I thought that most people would answer “yes” to this question, however, I was involved in a conversation recently in which two Jesus followers were sharing their lack of interest in Psalms to the point that they even questioned why someone would read them. Their view of this book in the Bible was almost as if it had slipped in somehow when no one was looking. I was disheartened, but I began to wonder if others felt the same way.

The central theme to the entire Book of Psalms is worship. God is to be worshipped in happy times, sad times, scared times, majestic times…you get the picture.

There are three benefits this series brings to our worshipping community as I see it. First, worship is more than singing. How many times have we heard the words, “and now let’s stand and worship the Lord”? We equate worshipping God with harmonies, words that rhyme and cool guys with tattoos leading congregations in song. But worship is so much more than that. At the heart of worship is giving God his due. When we are told that we are “awesome” it makes us feel good because it is a compliment. But, in all actuality we aren’t really awesome. At least not in the most literal form of the word. When we tell God he is awesome, it is true! He really deserves any and all praise that we give him. This series will help us worship God beyond the boundaries of verses and choruses.

Secondly, worshipping God means transparency. You don’t have to read too far into the Book of Psalms to see that the writers lay their feelings out to God. As you read each psalm you see the emotional breadth and width of the writers. This should open in our hearts a sense of transparency to God. God knows when we are angry, scared, lonely, afflicted, so why not admit these things to him and in turn let him connect with us at that level? My hope is that as a worshipping community, Westwind will raise its transparency level.

Lastly, this Soul Dance series will benefit the people of Westwind because it should inspire in us a new way of expressing ourselves to God. The Book of Psalms is poetry. It is heartfelt expressions by men who desperately wanted to know God at the deepest level. Too often we can get stuck in “instructional obedience” to God. By this I mean that we see the Bible more as an instruction manual and less as an expression of who God is. God created song, melody, harmony, color, passion, cadence, rhythm, so why not honor him with his creation? When we express ourselves to God in a poetic fashion we are just as worshipful as a flower opening its bloom, a bird singing its song, or a waterfall displaying its power. Our expression to God should be from the heart, which is where creativity and passion come from. This series should compel us toward poetic expression to God.

You may not be a psalms person now, but after experiencing this series, we hope you will be.

Almost every Jesus follower I know would love to have a fulfilling Christian relationship with someone who is just as passionate, if not more, about Christ than they are. They, like me in the garden, envision an overflowing of friendships that will fulfill them in times of spiritual hunger. But this, too, takes work. Our Christian relationships need to be watered, weeded, and waited upon.

The Friendship Drip Irrigation System
Your garden won’t make it too long without water. And, in the heat of the summer, you can’t just wait for the rain to nourish the gardens, you need a watering plan. Our Christian relationships are exactly the same way. Too many people are waiting for their relationship garden to be watered, when they need a plan to help nurture those Christian relationships. When we wait for the water to come to us, it could be too late. We could be too dried up. We need to have a means to nurture our spiritual relationships that can meet even our daily needs. This can be difficult for some because it means stepping out and initiating. So, why not start slow; invite someone out for coffee, or have a family over for dinner? For those who have Christian relationships already, why not bring them to the next level by asking that person to be an accountability partner? The key is to create relationships that can help you get you through the “dry times” in your life.

You Have to Pull From The Root
Weeds are no one’s friend when it comes to gardening. They steal nutrients from the soil, and soak up water that is intended for the plants your are trying to grow. There are weeds in our relationships that hurt our relationship fruit. One type is busyness. We fill our lives with so much that we actually don’t have time to develop deep spiritual relationships. This is a tough weed to pull, but if we don’t pull it, we will not reap the harvest of strong spiritual relationships. Another tough weed to pull is bitterness. When we have a grudge in our hearts we cannot connect with others. This weed has deep roots and it takes prayer, forgiveness, and patience to pull. Ridding our lives of weeds like these gives plenty of room to the good fruit we want to grow.

Patience is a Virtue
As much as I want to eat the harvest of my garden, I know that it will be months before I enjoy some of my effort. The same principle applies with spiritual relationships. You have to nurture them through time. I know there is a great debate over “Quality versus Quantity” time when it comes to relationship building. However, to me, there is no debate; quantity time wins every time. Sure, it is fun to do something special to build a relationship, but it is the quantity of time together that really grows a healthy spiritual relationship. More time equals more opportunities to deepen the relationship. You don’t have to be at Disneyland to do that.

How is your spiritual relationship garden? Dry? Weedy? Don’t let this summer pass by without being prepared to nurture your relationship garden. You will reap a cornucopia of spiritual fruit if you do.

Wrong! As I get a chance to see the world through the eyes of God, I see something very different. I become acutely aware that this is His Story, and it is all about Him and His glory. The story of the incarnation, substitution, redemption, and restoration of humanity is all about the Godhead. The roles of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in their glory should be overwhelming. The Father’s love for us is unbelievable. The Son’s commitment to redeem us is outlandish. The Spirit’s passion to seal and guide us in spite of our pride is incredible. How can we forget this, and love our own selfishness?

Even those of us who do remember the story and yield to living for God and His glory often forget that there is a world that is dying and still does not know the real story. The evil one is intent on making sure that there are as few worshippers in eternity as possible. He will do whatever he can to steal, kill, and destroy the worship of God. He never quits, and never gets tired, or retires. The reality is that we live in a lost and dying world. Sadly, it seems that most of us don’t care. We live our lives as if we have no responsibility to let the world know of the love of God. We live in fear that to share the story might in some way make us undesirable to those closest to us. We say that we don’t talk about our faith for fear it might offend someone. So, we live good lives, and try to maybe make a difference every now and then. Meanwhile, another soul slips into a Christless eternity with no hope of peace or joy.

