When God answers prayer

One month ago I posted a “tongue in cheek” God Could you… letter.  If you haven’t read it, quickly skim it and note the timeline that I submitted to God (click here to read).  Pretty funny, right.  The arrogance of submitting a timeline to an eternal, non-time-bound God.  My post was 80% venting and 20% prayer.  Turns out, God sees venting and prayer as the same thing.

As of right now, every single one of those dated bullet points have come to reality ahead of schedule and with smoother transition than I could have imagined.  And that’s where this gets weird.  The things I requested from God feels very temporal and “worldly.”  It’s about the stuff of life and how to logistically move it along.  Its in this time bound, non-eternal arena that God is answering prayer.

But what happens when God doesn’t answer prayer when you feel like you are Kingdom minded and have an eternal focus?

Four months ago I was praying my heart out for Pathway church.  We were a struggling church plant, filled with amazing people and a vision to advance God’s kingdom in every life we touched.  But these prayers that went unanswered. The church closed, we moved from Indiana to Oregon, and good friends are now scattered into different communities of faith.

Baffling.

To be honest, it was a bit easier when God wasn’t answering prayer.  I could direct my frustration and anger at Him without hesitation.  But now that He is answering prayer and my anger has been replaced with confused, humble shoulder-shrugging.

There is a lesson in here on how God wants us to pray.  Not sure how to articulate it.  But one thing I know, I’ve got a long way to go before I figure out how God moves in and through our prayers.

God is like the dentist

I’m reading a short book called, “C.S. Lewis on Grief.”  It’s divided up into short two page chapters that are excerpts from his writings on grief.  It’s kicking my butt.  Below is an excerpt I read today…

Our Lord is like the dentist…Dozens of people go to Him to be cured of some one particular sin which they are ashamed of…or which is obviously spoiling daily life…Well, He will cure it all right: but He will not stop there.  That may be all you asked: but if once you call Him in, He will give you the full treatment… That is why He warned people to ‘count the cost’ before becoming Christians.  ‘Make no mistake,’ He says, ‘if you let me, I will make you perfect…Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest until you are literally perfect – until my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He said He was well pleased with me…” (C.S. Lewis on Grief, C.S. Lewis)

Perfect.  I tremble and am intimidated by that word.  Especially when it is paired with Love.  Perfect Love.  It’s easier to grasp how God loves us perfectly…i.e. the cross.  But how do we love God and each other perfectly?  And how do we describe apart from performance?

Guest Post: A Joint Venture

A few weeks ago I asked Chris Nahrwold, a friend and regular participant on the site to write a post on what he meant by “pet sins.”  Below is what he’s provided.  Chris, thanks for doing this!  Check out Chris’ blog at Abstract Reasoning.

Chris Wrote…

There are many struggles in which Christians face, and one of those struggles happens to be the sin in our lives that we have a difficult time with.  These pet sins, or the sins that repeatedly hold us back from a further relationship with God, are a very serious matter.

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no-one will see the Lord. – Hebrews 12: 14

I do not think this verse deals with the eternal salvation of an individual, but I do believe that the pursuit of holiness needs to be a priority in the Christian life.  We are not only made holy in the sight of God through Jesus Christ, but also called to be holy in our daily walk. “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy…” (1 Corinthians 1:2)

When we indulge our sinful ways and continue to dwell in unholiness, the Spirit of God is grieved. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).  These are not the times in which we fall into temptation and rely on the blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, but instead are lives that are characterized by unholy living.

So what does this look like in real life?  Does one sit back and let the Holy Spirit do all of the work, or is it all up to the individual to become more holy?  To me it looks like farming.  The farmer has many responsibilities in order to grow a crop.  They must be diligent by plowing, fertilizing, and cultivating the land if he expects a harvest at the end of the season.  But at the end of the day, the farmer knows that he is utterly dependent on forces outside himself for the successful harvest.  This is a joint venture between God and man.

Where have you seen this joint venture in your life?

Don’t be surprised, this is going to hurt

In the midst of pain, most of us lie to people.
Pulling a tooth – “This isn’t going to hurt.”
At a Funeral – “He’s in a better place.”
Shopping – “That dress does make you look thin.”
At Church – “I’m great!  How are you?”

We lie.  We lie to either avoid on-coming pain, or to distract ourselves from its gnawing presence.  We have a frantic aversion to pain, and an obsession with comfort.

Here’s the problem: following Jesus will be painful.  And if we aren’t willing to experience some pain, we will live a shallow life, avoiding the depths God has planned for us.

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you…So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. – 1 Peter 4:12, 19

What bothers me most about this passage is that we can suffer “according to God’s will…”  Ugh.  I thought God wanted me to have health, wealth, and prosperity?  At least, that’s what I saw on TV from the “comfort” of my living room couch.

Here is a thought that I’m not sure I fully embrace yet: “God longs for me to be intimate with Him.  And He is willing to cause some pain to shake me loose so I will focus on Him.  God values intimacy before He values comfort.  And the pain that God brings or allows is better than any comfort this world can offer.”

