Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”

I answered, “A plumb line.”

And the Lord replied, “I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins. The pagan shrines of your ancestors[a] will be ruined, and the temples of Israel will be destroyed; I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end.”                    Amos 7:7-9

~

(Just in case you’ve never used a plumb line, let me explain how it works. Basically a plumb line is a long string with a weight at the end. When you want to establish what is perfectly true or vertical, you suspend the string from the top of a structure and then let it unfurl itself so that the weight dangles straight down without touching the wall or object you’re trying to align.  When it stops moving the vertical line or true has been established. I used one years ago when I was wallpapering my kitchen.)

I am so taken with these scriptures today. I can just picture God  

a plumb line from his hand and then turning his gaze upon His children Israel to see how they line up. Now that makes me nervous. Why? Because I know I could very well be next on the test list!

Stickler for Perfection

Well, we can clearly see that God who created our world and everything in it is a stickler for perfection. We need only consider the beauty of creation in Genesis 1 to see that. Unfortunately, the perfect world God created didn’t last too long. Sin marred the garden and all of creation including people, and we haven’t been the same since. It bothered God that His world and His people were out of true.

At the stage of history that Amos finds himself in, the Israelites were a crooked mess. They had set up pagan shrines and were worshiping false gods, among many other things. We may wonder if they were helpless to do anything about it. After all, the perfect world God made was gone.

The simple answer is “No.”

God had given the Israelites a plumb line to align themselves with, and that plumb line was the law — the rules, regulations, commandments, worship, and sacrifices that God had taught them. This was the way for them to atone for their sins so that they could continue to stay in relationship with Him.  We can see that throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites spent a good amount of time in and out of true and suffering the consequences for it: wandering in the desert for 40 years, enduring the rule of evil kings, and being defeated and taken as captives to Babylon.

Throughout these many years, God sent prophets calling the Israelites to return to the Lord, to get back in true. When they obeyed the law, God would bless them. When they ignored the call to repentance, He would allow bad things like enemy attacks to draw them back to Him, to straighten them out. Sometimes they did. Many times they didn’t. Can’t you just see Israel swinging back and forth like a pendulum on a clock? Something had to give.

Finally, God is silent for 400 years. I can’t imagine going 400 years without hearing from God, but that’s what happened. The Israelites had to wait that long for the next plumb line to appear.

We’ll talk about that in How To Measure Up to God’s Standard, Part 2.

In the meantime, share your thoughts in the comments below about why the plumb line of the law didn’t work so well for the Israelites.

Pray on!

photo credit: Wayne Hatcher via photopin cc

Sign Up Today!

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John: 2

Have you ever wanted to step out in faith for a work you felt God was calling you to do yet felt that something was holding you back?

It can be frustrating trying to figure out what you’re missing. Over the years Mary and I have discovered a few things that it takes to be an effective worker for God’s kingdom.

Three Important Steps

1. Availability. God tells us in 2 Chronicles 16:9a “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” God is watching for people who are willing to be used so He can work through them. Mary and I realize the importance of watching for those opportunities that Jesus brings your way. That doesn’t mean you sign up for every opportunity, but for the ones God has prepared in advance for you to do. Knowing what those are takes …
2. Prayer. Prayer should be the foundation for everything we do, including any new works we are considering. We need to pray that God will reveal whether we should be involved and that we will know how to proceed. I like to pray that God will open the doors I should walk through and close the ones I should not. It also helps to be in good …
3. Physical health.  As much as we can control it, we need to make wise choices concerning our fitness and health so that we aren’t limited when Jesus comes calling. Now that’s not to say He can’t use us if we have a chronic illness. What we’re thinking about here is protecting our physical health to the best of our ability by taking care of ourselves.

Seven-Week Online Bible Study/Fitness Challenge

We are excited to announce a 7-week online Bible study and fitness challenge called Faith & Fit that combines all of these things. Will this solve all your challenges? No, but it will jump-start you on the road to spiritual and physical health to help prepare you for what God has next in your life!