My friends, we must not be silent any longer. We cannot afford to live lives that are without voices and actions that back up our words. We must live transformed lives that resound with the love of God, the actions of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Our day to day relationships must be graced with the actions and words of God. We must love unconditionally, and always be ready to give an answer of the hope and peace that lives in us. Our lives should be the greatest apologetic of God’s story of love and redemption. So the world may know!

“We loved you so much that we gave you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, as well.” 1 Thessalonians 2:8 NLT

At the age of 27 I thought I had it all.  A new baby and a loving husband.  A comfortable home with friends and family nearby.  Yet I was angry.  Unreasonably angry.    I was continually annoyed at my husband.   I had a massive case of road rage.  I hated my mom.  My heart was wounded and a number of counselors were unable to tell me why.   God decided it was time to go to work.  Yet He made me think it was my idea.   He knew I wouldn’t have let anyone tell me what to do.  God, and my relationship with Him, was on my heart more and more.  I started going to church after several years of my husband going without me.  I had avoided it because the pastor who did our premarital counseling had offended me. (Surprise!)  When I went that day I was full of apprehension about seeing him.  I made it to my seat without running into him only to hear during the announcements that he was in Romania!  One side of my brain knew I was being irrational.  But the side that couldn’t help the way I felt was so grateful that God cared enough to meet me halfway.  A little ray of light seemed to reach my heart.  How can you not love someone who is so thoughtful?  Especially when you don’t deserve it.

God worked slowly.  Have you heard how to eat an elephant?  ONE BITE AT A TIME.  God started giving me a hunger for Him and His Word.  He showed me who He was and that I could trust Him.  Then He allowed me to be tested.  I went through a terrible depression that lasted two and a half years.  I felt so far away from Him during that time but He was always there.  He used this time to show me how He works through His people.  He surrounded me with friends and family who lifted me up and sometimes just listened and talked to me.    And I made it through.  I began to understand that He was my Father.  My Abba Father.  He would always be there, even through the hard times. Even if I couldn’t feel Him, I could know He was present.   I was so relieved and thankful.  I wanted everyone to know how much I loved Him.  I was baptized on Easter Sunday at the same age Jesus was when He was baptized.  That will always be special to me.  I feel like that was when my heart really started to change.

God continued to show me more and more of Himself through Bible studies.  After a few years my anger just seemed to have drained away.  I think the key to that was learning to turn my focus from the inside out.  I loved Jesus so much and was so thankful for who He was and not just what He did for me. He was healing my heart.  I started praying that there would be less of me and more of Jesus in my life.  He answered that prayer in big and small ways.   I loved helping people and was learning how to love them better.  The whole time Jesus was equipping me for a huge battle.  The end of my marriage.

I’ve been divorced since July and am now a single mom of three kids.  I went back to work after almost ten years of being a stay at home mom.  I’m living alone and paying the bills for the first time ever.    I’m going through the hardest time I’ve ever encountered in my life.  And I’m at peace.  I experience joy more than sadness.  I have bad days but the good days far outweigh them.  Jesus does this.  If I hadn’t had the relationship I had with Him before this turmoil I hate to think of what my life would look like and how sick my heart would be.  Being at peace isn’t enough though.  I’m trying hard to love my ex-husband.  Not just in my heart but in word and deed.  Jesus is still growing me.  Every day He gives me a new insight into what His will is for me.  Die to self.  Love others.  Feed the hungry.  Serve others.  Know Me.  Trust.  Make disciples.

God healed my heart.  He has a purpose for me.  He loves me enough to answer my prayers, big and small.  He wants to get me somewhere.  He keeps walking in front of me and coaxing me forward.  He’s always been faithful to me.  He’s always there.  He’s transforming me.  He wants to transform YOU too.  He has a purpose for YOU too.  Take his hand.  You’ll never regret it.

That’s how we can sometimes view the story of our own salvation experience if doesn’t seem to have all the elements of a good Hollywood movie. If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves wishing we’d been saved out of a drug addiction or a life of crime. Or maybe that we’d had some sort of vision that led us from voodoo and witchcraft to the Savior.

Some of us have those stories. Most of us don’t.

My own story can seem so plain vanilla as to be embarrassing if I look at it wrong. I grew up going to church because my parents and their parents had for decades. I was taught and believed the Scriptures my whole life. I professed Christ and was baptized at age 10. Riveting stuff, huh? I can just see my neighbors beating a path to my door to hear more about that. Spielberg called just the other day to get the rights to film this one.

Now take Paul. There was somebody with a great story to tell. Persecutor of the church on a mission to yet another city to round up hated believers gets struck down by a blinding light and hears Christ speaking to him. “I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness.” Paul goes on to become one of the pillars of the church, even to the point of giving his life for the cause. That’s got blockbuster written all over it.

But here’s the interesting part. Paul surely retold his story many, many times but a sentence from the retelling in Acts 26:12-23 brings it all home for me. He’s standing in front of Roman governor Festus and King Agrippa and his sister Bernice – powerful people. If he can just get them sympathetic to his case (he’d been wrongly accused by the Jews), he can go free. If there’s a time for grandstanding, this is it. Instead he says, “I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.” He then adds that his sole message is that the Christ (the Messiah) suffered, died, and rose again as predicted.

When I put the focus of my story all on ME and what happened to ME at the moment of MY salvation, the focus is totally in the wrong place. Yes, I do tell these things but they are not to be glorified. Paul had a killer story to tell, and he does include the details, but he also puts the focus where it belongs: On Christ. And when my part of the story fades into the background where it belongs and Christ takes the focus, the story is now that story that everyone needs to hear.

All of our God’s stories start before the Gospel is even shared with us.  Paul, in Acts 26:4-11, is speaking in front of King Agrippa sharing about why he lives the way he does.  He’s sharing the start of his God story.  Paul says,

“The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee… I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.”

