Dream Killers

This is from a business motivational eletter I get. It's for all you business people and others who need to hear it:

Avoid the dream killers. To bring your dreams to life, don't put them in jeopardy. Guard them carefully against things like your own and other people's negativity, plus fear and mediocrity, Jolley says. "The number one thing that can kill your dreams is you," he asserts. "We all sell ourselves out of our best ideas, but one good idea that is implemented and put to use can change the world. "You must stop using negative words and start using positive, affirming words. We must overcome the enemies within ourselves, then overcome the negative people around us who suffer from possibility blindness."

Pray in Faith

Andrew had another surgery last night and we stayed to pray through the procedure.
After it was over we were talking to his Dad and Mom about the effect that prayer has had on Andrew's condition over the years. In simple terms, when people pray he does well, when people stop he does poorly. And it seems clear that if there has been times when prayer has kept him alive.

As we were talking I realized it wasn't prayer that had the effect, it was faith. Faith was exercised through prayer. It's the 'prayer of faith' (James 5) that has the effect on Andrew's body. James also points out in chapter 1 that when we ask we must believe and not doubt and if we pray in doubt we should expect nothing in return. Only faith generates a return.

So I see it isn't about prayer. It's about faith. Prayer is the vehicle to approach God in faith, without doubting. God always responds to faith. Always. No matter how much faith, he responds.

This has helped me understand that when I pray I must pray in faith. If I have doubts I must talk to God and get those corrected first. Or, I must ignore them and pray with the tiny bit of faith I might have.

In the context of faith it is very important to know what the Word says, in this case about healing. I have studied the healing word over and over and have it fixed in my thinking so that I don't think doubt when I pray for healing, I think the truth of the Word. This helps me pray in faith.

Pa

Ma has left me and Dan might too

I have been abandoned. Ma has gone to MySpace and has lots of friends. Her photo is there, her identity is written, her information listed. I think Blogger.com is on the endangered species list. Old timers like me are on the same list.

I don't think I'll make the jump to MySpace. I did set up an account and used it to read a few blogs but can't find it anymore, don't know where I put it or how to access it. Even Blogger has me befuddled, I tried to set up on the 'new' Blogger, failed twice, lost a couple of top notch blog rants and have created a three step process to log on that won't remember any of my passwords. I am also blocked from making comments on anyone's blog because my password always comes back as an error. Not sure how I created that monster but I don't need another over on MySpace.

In fact, I was so pissed at not being able to comment on Aaron's clip of Bono and Dan Wilt's comment that I almost sent a group email. At least I can make that technology work. And now that I'm on it and my blood is rising again.....You know what really bugged me about Dan's comments? His blab about the church re-imaging and that sort of talk. What the hell does that mean Dan? Re-imaging? From what? To what? That kind of talk is wordsmithing blab. The church re-imaging. What a concept. It just seemed to be weakling blab flying in the face of Bono smashing idols. I wanted to see the smashing continued.

OK, I better stop. Sorry Dan, I just had to get it out. We're both after the same thing, I'm just cheering you on. Sort of. You can cheer me on too.

Pa

Monday, starting work

I will not approach this day as a day to be conquered. I will not consider it like a city to be taken, a mountain to be climbed, an enemy to be defeated. I will not strive to impose my will on it, my talents, my organization, my strength. I will not consider it a time to be survived, overcome, subdued or endured.

I will believe in its promise. I will have faith in its blessing. I will be ready for its potential. I will see it as a day of destiny.

This day is all I have. I will meet God in it. I will feel the Spirit moving. I will be His and He will be mine. Today.

It is a day of adventure.

Pa

Ma's Laughing

At the healing room last night we ministered to a man devastated by divorce. As soon as he left the room Ma broke out laughing. Next in was a woman who has been sick for 6 weeks and in complete misery. Ma's response when I asked her if she was hearing anything from God was to bust out laughing.

Jeff said it was God. The Word says God sits in the heavens and laughs at the devil. Jeff felt Ma was doing exactly what God was doing in the face of this suffering. He was laughing. Not at the people, but at the god of this world who thinks he's got us on the run. Laughing in his face because Jesus was destroying the works of the devil in both these people.

It was an interesting thing to experience and I bless Ma for being true to what God was doing.

God sits in the heavens and laughs. Hope you can hear him laughing over you today.

Pa

The Sentence of Death

While Paul was in Ephesus he reached the brink of death in his efforts to spread the gospel of Christ. So close that, in his heart, he felt the sentence of death in his body. Not just him but those with him felt the same thing. 2Cor 1.8-11

This is how we feel as we pray for Andrew. This is beyond his ability to endure and beyond the ability of his Mom and Dad to endure. We feel it too as we stand with them and believe for healing.

Last night we prayed for the dissolving of a blood clot, sitting outside the operating room where they were injecting Andrew with a fluid to dissolve the clot. We believed, declared and commanded, only to find out the procedure was a failure. No options left, death at the door, faith vanishing, hope struck down...............we felt the sentence of death. I'm not sure Mom is going to make it, let alone Andrew.

In the face of death we declare our unyielding faith in God. He is our only hope.

As for the sentence being flung in our face by satan, we declare the resurrection.

We have no other answer.

Pa

Please Invade

The world doesn't have a whole lot to offer unless its offered in the context of faith in God. It's a very unsatisfying place without Him. A job is just a job without some bits of faith involved, some sense that God is in it with you. Friendship without God? Marriage? Too watered down to mean much at all.

I lived the first 29 years of my life without Him and coped. But I did not flourish. I have now lived 25 years with Him and about half of that being alive in the Spirit and when I think of living life without God, I can't. I wouldn't want to go back to that meaningless option of living.

God has mysteriously invaded every area of my life with his Presence, to the point that I likely don't spend more than a couple of hours without thinking about Him and knowing He is with me. What will it be like in heaven when I know Him fully and am fully known?

Invade my life deeper, wider, more fully Lord. Let my whole life be worship to you.

Pa