Here is what to expect: Every week we will follow a theme for that week, and you will receive two emails, one on Monday morning and one on Friday morning that contain the following:

• Two Everyday Faith challenges (a short video teaching and scripture reading and study questions) and
• Two Everyday Fit challenges (a physical challenge and a food challenge)

• Extra Faith and Extra Fit options for those who have more time and want to integrate a spiritual discipline and a target fitness video.

How It Works

When you receive Monday’s email, work on those challenges from Monday-Thursday. Early Friday morning you will receive the second email. Work on those challenges on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Every Wednesday evening we will have a live Community Call on Talk Shoe to discuss the previous week’s work.

We’d love to have you join us in this study; as a matter of fact, you can sign up right now.  NOTE!! If you do not have a PayPal account you may still sign up by following these instructions:

1. Choose the option that says Have a PayPal account?

2. Ignore the email and PayPal password fields and hit the login button

3. After you hit the login button a new tab should pop up below that offers the option of paying with a credit or debit card or Bill  Me Later.

In addition to the all the above,  we’ll also include some recipes that Mary and I have created made with healthy ingredients that taste good, because we think that good health should be fun too. Here’s a sneak peek at one of the recipes to have as an occasional treat.
Tropical Sunrise Smoothie

I cup yogurt (Greek or regular), plain
2 oranges, seeds removed
1/2 lemon juiced
1 banana sliced into chunks
2 wedges cantaloupe sliced into chunks
Coconut water as needed (look for this in cartons in the Gatorade aisle)
Ice cubes to your liking

Juice the lemon first and pour it in the blender. Add all the other ingredients and process until smooth. Serves two. (If you are diabetic, this recipe may be too high in sugar for you.)

You’ll also have access to a private Facebook Faith & Fit page to post your workouts, share your successes and challenges, and share your prayer requests and encouragement.

What do you have to lose, except some bad habits? : ) Grab your Mom, sister, friends, or yourself and sign up today. We begin on Monday, September 8. Hope to see you there!

 “Prayer is entering into relationship with God so we can determine His will in the matter and call His will into existence upon the earth.” 

Elisabeth Alves, Becoming a Prayer Warrior (22)

I love this definition of Elizabeth’s. It makes me feel like I’m in partnership with God by helping usher in his kingdom to the earth. Audacious work, don’t you think?

Prayer can be confusing. How exactly do I go about it? What praying looks like probably differs from Christian to Christian, but I wanted to pinpoint some of the things that prayer time should include.

 Consistent Prayer Time

First, our prayers need to be ongoing and consistent. See Acts 6:1-4 and Romans 12:10-12. In Acts the apostles recruited some help to free up their time for the important job of “prayer and the ministry of the word.” Whether your work is raising a family, holding down a job, or running a ministry, carving out regular time for prayer is important to that work.

It helps to choose a time of day to pray and then stick to it. Part of that will be based on your own natural body clock, and the other part will be based on your schedule. It has worked out for me to pray in the mornings because I am a morning person. I feel renewed in the mornings; I love the feeling that I have a thus-far unblemished day stretching before me, and to start it with prayer puts me in the right mindset. I also know myself. If I don’t pray in the morning, the tyranny of the schedule takes over, and I rarely get back to prayer later in the day.

My college-aged daughter on the other-hand, can barely function in the mornings but comes alive in the afternoons and evenings, long after I have clocked out for the night. She likes to have her prayer time in the evenings. I also know people who pray while commuting to work by bus or car. Experiment to see what works for you.

 Where to Pray

Having a special place to pray can help you focus and set the mood for prayer. In the warm months (May – October for me), my favorite prayer spot is my backyard deck. The early morning sun, birds singing, and butterflies flitting from flower to flower fill me up with God’s creation, and my prayers seem to bloom right alongside the nature I’m immersed in.

