        Wondrous things from Your law.
19     I am a stranger in the earth;
        Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20  My soul breaks with longing
        For Your judgments at all times.
21     You rebuke the proud--the cursed,
        Who stray from Your commandments.
22   Remove from me reproach and contempt,
        For I have kept Your testimonies.
23  Princes also sit and speak against me,
        But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
24  Your testimonies also are my delight
       And my counselors.
                    Psalm 119:17-24, New King James Version

Isn't verse 18 a wonderful prayer to say before you do your Bible reading?

How about verse 19? Do you feel like a stranger on earth? If so, good for you, and you need to as a result grow more familiar with God's word. If you're a Christian who doesn't feel like a stranger on this depraved planet, then something's wrong!

You notice who's called "the cursed?" Yep, the proud. God doesn't think much of pride, does he? Pride is at the root of all rebellion against God, the source of all our disobedience.

Finally, is God's testimony our delight and our counselor? Or are we trusting in princes who sit and speak against God's people?

 

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 26 OF 48 - PSALM 116

Cool Creek Park, Westfield, Indiana

 

1    I love the LORD, because He has heard
     My voice and my supplications.
2   Because He has inclined His ear to me,
     Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
3   The pains of death surrounded me,
     And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
     I found trouble and sorrow.
4   Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
     "O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!"

5   Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
     Yes, our God is merciful.
6   The LORD preserves the simple;
     I was brought low, and He saved me.
7   Return to your rest, O my soul,
     For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

8   For You have delivered my soul from death,
     My eyes from tears,
     And my feet from falling.
9   I will walk before the LORD
     In the land of the living.
10 I believed, therefore I spoke,
    "I am greatly afflicted."
11  I said in my haste,
    "All men are liars."

12 What shall I render to the LORD
     For all His benefits toward me?
13  I will take up the cup of salvation,
     And call upon the name of the LORD.
14  I will pay my vows to the LORD
     Now in the presence of all His people.
15  Precious in the sight of the LORD
     Is the death of His saints.

16  O LORD, truly I am Your servant;
     I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;
     You have loosed my bonds.
17  I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
     And will call upon the name of the LORD.
18  I will pay my vows to the LORD
     Now in the presence of all His people,
19  In the courts of the LORD's house,
     In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. 

     Praise the Lord!
                        Psalm 116:1-19, New King James Version

 

Two of my favorite singers, both of whom I know personally, have written and recorded songs based on this Psalm (Barry Kay, "I Love The Lord," from his "Beyond The Song" project, and Amy Shreve, "Psalm 116," which leads off her "Whisper" CD and is also on her compilation "The God of All Hope.")

This is an uplifting Psalm, but verse 15 is the one that stands out: "Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of His saints." I especially think of this verse in connection with ministries to the Persecuted Church like Voice of the Martyrs, Spirit of Martyrdom, and Vision Beyond Borders.

One thing I noticed is the repetition of the phrase "call on the LORD" or more frequently "call on the Name of the LORD." I read an excellent book on the Biblical Theology of Prayer titled Calling On The Name of the Lord by J. Gary Millar. He focuses on how men started calling on the name of the Lord after the birth of Adam's grandson Enosh (Gen. 4:26), and defines how this is throughout Scripture asking God to do what He promised.
 

 

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION THIS WEEK. THEY NEED IT!!! (WHO DOESN'T?!)

Vision Beyond Borders Prayer Calendar, March 11, 2023

For those unaware, Sunday through Wednesday will be the annual Southern Baptist Convention.

I'll make this blog short: Pray for God to be glorified, and pray for boldness to stand for God's Word even when it's out of season. And pray that we Southern Baptists love one another as Christ loved us, which is how the world will know we're His disciples!

Thank you. 

One last note - I believe the Baptist Press will be a more reliable news source than the mainstream media. But then, that's not news.

 

HOLDING UP THE ARMS OF CHRISTIAN ARTISTS GROUP - AN UPDATE AND INVITATION

 

"Holding Up The Arms of Christian Artists", original art

Years ago, I was involved in a pair of groups. One was called "Jesus Music 1969-1989," and is a large group where the focus is on positive memories of Jesus Music and CCM. To keep it positive, there are topics that are taboo on that group, such as any controversies about artists. The second group, "Discussion Board for Jesus Music 1969-1989" was formed to allow discussion of the issues that weren't allowed in the first group.