Thoughts?

Dear God, Could You…

Someone once said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.”  With that in mind, I’ve drafted the following letter to God.

Dear God,
I know You are busy this time of year.  Thanksgiving is around the corner.  Christmas is creeping into everyone’s mind.  This is the time of year You get to capture everyone’s imagination.  Souls need Your touch of grace and love.  Churches will be hosting special services and outreach activities.  You’ve got Your hands full, with BIG things.

As You know, we are in some major transition in the Curtis home.  You’ve affirmed our decision to move to Oregon, and we are getting excited about the new opportunities that are there.  Because You’re busy, I’ve thought through a time-line that could work really well for us.  If You could look this over, I’d appreciate it.

Soon – You supply the buyer for our home.  I know it’s a big request, especially this time of year.  But I think You’re up to the challenge.
Dec. 18 – we sell our home and my mom flys to Oregon with our kids
Dec. 19 – we load up the truck and say goodbye to lifelong friends
Dec. 20-24 - Bethany and I enjoy a nice road-trip across the USA while my parents have our kids in Oregon
Dec. 30 – we find a rental that we can move into
Jan. 4 – I start my new job at Yorke & Curtis while Andrew starts at his new school

As you can see, all You need to do is supply a buyer for our home.  After that, we’re good to go.

In Jesus name,
milo

Pretty arrogant, right?  And I think that’s where doubt finds strength…in pride.

I’ve been wrestling with doubt lately.  The kind of doubt that robs the soul of peace and joy.  The kind of doubt you drown out with noise and busy-ness.  The kind of doubt that is supposed to be cured by faith.

What if God doesn’t go by my time-line?  Do I believe that God has something better than what I could imagine?

Maybe my doubt is less about God, and more about me.  Am I capable of walking down the road He has in front of me, knowing it could be filled with trials?

I have to believe that what He wants is better than what I want.  Not just different…better.

Thoughts?

Giving up Pennies

My son’s kindergarten class is having a penny drive to purchase food for under-privileged families.  Andrew was quick to rummage through my loose change and pick out the copper colored coins.  He was delighted to find 18 coins (at this age it’s about quantity not value) that he could take to his class.  Then I asked him to get his pennies.

Andrew is saving his money for a new toy.  We’re teaching him the value of work, income, setting goals, and waiting to reach those goals.  Giving up his precious pennies was a step backwards.  It meant working more and waiting longer.  I was surprised at how defiant he started, and then how broken he was by the thought of giving up his pennies.

“But I want my pennies.”

So do I.

Lately, God has been showing me my “pennies,” those things I’ve worked hard to collect.  I’ve saved these “pennies” so I can achieve specific goals.  Some of my “pennies” are physical, most of them are dreams, ideas, attitudes, perspectives.  They seem so precious…but their just pennies.  Weighed against eternity and measured next to God’s faithfulness, they don’t amount to much.  But they are my pennies.

I sat down with Andrew and did my best to embrace the teachable moment.  We talked about generosity.  I shared with him that I couldn’t trust him with more if I didn’t think he was going to be generous.  Generosity breeds trust.  I want to trust that he’ll be a wise steward, and then I can impart him with more.

In the end Andrew gave up his pennies…and later in the day I gave him a quarter.  He didn’t completely understand how one quarter was better than 12 pennies.  But he had to trust me.  Just like I was trusting him.

Trusting God with “pennies” should be the easiest thing in the world.  But, for me, I find it harder than I know it should be.

What are your “pennies,” and how is God asking you to trust Him?

Out of Order

“Out of Order” signs are so frustrating, no matter how pretty they look.  It’s a simple way of saying, “You had some reasonable expectations and have made a good choice in coming here.  But because things break and/or people aren’t responsible, your life is being significantly inconvenienced.  Better luck next time.”

It seems God has hung an “Out of Order” sign on the doors I thought I was supposed to move through.  Now I’m frustrated, annoyed, confused, and inconvenienced.

Every morning I wake up and am slammed with the consequences of decisions that have put up “out of order signs.”  Here is a thumbnail of what I wake up thinking about:

• The church I started 5 years ago has closed and my soul aches because of it
• I’m trying to sell my house in a down market
• I’m working towards relocating my family from the Midwest (Indiana) to the Northwest (Oregon)
• I’m re-evaluating my entire call to ministry
• I’m preparing for a major vocation change

Thankfully, I’m finding the Bible refreshing in all of this.  Surprisingly so.

Let me paraphrase something Peter wrote:

For if you possess these qualities (faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love) in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 1:8

Ineffective & Unproductive…I’ve never felt more ineffective or unproductive in my entire life.

And that’s the my problem, right?  I’ve been stripped of all the ways I’ve been measuring effectiveness and productivity.  All I’m left with is how well I’m pursuing intimacy with Christ.  That door is wide open and I’ve received an invitation to walk through it.

But is that enough?  Theologically, I would say it is.  Practically, I’m not sure my life has born that out.  You?

Paranormal Activity – the Movie

I hadn’t heard of the movie Paranormal Activity until Scott asked if I wanted to go see it with him.  I was free, so I went.  Man, am I glad I did.

