Tag: Prayer

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Watch Out for the Devour

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 1 Peter 5:8-9 [Full Context]

I admit, I’ve been on a personal journey to confirm that what I was taught at a younger age is correct and to affirm what I believe Scripture teaches for myself, so I still have ‘Aha!’ moments…a lot! I had a pastor who used to push down people’s throats that the “man of God deserved double honor,” so we were never allowed to question him. Later in life I learned that this statement was pulled out of context. 1 Timothy 5:17 says that an elder who directs the affairs of the church WELL deserves double honor in his compensation, especially those who preach and teach…key word…well, this has nothing to do with questioning an Elder when they have fallen off the reservation!

Anyway, all of that to say, my eyes were opened tonight at 1 Peter 5:8-9. I find it interesting that it is written to “Elders” and “Young Men.” The warning is to “Stay Alert!” that our enemy, the devil, prowls around seeking who he may devour. Sure, this is applicable to all Christians, but it is specifically written to Elders and young men. A friend contacted me this week. She found out that her former pastor has been involved in a sexual affair. I was heartbroken for that man, his family, the church, their people and their leaders. It seems to be coming to the surface more and more. What greater victory could we as pastors and church leaders give Satan than to dishonor God in our calling? To abuse our office? To open ourselves up to devour?

Notice, the verse says, seeking who he may devour…I went through a marriage course by Bruce Wilkerson with my wife. He used the analogy of a traffic light. We all give off a signal. Red light, I’m not available. Green light, I’m looking…I’m open & available! Satan is prowling to see if your light is lit up green, and if it is, you’re open to attack! Pastor, Elder, young man…if you are married, you better be putting off the right signals. It goes beyond sexually too. It’s applicable to any moral and ethical standard that the Bible calls us to.

Pastors are highly competitive people. I wonder what would happen if we stopped looking at each others’ ministries to see what one another is doing and how many we are running, and started devoting ourselves to prayer for one another?

…Stay Alert!

Thought?

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It’s Not Just a Prayer

“…and help the sick, the hungry, and the poor”

prayerThat’s what Gavin asks every time he prays. For a long time Nicki and I simply let him pray it, but over the last couple of years, we’ve done our best to show him opportunities where he can actually be the answer to his prayer.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Millions of prayers will be hitting the airwaves all across the country. I am so excited that people will take the time to pause and to pray. I truly believe prayer is the conduit that ushers in God’s power. However, as I think about the most famous prayer, The Lord’s Prayer, I can’t help but to recognize that it wasn’t just a prayer. Jesus didn’t simply toss up some words to his Father and expect them to happen. There is a portion of the prayer that only God could answer, but for the rest of it, Jesus was instructing us to pray for the ability and the strength to accomplish that which we are called to accomplish. Jesus didn’t just pray this prayer, he lived it, check it out:

“…Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”

What was God’s will? That Jesus would come offer himself as a sacrifice for all of mankind, so that whoever places their faith in him would have salvation. Jesus did that. What’s God’s will for us? That we go about sharing the Good News and allowing our lives to be driven from the message of the gospel.

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Jesus did this. Remember the cross? “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?” Remember the conversation with Peter in Matthew 18? “How many times should I forgive my brother who sins against me, up to seven times?” and Jesus replied “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven.”

I believe like Gavin, we are caught too many times praying for a solution to the world’s problems, but it ends there. I guess we expect Manna to fall from heaven to feed the poor. Blankets to drop down from doves to cover the homeless. And medicine to seep out of the ground to heal the sick. As I’ve been in the middle of raising awareness for our local area to help with the flood relief in Nashville, I’ve never been more frustrated by the words, “I’m praying for them.” Or, I can’t bring supplies or a donation because I’ll be at “My” church, but “I’ll pray for them.”

Why am I bugging everyone on Facebook and Twitter to get involved with the Nashville Flood Relief? Because I know Manna doesn’t fall from Heaven, I know doves don’t deliver blankets, and there  isn’t such thing as medicine crops. Pete Wilson, lead pastor at Cross Point in Nashville said it best, “This is called the thousand year flood, I see it as a once in a thousand year opportunity.” (Watch Their Update Video) I am doing what I can, whether you are tired of seeing my updates and blog posts or not, because I believe there are some prayers that Jesus intended on US being the answer to; while he provides us the resources, the ability, and the strength!

I can’t say this any more clearer. Church, this is OUR family. What if 50% of your church staff lost their homes? What if a big portion of your congregation & friends lost their homes? Would you be asking for help? Would you hope your family would come along side you? So, where are you at?

Everyone can give something. Supplies? We have a list of stuff needed HERE & We’ll come pick them up, if you are local and can’t drop them off. Donation? You can give online Here or Here if you can’t be there Sunday to drop it off or to give in our special offering. Everyone has $5 to give. Some may have more. You may have $1,000 that you can pull out of savings. Acts 2:44-45 “All the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.” In addition to our special offering, New Passion has a portable, powered 8 channel sound board with two speakers that we are selling. Everything we make on that “possession” will be “shared” with Cross Point. So now, it’s your turn. Whose prayer in Nashville can you answer on the National Day of Prayer?