We were all like Paul at some point.  He strived to be the best Pharisee he knew how to be, yet he had no regard for Jesus Christ.  I strived to be the best girlfriend, the best child, the best student, yet ignored Christ.

Even though, just like Paul, I had no regard for God, God pursued me. He pursued me through his people. Looking back the first place I experienced God’s love was through some family friends. They always welcomed me into their home. They hugged me. They treated me as though I was one of their children. They prayed for me when life at home was hard.  I was never a project for them, but I was someone the genuinely loved and cared for.

God used his people in another way in my life.  Kristen was someone I had met through another friend.  One night we were on a walk and she asked me, “What do you think about God?”  She listened intently as I answered and then asked, “Why do you think you believe that?”  That question forever changed my life and set me towards a new journey.  It wasn’t the words she said, but it was the way she said it.  She really wanted to know.  She didn’t want to know to prove me wrong; she wanted to know because she loved me and ultimately wanted me to know God.  She knew one of the easiest ways to show people love was asking them about themselves and then truly listening to their answer.

Who can you love today? Who can you start a conversation with and ask them about their beliefs? Not treating them like a project, but genuinely loving them and listening, truly being interested in who they are.

This is Easter week. A week in which we celebrate the punishment, death and resurrection of Jesus. Most Jesus followers understand this week to be special, even life changing. However, people who have not made a decision to follow Christ, see this as a Choose Your Own Adventure option. They see this as a path that is chosen that is just as viable as any other spiritual direction. That is because their view of spirituality is academic, not relational. As people who have been affected personally by the events of Easter, it is our responsibility to show the world that our decision to follow Jesus is a relational one, founded on a personal relationship with God through Jesus.

How do we do that? First, by knowing our story of salvation. Seems easy, right? But too often Christians don’t see how their personal faith fits within the entire context of God’s Story. This is so important to us at Westwind that we taught an entire series on how we fit into God’s Story (Click here to listen to the messages). Our stories are God’s extension of the Bible. He is constantly at work with humanity and interacting with the lives of those he has promised to save.

Secondly, our responsibility to the world is to live out our stories. By this I mean that our actions should reflect our relationship with God. Another way to think about this is by recognizing that our personal walk with Jesus should be personal in its intent, but public in it’s expression. Good stories should always be this way. When we have a good story, we want to let someone know about it, right?

This week our Resurrection Encounter writers are going to be sharing their stories with you. We hope that this will inspire you to share your story with others in your environments. In doing so you will show your listener that Easter week is more than a holiday season. It is a life-changing choice that you made. A story that ends in “And they lived happily ever after.”

So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. -1 Timothy 1:8-11

When I was in Brazil at the end of January I witnessed a perfect example of barrier-free care. There is a man in this neighborhood whose name is Tio Preto. And he is homeless. Most days he just wanders the streets and every couple of days he makes his way to the home where I was staying just to talk a bit with the pastor who lives there. Geferson, the pastor, always makes time to have conversation with Tio Preto. And while he is doing that Marcia, his wife, is inside making a small sack lunch for him to take when he leaves. They don’t grumble about it. They don’t hesitate, even though it’s a sacrifice for them. And they don’t hide behind any barrier. They just show him love – no matter what. And as I stood in the doorway watching this unfold one day I remember thinking, “This must make Jesus smile.”

What barriers are keeping you from showing love and care to those around you? Jesus challenges us to set aside the barriers that are so much a part of our lives and make ourselves vulnerable by showing mercy to people and befriending them. Ask God to show you the barriers in your own life that keep you from reaching out. Then ask Him to break down those barriers so you can see people through his “barrier-free” eyes.

“Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I’ve been missing
Give me Your love for humanity.
Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see.”
- Brandon Heath

Our first experience with our Nepalese friends was much different than anticipated. We walked into their apartment and were not only greeted warmly, but I noticed this shuffle of people. At first glance you would think you walked in on a game of musical chairs, but we soon realized that they were giving up their chairs to sit on the floor. They were offering the best seats they had to us! Talk about feeling like royalty! Not much later we were given Nepali tea and then a huge plate of food- more ramen noodles than i had eaten in my whole life. These people had so little and yet they gave so much to mere strangers.

In Luke 5:27-32 Levi held a banquet for Jesus. Tax collectors and sinners were present at this banquet. Not a modern day banquet if you ask me. As I sat in this banquet that the Nepalese had prepared for us, I realize that was what Jesus wants from me…a willingness to serve and act generously to whoever was in need…especially to a sinner, a Nepali, who doesn’t know who our sweet Savior is.

How are you showing care to your neighbors? Can you remember the last time you invited someone into your home that doesn’t know Christ? Now is the time! Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity because it may never come. Be bold! So often we are “hearers” and “talkers”, but now is the time to be “doers”! (James 1:22-25) God will bless your action.

For me, there seem to be two distinct, and very different, motivations I can have for showing Care, our theme this week. There’s Guilt-Care and there’s Mercy-Care. With Guilt-Care I act out of my own feeling of ‘the shoulds’. I should do something for my neighbor or else it makes me a bad person. I should because everyone else at church is. I should because God will be mad if I don’t.

But Mercy-Care is best illustrated in the story found in Luke 7:36-50. Jesus was eating at the home of a Pharisee when a woman with a sullied reputation came and poured expensive perfume over his feet, covering them with her tears and wiping them with her hair. When the Pharisee questioned to himself why a supposed prophet would allow such a woman to do something like this, Jesus responded with the parable of two people indebted to a moneylender, one of them for ten times the amount of the other. When the moneylender cancels both of their debts, which will love him more, asked Jesus. The answer of course is that the one who had the bigger debt canceled will love more.

