Feeds:
Posts
Comments

The Power of a Glimpse

June 26, 2011 by Fritz

Josh Patrick

“The Kingdom of God is so good and desirable that some people, after they catch a glimpse of it, rearrange their entire lives to have it.” – Josh Patrick, Twitter @patrick_josh 06/22/11

Posted in Explanations, God's Kingdom, Twitter | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

Learning To Pray

June 25, 2011 by Fritz

Pray without ceasing. – 1st Thessalonians 5:17

Learning to pray takes time — not hour time but calendar time.

I heard a preacher tell young seminary students he would not give five (5) cents for a minister who did not spend two (2) hours a day in prayer. I thought that strange because Jesus gave his whole life for people who did not pray at all.

Prayer is not strengthened by length but regularity.

  1. Pick a time each day
    • Preferably the same time daily — Early Christians picked 9:00am and 3:00pm
    • Adjust if the unexpected happens — push it one way or the other if you can, but don’t skip it
  2. Find a place to be alone
    • Susanna Wesley, with twelve (12) children — one being John Wesley, founder of Methodism — had nowhere to go so she covered her head with her apron,  praying right there in the middle of it all
  3. Pray for fifteen (15) minutes
    • Try setting a timer
    • The world will NOT fall apart if you don’t answer the phone or reply to an e-mail for 15 minutes
  4. Prayer includes
    • Quiet singing
    • Repeating a small portion of scripture, thinking and envisioning the meaning of the few words
    • Praising
    • Sitting quietly
    • Asking
    • Thanking
    • All of the above in any combination

Those 15 minutes will eventually become so precious and sweet you will find it hard to wait for the next scheduled time  — you won’t have to.

Sound Bite: You can read a lot of books on prayer, but that isn’t prayer. Take time to rest, to seek, and to be with God.

– fritz@langgang.com

Posted in Prayer | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

A Lesson From Hair

June 24, 2011 by Fritz

“Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again …” – Judges 16

The Bible has a story about a man who lost his strength when his hair was cut.

Most are familiar with the story from Judges 16 – a man dedicated to the Lord before birth and called to God’s service, loses his strength through foolish choices, culminating in his hair being cut, him being blinded, abandoned in a foreign prison.  

Most know the ending, his hair grows back and he gains his strength again to topple an entire building, striking vengeance on God’s enemies. 

Such a sad story of loss, regret, death!

Was he a role model of what NOT to do, an example of what happens to those who aren’t careful to maintain their morals?  

And what’s the deal about his hair?  Cutting my hair has no effect on my strength!

A little background may help.

Sampson was a Nazarite.  Nazarites had a few rules, the two most noticeable being: No wine, not even eating grapes, and no razors.  Their abstinence and hair were symbols of dedication to God.  Letting his hair be cut was the final abandonment of his lifelong commitment. 

Here’s the lesson from hair, God was sending a message to us about his call on our lives!

Just as hair grows back with time, God’s purposes and calls endure and return — even after severe loss.

The apostle Paul put it this way:

“Looked at from the long-range perspective of God’s overall purpose … God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded

Romans 11:29 (Message Bible)

Soundbite: The sacrifice of Christ still pays for all sin, God holds no grudges, and when call to service is given, it endures if we let it.

— fritz@langgang.com

Posted in Belief, Calling, Samson | Tagged , | 1 Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »