Author: Pastor'sPonderings

Just a guy who asks questions, considers life and tries not to take any of it for granted

Kicking in the front door

“Knock and it shall be opened.’ But does knocking mean hammering and kicking the door like a maniac?” 
― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

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We pray and pray at times for God to answer our prayers the way that we want them answered.  We yearn and we groan, and at times we call God cruel secretly in our hearts because of the lack of answered prayers.  Could it be that it isn’t so much about His answer but about our asking?  I cannot be calloused here to say to a dying person that it was God’s will for you to die…of course it wasn’t.  I am not saying either that God is harsh and wishes some to perish from physical afflictions, this is not the God I serve.  We do live in a fallen and temporal world in which diseases like cancer and AIDS prevail.  God weeps with those who mourn and comforts those who hurt…it was never His doing that would create such a sad predicament of man.  

But in terms of our every day prayers, we can become like a SWAT team attempting to kick in the front door of an assailant instead of humbling petitioning before God the needs of our lives.  It isn’t about our wants, but our needs that He will provide (which are according to His riches).  But sometimes in our asking (prayer) we become more like Veruca Salt.  Do you remember the spoiled character in Roald Dahl’s book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”?  Veruca Salt was a salty, spoiled brat who was given anything her heart desired.  This led to her downfall within the Chocolate factory, because her father could not give her something which didn’t belong to him.  Sometimes our asking prayers can seem like a spoiled little brat, I don’t mean to sound condescending because I too have asked like this.  Then when the answer doesn’t come to us the way that we wanted it, we flail on the floor and cry like a child desperately in need of  some discipline.  

How is your prayer life?  Are you approaching the throne of God with reverence and fear or are you Veruca Salt, intent on kicking down the front door if you have to?  Take an inventory of your prayer life, be mindful that God does listen to us and He will provide to those who ask in faith and that which brings glory and honor to Him.  

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Thanksgiving

It is nighttime
And we are
Speeding down the interstate
Ambers and reds
Of tail lights and house lights
Blur and whir by.
Frosted window panes
And breath that fogs up
The glass
Behind me my son
Is drawing in it
Perhaps another smiley face
But knowing him
It will end in some explosion
Tinged with violence…
Why are adolescent boys
Like that?
We just passed
Another house,
amber burning
shadows of life
Dance among the festive
Ambiance that
Permeates our drive.
We will partake in it soon
Revelers of thanksgiving,
Soaking in moments
That all too quickly flee
From our limited grasp
Far too soon.
But we are,
And will be thankful
Filled to brim with too much food
And family.
Never take this
For
Granted!

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A Bear in this winter. (A Poem)

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I place hands, thick, dry, worn and calloused 

upon the cold, vinyl steering wheel.

Winter’s breath, blue and frozen, 

weighs heavily upon this steel frame. 

I exhale another vapor trail 

which drifts off into some maudlin 

memory and “want to be”…and then it’s gone. 

The engine protests greatly as I turn the key

and jar it from its frosty nap.  

I am tired…  

I am tired of being tired. 

I sling my computer bag onto the passenger seat

it crunches and bounces upon the springs 

and it mechanically sings in a squeaky voice.

it all too feels heavier than it should 

brick-like, a mill stone with broken handcuffs 

from this fleeing assailant…somewhere out there

I’ve discarded my orange prison jump suit

for some other kind of suit and tie

as an old wire clothes line is bereft 

and vacantly missing its belongings. 

I am on the run.

Someone put out the A.P.B….

Something inside of me wells up

like some untapped oil reserve desiring 

to kiss the blue of sky.

It brims again to the surface, spilling over 

flooding the ground with its bucket lists 

of “what ifs” and “how comes” and “why nots”…

I sigh in my creased suit, loosen my too-tight tie

and now, seated in this cold shell

I brace myself, fingers numbing and aching

sighing and shaking.

I’m not broken, I’m not weak or dying

I’m just traveling down roads

traveled before

staring off into the horizon and considering 

that bear that went over the next crest of the hill…

will he ever come back?  

And then I look into my rear-view mirror. Image

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Just how important is Intercessory Prayer?

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” -Romans 8:26

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Just how important is praying for one another?  It is vital!  Each of us have needs that must to be brought into the very throne room of heaven and placed at Jesus’ feet.  Sometimes though we have difficulty in articulating these concerns.  Have you ever been to the place of sheer and utter weakness?   Have you been to that dark place of loneliness and fear?  Brothers and sisters in Christ, our love and care for one another isn’t solely meant for Sundays in the pews alone!  No!  We have been given this vital task of praying for each other daily.  We, are to exercise these prayers of intercession for one another daily!

Perhaps you may say to yourself, “Well I’m not much of a pray-er, there are much better Christians out there who could do a better job!”  This may be true, but God has called YOU to pray today for someone in need.  You don’t have to be “good” at it.  You just have to be diligent and faithful.  We are all called to this task and we need to be in prayer for the body of Christ.  There will be times when you need prayer and others will surround you.  It will be in those moments when this vital intercessory prayer circle will make complete sense to a doubting heart of the vitality and power of such a discipline.