The one with the bigger debt responds in love because of the size of the debt canceled. The woman with the perfume responds the way she does because she grasps just how much sin in her life has been forgiven.

To show Mercy-Care to those in my life in need of Christ is, then, simply the natural result of seeing how much of my own sin he’s forgiven. To love because I feel guilt is not love at all. To love because I have been released from guilt, and can now choose to love in response, is true love indeed. The first accomplishes absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, while the latter honors the One who showed us mercy.

Nuts and bolts time: Getting involved in caring ways in the lives of those around you will bring you into some messy situations. Some of the biggest needs in a person’s life you may called upon to fill through an act of love will be the result of their sinful choices, maybe repeatedly sinful choices. It’s so very easy to say that you should at that time love the sinner but hate the sin, but the temptation will be to shy away from helping them, to think, “Well, it’s their own fault.” It may be, but care for them anyway.

And the key to doing so is to see things as the woman with the perfume did – through the lens of what she has been forgiven. You can accomplish this by spending time remembering. Remember, in sordid specifics, what Christ has done for you. What sins has he forgiven you? How have you lived in the past that he no longer holds against you? What mercy has he shown you?

That’s our motivation.

In John 13 we come upon Jesus doing something that was not his job-but it was his delight. As the cross looms before him, he takes off his clothes, and puts on the robe of a servant. His disciples are clueless as he begins the process of washing their feet. The task is menial and reserved for those that were considered “inferior.” Jesus, the King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega, the Creator of the Universe, stoops low to wash the dirty feet of his disciples. He washes the feet of fishermen, tax collectors, doubters, those would deny him, and one who would betray him. He washes the feet of Judas, as an act of love and friendship. The Greek text says, “He showed them the fullest extent of his love.”

As I read and allow the fullness of this passage to marinate in my soul, I am taken back by my love and serving others. I do it for so many reasons, much like the disciples I am sure. I might serve so that I can be an example, or to show leadership, or even to participate in service “competition.” Many times the church is filled with a spirit of competition and criticism as we see who can be the greatest. This was the spirit of the disciples, and sometimes, sadly, me.

The longer I live, the more I learn about humility and service. It is in humility that I can truly learn to love others. I mean, really love the unlovely, and those that I would rather hate than serve. It is in humility that I can best use my gifts to serve those that I would rather have serve me. It is easy to serve when something is going to come back to me. It is easy to serve when I know others are watching and expecting it. It is easy to serve when I am on a mission trip. It is not so easy when no one is watching or expecting it.

There is a cost to serving others. Jesus was willing to give up everything to lavish love on me when I did not deserve it. He was willing to serve those in love that would deny and betray him. Am I willing to serve those around me in this spirit? When no one is watching, and no one will know, will I still serve those around me?

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 NLT

Jesus, as he was preparing his disciples for his leaving tells them:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13: 34-35)

As a worshipping community we are familiar with the concept of loving each other. Every week at Westwind is an opportunity to give/get a hug, share in a conversation, or be encouraged in some way by another believer. Our church is a loving church. But this is not what Jesus is suggesting in these verses. The disciples have spent years with Jesus. He is not asking them to love each other. He is telling them that the new command is to love those outside of the discipleship circle. They are to show love to those who do not yet know Jesus. It is easy to love within the walls of a spiritual community. Jesus is telling his disciples that the new way of doing things is to look outside the circle at the rest of the world and show love to them.

And how are they to love? As Jesus did. We, Jesus followers, are to look at the life and character of God’s son as to how to show love to the world. Here are just a few examples of Jesus’ love.

1. He met the physical needs of others
2. He showed grace and mercy to those who would collapse under religious fundamentalism
3. He humbled himself and served others
4. He looked past borders that would separate others: race, gender, social class
5. He gave his life to save others

This is a short list, but we could spend our entire lives trying to master just half of these. When Jesus says, “as I have loved you, so you much love others”, he is raising the bar to a level. That new love level can only be reached by asking ourselves “how can I love others as Jesus would?”

The last aspect of that passage states that the way in which we will be seen as Jesus followers is by how we love others. Think about all the ways people use to show their support to a specific athletic team. There are hats, shirts, coats, flags, tire covers, TATTOOS! You can spend thousands of dollars showing your support to a team that is known for shooting an orange ball through a metal ring. Jesus doesn’t require any of that. He also doesn’t say, “people will know that you follow me by what you read, or what you listen to, or what you wear, or what you don’t do”. Those things may help in holy living, but they will not be the reason why people identify us with Jesus. It is through our acts of love that they will see Jesus. Because he is the author of the ultimate act of love, saving us for our sins.

This week, through our Resurrection Encounter, we are asking our worshipping community to express their love for Jesus through acts of love toward others who don’t know him. In doing so, according to the words of Jesus, those people will have a better understanding of him, and his ultimate love for them. How can you share CARE to those around you who do not have a relationship with God this week? How can you model Christ in your relationships with unchurched people in your environments?

It reminds me of all the times I’ve seen churches set out with the greatest of intentions to love others, share the gospel, and ultimately bring people into relationship with Jesus, only to lose their effectiveness along the way, due to fatigue, distraction, conflict, apathy, and any number of other causes. Spend an hour talking to folks in the church about their experiences in the various churches of their life, and you’ll inevitably hear a wide variety of things that, from a distance, seem as silly as a conflict over feeding and watering the dog.

Churches need prayer. That seems like a pretty basic concept, but at the same time, its pretty easy one to get lost in, isn’t it? Amidst all the ways that a church can lose its own way, it becomes pretty apparent that we’re not, as the people in the pews (or folding chairs or even bleachers) enough to keep the church (or the Church – I forget which is the “Big C” and “little c” version) in line with God’s design and desire to come into relationship with the people he has created.