During that time, I decided to start a group focused on praying for artists. I forget the exact first name, but I called it a prayer board for Jesus Music 1969-1989, focused on praying for the artists of that era. Years later, I took off the time focus and made it for all Christian musicians, regardless of genre or time frame.

Well, I just recently decided to try to get it more active. A couple of days later, one of my novelist friends wasn't feeling well, so I decided to post prayer for her. This inspired me to extend the focus to include novelists, visual artists, cartoonists, etc. This was accompanied with another name change, and the group is now "Holding Up The Arms of Christian Artists." 

One thing that hasn't changed - the artwork I did for the group, which you see above. You may be familiar with the battle with Amalek in Exodus 17, where Joshua led the children of Israel against their enemies who attacked the rear ranks after they escaped Pharaoh and crossed the red sea. Moses, accompanied with his brother Aaron and Hur (some think he's Miriam's husband) to the mountain top. When Moses raised his arms with the rod, Israel prevailed, but when his arms lowered, the bad guys had the upper hand. So Aaron and Hur got a rock, had Moses sit on it, and they held Moses' arms up until the Amalekites were defeated.

If you don't know I have a heart for Christians in the arts, you haven't been paying attention to my reviews and interviews. This Facebook group is dedicated to praying for artists.

Would you like to join me? The link for the group is below.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1906415342732790

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 19 OF 48 - PSALM 86:11

Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, TN

 

Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
            Psalm 86:11, New King James Version
 

This is a wonderful prayer. I love the thought "Unite my heart to fear Your name." 

What does it mean? Scripture warns us against being double minded. Psalm 119:113 says, "I hate the double-minded, but I love Your Law." James 1:8 says of one who doubts when asking God for wisdom that he's "a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." Later, James exhorts "Purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8)

Could another way to put a "united heart" or an "undivided heart" "whole hearted?" It means we're not divided by trying to fit in with the world and be in fellowship with God, because since the world's not in fellowship with God, we can't be whole heartedly following our Lord if we're spending a lot of time in the goat pen.

May we be taught God's way. May we walk in His truth. And may our heart be united to fear His name. 

"SHOULD I BE A CHAPLAIN FOR CHRISTIAN ROCK BANDS WHEN I RETIRE?" AND OTHER NON-ROCKING-CHAIR THOUGHTS.

Map hanging on our dining room wall, a gift from a missionary friend. The white circles (on North America and Russia) comprise of L X II, shorthand for Luke 10:2 - "The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers into His harvest."

A good friend of mine (who's a Pastor) tells people that if they're able to retire, then retire while they're able to enjoy it.

I may not look it, and I'm sure I don't act it, but I'm getting to that age. For me, there's an additional factor - I'm a few years younger than Becky, so I not only want to retire while I can enjoy my retirement, but so she  can enjoy my retirement.

So the next question is what should I do when I retire? There are better things to do than sit around and watch TV; in fact, no TV station I know of has earned my viewing. Or I can find some fellow retirees and sit at the coffee shop and solve the world's problems (sorry, but our Government doesn't seem up to the task). And as I'm typing this, I'm listening to an ad suggesting a new career - can you picture me as a truck driver? I can't.

So, leaving the Twilight Zone, there are a few other options. Becky and I have thought about doing a short-term mission trip (up to a couple of years). Or I can get involved with a refugee ministry, something I've had off and on interest since I was in college. Maybe I can get back to writing and see about getting some books published. Far less likely, I can get revive my dormant musical/lyrical talents and start a symphonic rock band or a Southern Gospel quartet. Far less likely, and besides, there are enough good musical groups out there.

Which leads me to something Becky mentioned a couple of times - a chaplain for musicians. After all, I've liked hanging around and encouraging musicians all my life, especially those who are using their skills for the Kingdom. Am I already practicing filling that role?

Currently, I am praying for a list of musicians at least once a week. Some are Southern Gospel vocalists. Some are rockers. Some are favorites for a decade or four. Some are young enough to be my kids. (Should I be their Godfather? I could make them a deal they can't refuse. And yes, I've heard of that movie but haven't watched it).

Of course, I should finish this blog and get to bed so I can be ready for an exciting day at work tomorrow - the number of years I'll continue working may be in the single digits, but it still is years in the plural.