Our special site for the Nashville Flood Relief Effort in the CSRA: http://flood.newpassionchurch.com

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Pray For Matt Chandler

Two weeks ago, we spent some time at New Passion focusing on Isaiah 7:14, where Jesus’ birth is foretold. It says that His name will be Immanuel which means ‘God is with Us.‘ Some of you may have been following the story of Matt Chandler, the lead pastor of the Village Church in Texas. He had a seizure on Thanksgiving morning and since then brain surgery where he found out he has a malignant tumor.

I was thinking today that the very hope that Matt needs rests in the simple promise of Jesus’ name…Immanuel, God is with us. I know that God is with Matt and his family, and by following his videos, tweets, and blogs, though this is an extremely difficult situation and trial, Matt continues to express his desire that this situation serves to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I thought on this Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we could pause for just a moment and pray for Matt, has family, and his church; along with the medical team that will be carrying out the upcoming treatment (to begin in just days). Here is their battle plan and the team who will be working with Matt…I pulled this from their most recent blog post: Read over it and take a moment out of a busy couple of days to pray for them:

Let me start by saying, Thank You! The outpouring of love and prayers for my family and me has been so overwhelming that it has moved us to sobs. To see the tangible love of God for us in the saints has been overwhelming and a great comfort…Thanks.

Prognosis: Anaplastic oligodendroglioma

Battle Plan: Radiation and chemotherapy start on Dec. 29, bolstering my system with some homeopathic means.

Dec. 29 at 1 p.m.
Start radiation. This will continue every day for six weeks.
Chemo will be happening right along side of radiation and will go through February, and then we’ll take a four-week break, get an MRI and see where we stand.

The players:

Dr. Karen Fink, neuro-oncologist – Dr. Fink is the quarterback for my team, and she happens to be the Peyton Manning of neuro-oncology. Please pray for her as she monitors my treatment and vitals through all of this. Pray for her wisdom and insight.

Dr. Scott Cheek, radiation oncologist – I enjoy Dr. Cheek very much. He has a refreshing and encouraging personality with a great sense of humor.

Dr. David Barnett, neuro-surgeon – David performed my brain surgery, and it was an amazing success. He is a man of great faith, and I have enjoyed getting to know him as a surgeon and a brother.

Dr. Hammon, homeopathic doctor – He’s working with my other doctors. I have been moved by everyone’s humility and willingness to hear from each other

Prayers:

  • My doctors
  • That God might glorify Himself in amazing ways through all of this
  • The Village Church and our elders
  • Complete healing
  • Healthy appetite
  • Protection from side effects of radiation
  • Protection from side effects of chemotherapy
  • Peace for my family…specifically my children and their salvation
    • Audrey 7 yrs. old
    • Reid 4 yrs. old
    • Norah 6 ½ months

Christ is All,
Matt Chandler

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Praying Small and Selfishly

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“So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Matthew 9:38

I read a devotion today in My Utmost For His Highest. It was talking about the key for a missionary in carrying out the Master’s orders.  The focus was on prayer and how prayer seems foolish to us. I guess I got a little sidetracked and off focus, because Oswald Chambers said, “From Jesus Christ’s perspective, there are no nations, but only the world.”

I am guilty of praying small and selfish prayers. I see the big need that New Passion has as a new, small church for volunteers and laborers for the harvest in Grovetown, the surrounding area, and the world. I try my hardest to pray for local churches as well as churches throughout the nation and the world. However, when it come to praying for laborers, I fall short of thinking “the world” and I think “my nation” (New Passion Church). I don’t think I’ve ever prayed that God would provide the laborers for churches in Alabama or South Dakota, or China, or Germany, or the church down the street.

My heart desires to be Kingdom minded, but often times I find myself selfishly living out a small view of God. I know that we are a small piece of Christ’s puzzle called the church. We are no greater than any other church and we are no less. May we continue to join arms for the common cause of the Gospel.

Join the Conversation…What’s your biggest struggle in being Kingdom minded?



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Update on My Grandpa Carnes

Thank you, to everyone who has been praying for my Grandpa Carnes, who fell down his basement steps last Thursday night (April 23) and broke his neck.

I went to visit him in the ICU on Saturday in Atlanta. He looked a lot better than what I was expecting. I was thinking he would be bruised up pretty bad, looking as if he just came out of a fight with Rocky…and lost. He did have a huge gash in his head, beginning at the crown and going down towards his neck. It was split open pretty bad in the fall, so bad it required staples to close it up. I did not see bruises anywhere. Besides his head and his neck the only visible sign of damage that I could see was his hand wrapped in gauze from where he banged it up pretty bad.

In total he fell down 20 steps to the bottom concrete floor. One step is completely broken from the impact while the bottom step is covered in blood from his head. I believe they are going to be boarding that door up or padlocking it shut. Yesterday, the doctor gave a better than expected report. It is a total miracle that he is alive, much less that he did not break anything else in the fall. If the break was one space higher, he would have been paralyzed, or he would have required a trach to breathe the rest of his life. They are not going to do surgery (most likely due to age), rather they are going to leave him in the neck brace to heal and issue him a walker to prevent him from falling and doing more damage. The area that is broken is still very dangerous, if it fractures any further and cuts the spinal cord, he still could be paralyzed. He will still be in the hospital to recover for a little while, it will be interesting to see if he obeys the doctor and uses the walker when they let him go home. As for now, I believe they still have him in ICU.

Please continue to pray for him and for my Grandma. It is already difficult caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, but now, she has to keep very close tabs on him and help him prevent any additional damage to his head and neck area. I’ll update you all here on the blog if anything changes.