Paul prays for the churches in his letters to them. All the time. It can be easy to forget that these books that Paul wrote are actually first century blog posts, but its highly apparent that the health of the church is paramount in Paul’s mind.

Always, Paul is thankful for the Church – even here, when he’s about to blast the church in Corinth for all of the things they’re doing wrong:

“I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus . . . . ” (1 Cor. 1:4-9).

He sees the need for love, for wisdom, and for purity in the church:

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.” (Phillipians 1:9-11)

“Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a live worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing good fruit in every good work, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:9-12)

Over and over, Paul starts these letters whether encouraging or admonishing, with phrases like “We always pray for you . . . ”

Always praying for churches? That’s a high standard. Its pretty easy for me to pray for the church (or the Church) on a Sunday morning, or when I think of it, but always? Always is a lot of praying. Paul says they haven’t stopped. To be totally honest, I stop praying for the church sometimes. Sometimes I stop a lot. It can be a pretty easy thing to take for granted, to be out of sight and out of mind, at least until Sunday morning.

The thing is, when we don’t pray for our churches, when we assume that the people are taking care of everything. We assume the dog’s getting fed. We assume that our leaders are seeking God’s wisdom, and that the proverbial ship is on the right course.

So how to pray for churches? Start with the local church. Paul’s prayers quoted above are a great, simple model, aren’t they? He thanks God for them, he prays that they would be pure, that they would be wise. That they would be effective in their ministry. These are great prayers for our local church, and also for the global Church. Above all, I pray that God would be glorified through the actions of HIS church.

1. Know God. “In all your ways, know Him, and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)
2. Ask God. “If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask God.” (James 1:5). For we do not know what to pray, but “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us”-helping us in our weaknesses. (Romans 8:26) The Spirit knows perfectly the mind and will and power of God. Our prayers are unstoppable when we pray according to His will. (1 John 5:14-15)
3. Pray like Christ. Pray His kingdom would come and His will would be done on earth. Consider all the places where His Name is not worshiped. Pray for these places. Pray for God to send out workers into the harvest. Pray for the gospel to go forth like an unquenchable wildfire.
4. Pray for light to shine in dark places. “For God who said, ‘let light shine out of darkness’, made His light shine into our hearts to give us the light of the gospel.” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Pray those who are blind would see and that those in darkness would be drawn to the light.
5. Pray for good news to reach the poor, healing to come to the broken-hearted, freedom to come to the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners. (Isaiah 61:1). Pray for Christ to be glorified and the Spirit of the Lord to set them free. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
6. Remember. Don’t forget our brothers and sisters at work in the world. We can help them by our prayers. Pray that Christ might “meet all their needs according to the riches of His supply in Christ.” (Phil 4:19). Pray that God’s strong arm would support them and that the joy of the Lord would be their (and our) strength. Pray especially for those suffering for the sake of the gospel.
7. Release power. Our prayers are powerful and effective for the removal of strongholds. “A wise man has great power and a man of understanding increases strength. For waging war you need guidance and for victory many advisors.” (Proverbs 24:5-6)
8. Pray Together. Encourage one another so we don’t lose heart or give up praying. “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work…though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12). Jesus said “pray at all times and don’t lose heart.” (Luke 18:1)
9. Pray now. If we wait until we have finished praying for everything else, we will never pray for a lost world. While we are praying for others -God will “accomplish all things concerning us.” (Psalm 57:2).
10. Pray big. “Ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance.” (Psalms 2:8). Nothing is impossible with God.

It’s Geoff’s fault, really. When he saw that I’d be writing the piece for today’s devotional for prayer for our neighbors, he suggested that I write about Prayer-Walking. Okay, so today I drove, but a couple of days ago I was indeed pounding the pavement. And I am…because I don’t.

…Pray for my neighbors with regularity, that is. I do pray, lots. And I pray for family, and the world, and the church (all of which you’ll read about this week). But it’s all too easy to miss what sits in front of me, day in and day out.

Something I learned a long time ago was that I must always be prepared to be God’s answer to my prayers. That is, I must be ready for him to use me in what I’m asking him to do. For me, it’s super-easy to pray for the salvation of family who live out of the area and for people who live in foreign lands – because I don’t see them everyday. But to pray that God would reveal himself to the person across the street means it’s possible, even probable, that God will use me as part of the plan. (Gasp.)

Am I ready for that? Are you?

Of course, Jesus shows us with the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 that a “neighbor” isn’t just the person living across the street. “Neighbor” isn’t about proximity or location, it’s about intent, about the heart. So, my “neighbors” are those whom I intend to treat as neighbors. I encounter a whole lot of people on a regular basis that I need to treat as neighbors. You do, too.

Back to my little drive. Today I drove because I felt chilled, but what I discovered from my walk and my drive was how it put me into my neighbors’ world in a new way. It’s a bit about just seeing their perspective (“So that’s how my yard looks from here. Yeesh.”), but it’s much more. It’s said that prayer-walking gives feet to your prayers. I’d say, it gives feet to my intentions.

I intend to get involved in the lives of my neighbors. I intend to show them by my actions what a Christian is like. I intend to share Christ with them in a natural, organic way. But a prayer from their sidewalk for this to happen just seems to have a lot more teeth to it than a prayer from my living room. Not because God hears the two prayers differently, but because my heart is certainly more engaged in the sidewalk version. And now, I’m far more likely to be willing to be part of the answer to the prayer.

So, take a walk around your “neighborhood” (wherever you live, work, or play), and pray for Jesus to reveal himself into the lives of everyone whose place you pass. But when you get home, keep your shoes nearby – just in case the feet God gives to your prayers are yours.