In the colder months, I park on the couch by my picture window which overlooks the backyard deck. I can still see nature in the changing seasons right outside my window.

Naturally, it helps if your prayer place is relatively quiet and free of interruptions. But if you have little ones, don’t be discouraged. Use the free minutes you have, and include your children when you can. What better way to instruct your children to pray than by pulling them up on your lap with you while you pray?

*Update: Special Prayer Places

I’ve recently discovered a church down the block from my house that has a beautiful prayer chapel that is open to the public. Once or twice a month I love to go to this chapel for a time of in-depth, focused prayer with God. I’ve also found a prayer retreat center within 25 minutes from where I live. The grounds and chapel are open to the public, and they also have overnight stays that are very reasonably priced. Google retreat centers Indianapolis (put your city’s name in place of Indianapolis) to see what may be available in your area.

 Methods of Praying

Many people incorporate the ACTS way of praying into their prayer lives. It has been around for a long time, and is a wonderful template for a prayer time.

ACTS

•A stands for adoration. Start by praising God for who He is.
•C stands for confession. Confess your sins to God.
•T stands for thanksgiving. Thank God for the blessings in your life.
•S stands for supplication. Present your requests to God.

*Update: The Hour That Changes the World by Dick Eastman

As an update to this original post I wrote a few years ago, I am now experimenting with this prayer method by Dick Eastman outlined in his book. He breaks a one-hour block of time into 12 segments with a different emphasis of prayer in each segment. I don’t use all of the 12 segments, but have tailored them to me, and my prayer life has been enriched by this method. Adding even a few of the 12 suggested segments will open up new prayer experiences for you.

 Prayer Notebook

I’ve found it helpful to keep a prayer notebook of my requests. I’ve used many different formats over the years and am sure I will change it again, but currently I am using a 3-ring binder that I fill with graph paper. I split the graph paper into 5 or 6 columns. Each column is assigned to a specific person, organization, church or country. I write in the things I know I need to pray for, as well as the things God brings to my mind as I pray. Sometimes I include a monthly calendar on which I have noted any upcoming prayer items that I don’t want to forget. I also keep a little spiral notebook handy to record any ideas God may give me.

*Update to Prayer Notebook

My prayer notebook has changed once again. I am using a three-ring binder and have created eight tabbed sections where I record requests and answers: Monthly, Family, Friends, Strategic, Persecuted Christians, Only By Prayer,Work, and Prayer Team. Some I use more than others, with the Monthly tab getting the most use as I put the most current requests here. Tailor a system that works for you, making it as simple or as complex as you would like.

New! Prayer Journaling

I’ve also added prayer journaling to my prayer time several days a week. I have a special notebook that I use to record any insights God is giving me as I spend time in silence, listening to Him and meditating on His word. During this time, I also use colored pens and pencils to sketch out any pictures of ideas or thoughts He may put in my mind. Always make sure that these thoughts and prayers line up with what scripture says. God will not tell you things that are contrary to His Word. (Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. Proverbs 30:6)

I hope these suggestions spur on your prayer life. If you’d like to explore this topic further, you may want to check out our How To Pray podcast on Praying God’s Word. What are some prayer habits you’ve developed? Please share them below and …

Pray on!

Mark and I were cycling recently on a muggy, Sunday afternoon. I couldn’t wait to enter the shade of a tunnel just ahead of us. We rode into the cool, dim passageway, and I could barely see a little boy of about 6 racing toward us on his bike from the other end, his dad just a little behind him.

“Daddy, I love youuuuuuuu!” he yelled, delighting in the echo his voice made as it bounced off the walls.
“And I love you, bud!” his dad yelled back.
“You’re the best dad EVERRRR!” the boy shouted as he zoomed by us, his face lit with a huge grin.
“You’re the best son ever,” his dad yelled back.