Brothers and sisters, say a prayer for each other today.  The Holy Spirit can help you articulate it for you.  He guides us in our prayer discoveries and in those dry moments when nothing comes forth.  You don’t have to have all the elegant and “right” words, you just have to show up.  Say to the Lord, “Here I am, send me!” in an attitude of prayer and He will allow your mind to be “sent” upon those people and situations in which need crucial intercessors.

Commit to it today.  Prayer for one another, give thanks for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and pray through intercessory prayer.

-Just a thought for today.

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Thanksgiving, Mystery and Childhood.

I’m sipping coffee, I know what else is new?  But as I sit here with my caffeine companion, blue cup, steam brimming from its edges and handle inviting me to grasp and chug down its contents, I am drawn to this topic of thanksgiving.  There’s a little film booth in my mind churning over snap shots and feature length moments of my life.  The booth is dark but for the flickering of projector light as dust dances in its wobbly yet dazzling rays of ambient lumens.  On screen, I am seven years of age.  Sun burst of blonde hair apparently free from the clutches of Dad’s comb that day laying every which way.  I am content.  No, better than content, I am full of joy and warmth.  It’s like that moment when you will finally see long lost relatives again that you’ve been anxiously longing to see since last you met.  Add to that euphoric sense the emotion of a snoozing Saturday when you have to plan, no chore list and absolutely no where to be.  

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I am more than content.  I am happy.  Isn’t it funny the small things that bring us joy?  The plastic bag of army men that probably cost 50 cents down at the convenience store clutched in a seven year old’s hands equaled joy that day.  Playing on Mom and Dad’s bed with folds of blankets, flowery in a sunburst pattern, abruptly becoming mountain ranges and ocean floors in some cosmic battle between good and evil (evil was slowly scaling the mountain only to be repelled again).  

But it wasn’t the plastic arm men that gave joy, it wasn’t their ongoing battle that filled me with jubilation and peace, it was where I was. And where I was can only be felt in the loving arms of children guided and loved by parents who cared.  We were loved.  Nothing greater a gift can be given to your children, than a consistent kind of love and affection!  I am thankful today for the places, the face, the small joys that I have experienced along the way.  Something as small as green plastic army men on my parents bed still brings me joy.  

May we still find these simplistic moments in our ever complicated lives.  I hope we never lose our child-like innocence and faith.  I’m thankful for still frames, images, moments that still replay in my mind.  These aren’t just memories, they are a part of who I was and who I have become.  Dare I say that we all have these moments of pure joy and peace.  When we felt secure, warm and loved.  It was never about any kind of materialistic gift, but rather, it was about parents who took the time to care and to show it.  

Parents, never forget how it was to be a child.  Never lose sight of the fact that life is still full of mystery and wonder.  Don’t whittle it away with logic and skepticism.  Faith begins in the heart of a child.  Matthew 18:3 says, “And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  We need to return to the mystery of life once more.  

Just a simple thought of thanksgiving today.  

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“My Ten Best Books of 2013” Via: DesparatePastor.blogspot.com

My Ten Best Books of 2013 (#2)

Bob Hostetler is a Writer and Pastor who also blogs at DesparatePastor.blogspot.com

Today’s post is the second in a series in which I ask pastor friends to list the “Ten Best” books they read in 2013 (to date, of course). Feel free to comment about any choices you agree with…or not.

Scott E. Strissel is a pastor and Salvation Army officer currently serving in Brainerd, Minnesota. He blogs at Pastor’s Ponderings. Here is his “ten best” books of 2013:

10. The Poor Will Be Glad 
Peter Greer & Phil Smith

Currently reading.

9. What We Talk About When We Talk About God
Rob Bell

Currently reading.

8. Jimmy Stewart: A Biography 
Marc Eliot

Currently reading.

7. Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II 
Larkin Spivey

This is a good daily devotional reader which shares personal stories from soldiers who endured and survived World War II. This devotional both inspires as well as challenges our faith and also provides evidence of God’s hand of protection and guidance to men and women of faith. 

6. River of Darkness: Francisco Orellana’s Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon
Buddy Levy

This is a historical look into the European Explorer Gonzalo Pizarro and his Lieutenant Franciso Orellana who made their way through the Amazon. I love historic non-fiction books and when you throw in the investigative style with the awe of mystery, you’ve got a good read on your hands. 

5) The Way of Holiness 
Steve Deneff 

I received this book last year as a gift and I was blessed to pour through its pages! It speaks to the heart of our need for Christ-likeness in our lives, the process, and spiritual disciplines all the while personalizing it for the reader without making it read like a textbook. It is definitely worthwhile to read! 

4. Odd Apocalypse
Dean Koontz

I will admit some of favorite novels are by authors who not only provide suspense and action but those who write about victory with an underlined spiritual theme. Dean Koontz is one of my all-time favorite fiction writers because of his knack for writing in a way that engages the reader with humor and severely likable characters. 

3. Falling in Love with God
Bob Hostetler

Every time I read the book of Hosea in the Bible, I am challenged by its words. Bob Hostetler presents the love of God for His people and their wandering ways in a very simplistic yet thought provoking manner. Falling in Love with God was a page turner which also challenged my faith. 