Luke 10:36-37
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Praying for your family is much the same. There are times you want to celebrate, and there are times you want to mourn. There are ups and there are downs. Sometimes it seems as if God is answering every prayer and sometimes it seems He doesn’t hear your prayers at all. It is not something for the weak or faint of heart. Yet, praying for family is one of the most important and intimate ministries each one of us have. Intercessory prayers for families are the building blocks for a legacy of righteousness.

Here is a simple plan for praying for family members. You can hold up your hand and pray for your family members by using each finger to represent something.

1. Thumb-The thumb is closest to your body, so it represents the personal salvation of that member of your family. You can pray for them to know God in a personal way and that His will be done in their lives. If they know the Lord, pray that God will be close to them in their thoughts and actions.
2. Forefinger-The forefinger is often used to point and teach. It reminds us of the authorities that we have in our lives. Pray that your family member will know how to live under the authorities that God has placed in their life. Pray also that they will be good examples of authority when they are leaders. Finally, pray that they will recognize God as the final authority and will live in obedience to Him.
3. Middle finger-The middle finger is often known as the “naughty finger.” It can remind us that we all have a sin nature and will live in rebellion if we are not surrendered to Jesus. Pray that family members will be surrendered and live in obedience to Christ and His word.
4. Ring finger-The ring finger is where we wear wedding rings. This can remind us of the relationships that we have. Pray that the relationships in family members will be filled with love and care. Pray that they will be healthy and filled with God’s grace and mercy. Also pray that family members will be salt and light to their sphere of influence.
5. Little finger-The little finger can remind us to pray for the little things that come into our lives. Pray that family members will remember to recognize God in the little things that make up so much of our day.

“ Every time I pray, I ask God to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what he is calling you to do. I pray that you will grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers.” Ephesians 1:17-18 Message

Have you ever felt like you are just going through the motions when it comes to prayer? Perhaps your prayer life has become a checklist: Three meals a day? Check. Bedtime? Check. Be with so and so? Check. Bless this and that? Check. For many people prayer feels like something that is done out of daily routine and not a desire to connect with the Creator of the Universe. This is not the way that prayer was meant to be. It was designed to be so much more.

In Matthew’s gospel account, Jesus lays down a simple foundation as to how we are to pray. We call it the Lord’s Prayer. I have always thought that this prayer was misnamed. Of course Jesus is our Lord, but this is the prayer of a son to his father. It is the prayer connection between human God (Jesus) and God the father. In it, there are powerful insights as to how we should pray and why. You will see that prayer is much more than bringing our requests to God, but a daily opportunity to align ourselves with God’s agenda.

Matthew 6:9-15 (The Message)

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

His Kingdom, His Will
When we pray we get to recommit ourselves to God’s will in our lives. We get to ask God, “What do you want from me today?” We know that his desire is for us to live out the Great Commission and the Great Commandment, so we are in fact recommitting ourselves to these endeavors daily. Most prayers reflect our will and our agenda. Jesus tells us to prayer with God’s desires in mind. Considering that this prayer is stated by the person who was sent to be a sacrifice to the entire human race, we are careless when our prayers reflect a shopping list of wants and needs when, and neglect to ask God his desire for us.

Bread and Forgiveness
What do bread and forgiveness have in common? First, they are both what we need, physically and spiritually. We would not survive without both. Second, they can both be shared. We do not ask for bread to just fill our bellies, but to share with others. So, too, our forgiveness in just as important as our forgiveness of others. When we pray to God we should be asking for things that we can use to share with others, whether it be physically related (heath or money issues), emotionally related (strength or character issues), or spiritually related (forgiveness or compassion issues).

Keep Us From Evil One
I often think to myself, “If I were trying to bring down Christianity, how would I do it if I were Satan?” Just like a military general, Satan is trying to fight against God’s army and one of the best ways to do that is for him to have the soldiers of God forgetting the mission that they are on. I see the word “temptation” as the distraction. All temptations are misdirections from God’s perfect will in our lives. Lust, bitterness, greed, vanity are all ways of putting ourself above Father God. And the Evil One’s plan is to keep us misdirected from the plan: sharing God with the world. When we pray against this we are declaring our allegiance to his priorities and not the false priorities that Satan puts in front of us.

So, today as you pray, think about these words that Jesus said to his father as he passionately pursued to fulfill God’s plan. We too, are a part of God’s plan. But it is not so that we can have all that we want from God, but so that we give all that we are to his purpose. Our resurrection encounter should have a prayer focus. A focus that daily realigns us to God’s mission. Does your prayer like reflect that? If it doesn’t, it should. Use today to commit yourself to a prayer life that fuels a missional lifestyle.

In the years since I’ve not only learned to sing like a boy, but I’ve learned that embracing my purpose really means embracing who God has made me to be, and loving His work in my life through my worship.

Worship – an adoring reverence or regard

When I read this, I go straight to “reverence” and skip another important word in this definition: adoration. I think and hear other cliches about worship, that it’s about giving God glory or that it’s a lifestyle, both of which are true. But without realizing that true worship only comes when we truly adore, we will stop short of giving Him glory and living the worship lifestyle He so desires from us. Adoration is a fervent and devoted love. It’s passionate, and committed. Adoration doesn’t take a break, it is freely given at all times. We should live with the same devotion that He has for us, and we should reflect our thankfulness for the cross in our every moment.

(2 Samuel 6:16 (NLV) – “…as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.”)