I smiled as their voices and love danced through the tunnel washing over us, thankful that God made us privy to their joy. As that little scene replayed itself in my head, the Holy Spirit whispered to me that it is a perfect example of God’s love for us. Sometimes we hit tunnels in our lives where we can’t quite see what’s ahead of us. But we can do just what that little boy did. We can lift our voices in praise to God.

“God I love you! You’re the Only God ever!” we can yell, letting our voices echo over any fear and uncertainty.
And God yells back to us, “You’re the best kid ever, and I love you too!”

Even when we can’t see our way clear, we can listen for His voice, His encouragement, His comfort, secure in His love in the darkness. Where do you need to hear Him today?

photo credit: mripp via photopin cc

Doubt. Hopelessness. Discouragement.

Three feelings that I have struggled with today because of a situation that is very slow to resolve. Yet in the midst of this, God shows me what my place needs to be in this story by encouraging me with another’s story, that of Obadiah.

1 Kings 18 opens with a vignette of Obadiah’s life. He lived in a precarious time, during the reign of King Ahab of Israel. As you may know, King Ahab goes down as one of the most wicked kings in Israel; he was married to Jezebel, a notorious woman in her own right. Together they were a formidable pair. The people of Israel had been suffering through a three-year drought when Obadiah is introduced. The Bible describes him as “a devoted follower of the Lord.” I was then shocked to find out what his job was: Obadiah was in charge of the palace! Imagine that. Talk about being in the lion’s den.

In his position, he, a devout believer, would have constant contact with the royal family. As I thought about that, it occurred to me that it was no accident that Obadiah was where he was. God strategically put this man of faith in the place where he would be able to thwart the evil that was going on around him. And the Bible shows us that he did that. When Jezebel tried to kill all the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah heroically hid 100 of them and supplied them with food and water. He probably would not have been privy to the inside information (and resources) that tipped him off to the prophets’ plight had he been living anywhere else.

As I was lamenting my own situation, I began to see that God also has me exactly where he wants me. Right in the midst of this mess that needs the prayer of a believer. Because only God can “unmess” it. Just like Obadiah, I need to put my intercessory prayers in that gap between heaven and earth as I pray for a resolution to this problem. I may not like the situation, but I need to make myself useful while I am here.

How about you? Where does God have you at today? That illness, that relationship tangle, that addiction is just the place where he needs a prayer warrior courageously interceding for healing and reconciliation. It’s time to get to work.

Doubt. Hopelessness. Discouragement + Prayer =  Faith. Hope. Encouragement.

Pray on!

Mary at Mahseh working away!

I looked over at Mary furiously typing away, hunched over her keyboard eyes locked on the screen. I had been in the same position myself for the last 90 minutes sitting next to her at the desk. We were at the beautiful Mahseh retreat center having been blessed  to find this secluded haven on Lake Bruce in Indiana. With a new study launching in just a few months, we pushed our minds into high gear, brainstorming ideas.

Our desk nestled in front of a bank of windows overlooking the lake, and I glanced up transfixed by the scene in front of me. Unnoticed by us, God was mixing his palette of paints and dusting his sky canvas with gorgeous hues. Crimson reds blended with tangerine oranges as the sun sank in a fiery ball.

“Mary, look!” I said and pointed out the window. She looked up and gasped, bleary-eyed from her work. While the sun dropped below the horizon, we both soaked up God’s latest masterpiece.

“We almost missed that,” Mary said. “God plunked us down in the middle of all this beauty, and we almost missed it because we were so focused on our work.” She made a bug-eyed look and stared at her screen in a perfect imitation of us over the last few hours.We both giggled at how funny she looked, but the irony wasn’t lost on us.

I wonder how often we go through life oblivious to the gifts God gives us.

We run furiously from task to task, missing people in front of us, nature surrounding us, and the strains of music wafting through the air. God created us with five senses and all too often we forget to use them. We need to remember to pause throughout our day, look up, and notice the intersection of the sacred and the everyday. Because it’s where these two meet that we find the fingerprints of God.

Where have you seen Him today? Share your sighting below.