What I loved about the movie was a genuine treatment of demonic activity, and the ignorance that goes along with it.  How would you handle a demon if it were haunting you?

I won’t go into the details of the movie (you can read a decent review via Plugged-in), what I will comment on is how the movie portrays “levels of demonization.”  Most of us have heard about being “demon possessed,” you know, the kind of thing you see in the Exorcist.  In fact, the Bible (specifically the New Testament) uses the phrase “demon possessed” 11 times.  It comes from the Greek “daimonizomai.”

However, a literal understanding of daimonizomai, is “to be demonized.”  That is, being acted upon by a demonic spirit(s) who is wrestling you away from God’s best.  I believe we all experience demonic activity to some level.  But do we recognize it?  Do we really believe this could happen to us?

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
- Ephesians 6: 12 -

Levels of Demonization
The best way I know how to think about demonization is on a spectrum.  On one end of the scale demonic activity is like a pesky fly that you want to swat away.  On the other end is full bondage, the demon has control of the body.  And, of course, stuff in between.  Here is a brief description for each notable “stage” on the spectrum.

1. Harassment – the effort to get me off of my appointed task. The result is apathy towards God’s work vs. passion
2. Oppression – a fog that limits your perspective and clouds your vision.  The result is discouragement vs. courage to move in God’s will.
3. Affliction – a physical malady that can bring physical pain.  The result is despair about the future vs. hope.
4. Bondage – a power that paralyzes us from the freedom Christ intends.  The result is surrender to the enemy vs. surrender to Christ.

In October 2008, I preached on this topic, and I have re-posted those sermons here.  Below are their titles, with a brief description and a link to each of the posts.

The Others  (Part 1): Eyes to See, Ears to Hear
We kick off our new series by looking at how we determine reality and the impact that can have on our relationship with God.

The Others (Part 2): The Great War
Who are the players in this epic war of good vs. evil? What is the driving motive of the enemy, and what is God’s response?

The Others (Part 3): Mimic
So far we’ve considered the need to understand reality by not only the physical lens, but also through the spiritual lens.  We’ve looked at who the “players” are in this epic battle, and what is driving the efforts of the enemy.  Here is the question I want us to wrestle with this morning, “As we move through life, aware of these forces, how do I know what to do in moments of significant decision?  How do we discern the works of the enemy & the work of God?  Where do we turn for counsel, advise, and wisdom?

The Others (Part 4): Freedom
All of experience demonization at some level.  The question is, how do we identify it, what do we do about it both in the moment and long term?

The Others (Part 4): Freedom

Teaching Synopsis
All of experience demonization at some level.  The question is, how do we identify it, what do we do about it both in the moment and long term?

Series: The Others
Title: Freedom
Text: Ephesians 6:10-13
Date: October 26, 2008
Location: Pathway Church

Teaching Synopsis
All of experience demonization at some level.  The question is, how do we identify it, what do we do about it both in the moment and long term?

Demonization is being acted upon by demonic spirits who are wrestling to blind you from the work that God wants to do.

Levels of Demonization

• Level 1: Harrasment – the effort to get me off of my appointed task. (Apathy vs. Passion)
• Level 2: Oppression – a fog that limits your perspective and clouds your vision (discouragement vs. Courage)
• Level 3: Affliction – a physical mality that can bring physical pain (despair vs. hope)
• Level 4: Bondage – a power that paralyzes from the freedom Christ intends (surrender vs. surrender)

Ways we open ourselves to Demonization

• Belief of the Lies
• Garbage in my life
• Unrepentant Sin

Embrace the freedom God has for you by changing my

• Head – embracing the truth
• Heart – seeking counseling
• Hands – altering your lifestyle

The Others Sermon Series
I preached this sermon back in October 2008. This four part series considers the role of “spiritual forces” in our lives. What should our response be to witches, wizards, demons, and ghosts? Are these things for real? Is there really a devil? What does it mean to be “demon possessed?” In this series we investigate what the Bible says about these forces and how we are to respond to them as Jesus followers.

The Others (Part 3): Mimic

Teaching Synopsis
So far we’ve considered the need to understand reality by not only the physical lens, but also through the spiritual lens.  We’ve looked at who the “players” are in this epic battle, and what is driving the efforts of the enemy.  Here is the question I want us to wrestle with this morning, “As we move through life, aware of these forces, how do I know what to do in moments of significant decision?  How do we discern the works of the enemy & the work of God?  Where do we turn for counsel, advise, and wisdom?

Series: The Others
Title: Mimic
Text: 2 Corinthians 11:14 & Deuteronomy 18:9-13
Date: October 19, 2008
Location: Pathway Church

The Others Sermon Series
I preached this sermon back in October 2008. This four part series considers the role of “spiritual forces” in our lives. What should our response be to witches, wizards, demons, and ghosts? Are these things for real? Is there really a devil? What does it mean to be “demon possessed?” In this series we investigate what the Bible says about these forces and how we are to respond to them as Jesus followers.