I think sometimes our external Michal is suppressing our internal David from really connecting to God’s heart and allowing us to truly worship, to allow our hearts to bloom and be as close to God as He desires us to be. In each of us is a need to give our Creator the glory He deserves, but our pride inhibits us from truly being free to “dance” before Him. We are so concerned with the world around us that we fail to see Him in any moment of our days. We go with what is comfortable instead of stretching our boundaries and becoming more like He intended us to be as worshippers – completely devoted to Him no matter how far out of our comfort zone He may take us. We can forego the mystery of His love and the joy with which He created us as individuals in favor of the safety of what we know. But a worshipping heart is a heart that recognizes we are nothing without God, and we embrace the desire to make His Name great no matter the cost. We can rest comfortably in His arms, knowing that “In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust His holy name.” (Psalm 33:21)

Have you taken time to offer worship – adoration – to your Savior today? Have you surrendered to doing your part in God’s story every day? Have you quenched the freedom that was paid for you on the cross, where Jesus opened the door for you to commune with God forever? Let God stretch your boundaries and open the floodgates to a deeper level of intimacy with Him. Think clearly upon the fact that He has created you for one purpose, to worship and adore Him forever.

For nearly all of my mature Christian life this verse has been the cornerstone of who God has assured me I am. Not a person held captive by the constant fear, worry and timidity of my life but a Child of God that has been granted the gifts of power of love and of sound mind; being transformed into the very likeness of Christ through the work He is doing in my soul.

In one of the very darkest parts of my life fear held me captive. I stood as still as a marble statue terrified to reach out of my world for the sake of Christ’s work in the lives of others. I was tremendously paralyzed by the lie that I was not good enough for God because of my own deep seated Spiritual issues. It was during this time that a wise woman looked me in the eyes and said to me, “Katie, Satan knows that he cannot touch you, but he will do whatever it takes to make you ineffectual for the Kingdom.” This was a stunning concept to me and one that left me bereft for the time lost believing a lie that Satan had told me, that my fears were too big for God.

God is so faithful and true, and the truth of who He is speaks into our very hearts when we allow Him to. The truths found in 2 Timothy 1:7 were written from Paul to Timothy, a young man raised by his grandmother in the faith and struggling to lead a church of his own. While Timothy’s circumstances may seem undeniably different from our own, the words that Paul spoke to him are just as true for us today as they were for Timothy and the first century church. Paul’s words cut to the very heart of who we are, a renewed Spirit, made fundamentally different by the Blood of Christ, and while Satan is the father of deception and fear, God, our Father is the very embodiment of power, love and clarity.

It is time that we recognize that our duty as Christ Followers is not to be timid or afraid of the tasks God has given us, or the overwhelming worry that this world may hold, but to hold fast to the truth of God that He has given us a brave, victorious heart. It is time for us to stop living as dead men and women and realize that God has restored us to life and longs for us to breath His life into others. It is only when we release the ties that bind us to the lies past and cling to the promises of God that we can truly become effective tools for the Kingdom of God, ready to be used by the hands of our Father.

I still remember having lunch with a missionary in France who, after learning that I would be coming to minister in her neck of the woods but that I didn’t have a seminary degree, pointedly asked me, “Well, I assume you’d at least know how to lead someone to Christ, wouldn’t you?” Her tone implied she wasn’t so confident that I could. In her eyes, I clearly was no spiritual rocket scientist.

But it was the sermon of another missionary sometime later that reminded me of what was important. He pointed me back to the opening verses of 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul reminds the believers of the gospel message that saves them, if they hold firmly to it: That Christ had died for their sins as Scripture predicted he would, that he was buried, that he came back to life on the third day as Scripture predicted he would, and that he appeared to literally hundreds of people who knew him well.

It’s that simple. It’s that deep.

Fred Rogers (yes, “Mr. Rogers” from TV) once said that Truth is simple and deep, but what the world gives us is complicated and shallow. And the gospel of Christ is indeed a simple one. God reaches out to a world separated from him because of its sin, its disobedience to its creator. He sends Christ, who dies in our place. And he now lives, so we can live, too. By faith in Christ, we can walk with God, once again. You can listen to the “Grasping God’s Story Together” messages on the Westwind site for more details, but the message won’t change.

But more than just simple, this gospel is deep. It changes who we are, it becomes part of our spiritual DNA through the power of the Holy Spirit in us. This is the depth of a relationship. We’re different people because of our relationship with Christ. And this, too, is part of what we share when we “share the gospel”. We share our changed lives.

Another way to say this is that the Knowledgeable Head is not the same thing as the Knowledgeable Heart. The first knows about Jesus, while the second knows Jesus. A stranger can’t truly introduce you to my wife because he’s never met her. It’s just playacting, in a sense. But if you really need to get to know her, then I’m the one you need to talk to. I know her deeply because we constantly talk together, walk together, plan together, share together. It’s a relationship borne of much time together.

The knowledgeable heart, then, is the heart that spends time with its Savior – through reading his word, praying to him, serving him, even spending time with other hearts that know him.

Do you find the gospel simple? If not, maybe it’s because you’re unknowingly adding something else to it. And is it deep in your life – that is, does it continue to change you? If not, maybe you’re not spending time with the One who is the source of our gospel: Christ.

Simple and deep.

Sin is the same way. It will take you where you don’t intentionally want to go, and much further than you ever intended. Repentance is all about knowing that you are going the wrong way in your life and doing something about it. It is acknowledging and confessing that the way you are living does not match up with God. In Hebrew, “repentance” literally means to change your direction. Repentance consists of two steps: being convicted of how horrible the sin is in comparison to God’s Holiness, and desiring to be in the presence of God so much you are willing to turn from that sin. Someone who truly repents, makes and unmistakable U-turn!

There is one crucial thing about the act of repentance in a Christ follower’s life. You simply cannot stop sinning on your own, you need a relationship with your Heavenly Father to keep you living a life that is consistent with Him. Repentance is about entering into the deepest possible relationship with God. You desire Him and being in His presence is your greatest passion. You come to a place where you cannot live without His presence in your life and you allow Him to change and transform your direction in every day life.

