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A Heritage of Prayer

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. Luke 18:1 ESV

Some of you have noticed that I love to write devotionals. The truth is I also love to read devotional collections. Oswald Chambers, Joni Eareckson Tada, Charles Swindoll and Rick Warren have become friends whose example and teachings have encouraged me through some of the darkest times of my life. About a month ago, my wife, knowing my love of devotional writing brought me home a Beverly Lewis book titled, “Amish Prayers.” In it the author has compiled a selection of prayers translated from a German prayer book dating back to 1708. What a special blessing this little book has become to me!

The book, “Amish Prayers” in many ways reminded me of the book of Psalms. Then as I looked closely, I discovered that the Psalms are as much a book of prayers as an ancient Hebrew collection of hymns. That inspired me to begin looking through the Bible for other prayers and I discovered them everywhere! In fact, the Bible could just as well be called, God’s Prayer Book, because at the heart of the stories of the men and women of scripture is the heritage of their prayers. Some of those prayers are questions, some complaints, some cries for mercy and others simply times of praise. If you will join me, over the next week we are going to listen in to a few of those prayers and then bow our heads and pray along with them!

The Sabbath is Unique

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments

For those of you who are regular readers, you know that I am a fan of “The Chosen” series. In the first season I especially loved the episode on the Sabbath and was deeply moved by the final scene of all the different families in different settings taking time to honor God. This week I will be sharing a series on the Sabbath which I wrote a few years ago but I believe with all my heart is needed now more than ever. As a young man, I belonged to a church that taught us some pretty legalistic forms of Sabbath keeping which sadly obscured the deeper truths and blessings for which God created the seventh day. The reality is that Christ is our Sabbath, and our only rest is in Him. But that being said, there does remain a uniqueness to keeping Sabbath which I hope we never lose. I will be delighted to hear not only your reactions, but how you keep Sabbath and the blessings you have found. So here is day one –

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:11

This Sunday as I was resting, I began to thank God for having planned for us such a special day. The world is push-push- push 24/7 and 365. No day, no hour, no minute is any different from any other. One day when I was a teen-ager I was driving home from work. I was tired and, in a hurry, so when I found myself behind a long line of slow-moving traffic, I was particularly irritated. I couldn’t remember a construction zone in that area and the speed limit was 60-70 miles per hour so immediately I began to pass as many cars at a time as I could. I thought I was making pretty good time till I pulled out and noticed that the first car in line was a hearse! Oh, how ashamed I felt! The world is a lot like I was that afternoon. There is no time to slow down until we are being driven away to be buried!

But rest is coded into the very DNA of God’s creation. The Sabbath was unique because on that day when He was no longer busy with creation, God set aside an entire day just to spend time with Adam and Eve. God wasn’t worn out or tired from His work but instead He rested by choice. Today is the first in an eight-part series on why God has made the Sabbath unique. I am sometimes afraid that in our modern world we have forgotten how to rest. In our worry and hurry, our pushing and shoving it is so easy to forget the value of Sabbath rest. God’s day is not meant simply as a ritual observance or a duty to be carried out with gritted teeth. God’s Sabbath is His gift for us. Together let’s slow down and allow the wheels of life to cease turning just long enough for us to unwrap His gift and look into God’s humble and unhurried heart.

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, 
not man for the Sabbath. Mark 2:27

Call 9-1-1!

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
My enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? 
Psalm 56:3-4 ESV

We had just started dinner, when we were interrupted by the all too familiar sound of a crash. “Call 9-1-1!” I shouted as I headed for the front door to get a better look. Because we lived on one of the main avenues near the center of our city, car accidents in front of our house happened regularly. We called so often that we knew the drill. “This is 911. Where is your emergency?” the operator would ask. In the Bible, Psalm 56 is God’s 9-1-1 number. Though I have often heard that one of the most repeated commands in the Bible is, “Do not be afraid.” I must confess that I am often still afraid. What I need is more than just a command to stop. I need to learn how, and today’s verse encourages me because it tells me I am not alone. David: the giant killer, who also killed a lion with his bare hands and who wrote most of the Psalms, was just like me. I love how he doesn’t mince words. He says straight up that, he is afraid – but – in his fearful moments he dials Heaven’s 9-1-1 number and begins to tell God about it! He says, “Help me, Lord! I am having a crisis here!” and we can do the same. When we dialed 9-1-1 in emergencies back home, we didn’t know who would pick up the phone, we would never get to meet that person or even know their name. But when we dial Heaven’s 9-1-1 number, we know who is picking up on the other end and we can trust that He won’t hang up. God will answer the call. He will listen to our emergency and He will come. Where is your emergency today? It’s time to pick up the phone and dial 9-1-1!