2. Lincoln’s Battle with God
Stephen Mansfield 

Lincoln has always been a figure in American history I have always admired. To read Mansfield’s biography on Abraham Lincoln’s light and his spiritual battles was a challenge for me but also very enlightening with much that I did not know about this famous president. 

1. The Pursuit of God
A. W. Tozer

I must admit that this isn’t the first time I have read Tozer’s Pursuit of God, nor will it be my last. It has become a guiltless pleasure to re-read and seems to always find its way back onto my reading pile. Each time I read this book I am captured by God’s desire for us to know Him more deeply and this challenge to be like Christ in both word and deed. It is, without a doubt, my “go-to” book on the topic of spiritual disciplines.

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“Catching Fire”…at Pentecost

“They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” -Acts 2:3

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The sequel to “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins hits theaters this weekend.  Some, who have already seen it, call it epic and amazing.  I’ve read the books and the tension and suspense within this story is truly heart pounding.  Without including any spoilers for movie goers, just know that Katnis Everdeen and Peeta Mellark  are once again thrust into the famous, yet brutal “hunger games” because President Snow fears that a revolution is at hand if these two champions continue to live.

Readers of the trilogy and critics alike have proclaimed this to be the new standard of fiction literature for young readers.  Though the themes are dark there is an underlying message of hope, resurrection and love.

The first to catch fire:

The disciples were unsure of what to do next, and so they prayed.  They prayed for the Lord to guide them.  They had witnessed His brutal death on the cross.  They had witnessed his marvelous resurrection and frequent appearances after his return.  But they had also been heart broken when they had witnessed his ascension into heaven.  He was no longer physically with them.  At times they felt alone and unsure of what to do next…and so they prayed.  They prayed in earnest.  They prayed out of desperation and uncertainty. But they also prayed with sincere and utter faith.

Then, something remarkable took place.  On the day of Pentecost, a religious holiday which invited religious travelers from all over the world to Jerusalem, fire broke out.  Not a literal fire with flame and smoke and destruction, but an unquenchable fire of the Holy Spirit. The disciples had prayed to God for what would happen next and when it came, it changed the world.

Those who gathered to witness this amazing event were awe struck that simple fishermen and blue collared workers could speak foreign languages that they neither knew or had the resources to learn before.  But the most astounding thing wasn’t the languages but the message that was being preached.  It was a simulcast message declaring this good news of Messiah!

The disciples may have witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon them like tongues of fire upon their heads, but it hadn’t stopped just at their heads, but it penetrated the very fibers of their hearts and minds!  God was speaking to the world so that the world would finally hear the truth and the life!  Simple men were chosen to be His conduit, his chosen prophets of a new age.  Fire spread that day…and people were catching it!  Jesus may have left them physically, but within their hearts God’s very breath by way of the Holy Spirit, ignited a revolution unparalleled by any other revolution know to humankind.

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We can also catch fire:

This flame has not died.  This fire of the Holy Spirit will not be quenched.  But God is still seeking Soldiers of His army who are willing to step up and fight in this spiritual battle!  Isaiah 54:17 say, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper…” Our God will show up to those who are earnestly seeking!  He will bring the fire to engulf us, purify us and prepare us to declare His divine and holy message!  Are you ready to catch fire?

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For Today. (Poem & Prayer)

Lord, today I confess I’m struggling 

my heart not brave enough for the fight 

how can I be your light of encouragement 

when this heaviness weighs groaning on me? 

You know me better than I know myself

all of my heart aches, heart breaks, 

heart’s yearnings and attacks. 

Today, though I don’t feel like it

I will serve You.  

I can’t hide, or fake it…I can’t fool you!

Ignite in me, again your passion

blow into flame this desire

set my hopes and dreams aflame

ignition begins again on my knees

in prayer.  

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Heart of My Heart (A poem for my loving wife)

Her hair of gold
And eyes blue as
tropical seas
She means more to me
than she’ll ever know
Heart of my heart
joy within the happiest day
She is my love and light.

She laughs at me
And all is well
Such a spell I cannot deny
While I, heart brimming
Smile a toothy grin
This is how our world begins.
There captured in a moment
Under the moon’s soft glow.

Some things
Are worth fighting for
Waiting for, living for
Heart of my heart for sure
Of all the joys and folly known
No deeper, no greater
Than your love has shown
My reason, this fool’s purpose
To love you and cherish
These days…
Always
Heart of my heart!

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Dear Boot Girl (A frivolous poem)

Dear boot girl
I see that you’ve joined another group I’m in
Are you stalking me with your peddling ware?
Do you actually sell this crap you post?
Your pictures are phony
A front for the stuff
Are you some helpless girl in Thailand…
Or are some big burly Russian dude

all decked out in your wife beaters,

swigging vodka from a dirty bottle
And hoping to con another naive Facebook member?
Oh dear Boot girl, you’ve done it again
You were added as a friend and then
Your “awesome deals” appear for all to
Bemoan and groan over…
So, sorry but you’ve been blocked and banned…
Once more,
But I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around
On some other page or group or post.

Sincerely,

Everyone.

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