David knew what repentance was. After his sin with Bathsheba, he found himself heading down river. He was heading to a place he did not want to go, much further than he ever intended, and away from everything he valued. When confronted, David acknowledged his sin and confessed his wrong thinking and actions. His path to repentance is found in Psalm 51. We find David asking for God’s forgiveness and pleading with God to not hold this against him. He asks God to come near and bring a freshness to what had become callous. Verses 7-12 display his passion to be in the presence of his God.

As you read and reread Psalm 51, what do you find you identify with the most? Do you find yourself heading downriver, farther than you wanted, to a place you do not want to go? Has the presence of God become something you remember but do not experience today? Does sin sadden you for you know it is not God’s desire? What can you do? No matter where you find yourself, you can have the presence of God in your life. Repentance is the path to that relationship. Allow some time for the Holy Spirit of God to work in your heart and prepare you for a freshness and restoration of worship that comes when we surrender our will to Him. Let’s enter the river of God’s blessing and presence, going the right way!

KEY QUESTION: Is your heart prepared for God to use you?

In a sad way, Christianity has become like this. “Welcome to Heaven, can I help you?” is what we think God is saying to us, but it should be the other way around. We should be asking God what he wants from us? We should be hustling and bustling to meet his needs. So, what is the central desire God has for his people?

An answer to this is found in the book of Micah. God shares his heart with humanity as to how they can “help” him.

Micah 6:8 (The Message)

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.

When asked what God’s heart for humanity is, he says to treat our neighbors well, be compassionate to others and take him seriously. This should be the pursuit of anyone after God’s heart. This verse shows that our relationship with God has everything to do with our relationship with others. We are his tools to reach the world. The problem is that we “take ourselves too seriously”, and God’s desire not seriously enough. However, by focusing on God’s heart instead of our own desires, we have the opportunity to encounter Jesus’ resurrection in an all new manner.

Today is the first day of a month-long encounter with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are calling it Resurrection Encounter. Our first week is focused on preparing ourselves to be used by God this Easter season. As we PREPARE for Easter it is important to ask what God’s desire is for us as followers of his son. We are taking this first week to prepare our hearts for the desire of God’s heart: to share him with others. It is our hope that this all-church missional experience will be used to 1) deepen our understanding of the resurrection and 2) create in us a daily missional mindset. We can use this four-week experience as an opportunity to grow in our faith, and in our appreciation of what God has done for us.

KEY QUESTION: What do you think God’s desire for you is this Easter season?

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. (Acts 4:32-33)

Notice that they were “united in hearts and minds” as to what was necessary to share the story of Jesus. Everyone was on the same page. This principle is still important today. As a church, Westwind needs to understand its mission in the world. Everyone who calls Westwind their worshipping community needs take ownership in that endeavor.

Secondly, the apostles testified to the resurrection of Jesus. They made sure everyone knew what they were about. This, too, is important today. In a court of law a person testifies as to what they have seen and experienced. Jesus followers should live a life that is a testimony to what Jesus has done in their lives.

Lastly, the writer of Acts wants the reader to know that “God’s great blessing was upon them all.” The people were blessed by God because of their work to expand the kingdom. What a compliment to say about a person, or a church: they are greatly blessed by God! The blessing comes as a result, not as a precursor. Their participation in the fulfillment of the Great Commission opened up blessing for them.

As Westwind enters into its second Easter season, we want to use this opportunity to challenge ourselves as a worshipping community to encounter the resurrection in our daily lives. This happens as people open their lives to “testifying powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.”

We are offering a 4-week Resurrection Encounter to help inspire and equip people to make Easter an opportunity to spread the Good News of the resurrection in their environments. Over the next four weeks we are offering daily devotionals that will walk the reader through a four-step missional approach (Prepare, Prayer, Care, Share). We hope you will participate in this with us as we seek to make this Easter season an opportunity to receive “God’s great blessing.”

1. Snow storms. Just plain heavy snow falling straight down. The kind that piles up to more than a foot of white powder and changes the landscape overnight. Trying to move it can be a difficult task, especially when the plow brings it right back into your driveway.
2. Ice storms. The kind that leaves everything looking like crystal. It is beautiful, but it can be deadly on the roads, and it snaps trees and power lines alike. Walking down or up the driveway is an adventure!
3. Blizzards. The fury of the wind and the snow make everyone scramble inside and stay. This storm shuts down cities and even the interstates.
4. Bitter cold. The kind that makes your nostrils hurt when you breathe. Cars won’t start, pipes freeze and burst, even your bones hurt! You add a wind chill, and even though the sun can be shining, it is painful.
5. Heavy fog. The kind that is so thick, you can almost feel it on your skin as you go outside. This kind of storm is deceitful, for you think that it is safe, yet driving in it is hazardous due to the limited visibility.

As we experienced all of these storms this winter, I have had plenty of time to pause and ponder the difference in each one. While they are all storms, they each have their own personality and individual afflictions. I was reminded of the types of storms that come into our lives and how they, too, are all difficult, yet unique.

1. Snow storms. The times in our lives when we are overloaded and burdened. We feel like we can never keep up. With each shovelful, the load gets heavier. We feel buried underneath the weight.
2. Ice storms. The times we are on a slippery slope that we are not sure how to navigate. It can even seem beautiful at times. We think we can manage it alone, and then find ourselves spinning out of control into an area of sin.
3. Blizzards. These are the times for which we can’t even begin to prepare. It paralyzes our every movement. We are in a storm of life, and we know it! Everything shuts down.
4. Bitter cold. When things appear to be okay, but we are hurting and no one may know it. We try to keep moving, but the pain of living seems too great to go on.
5. Heavy fog. Where we lose direction and are not sure which way to turn, when we want God to tell us where to go or what to do, but He seems silent. We lose our vision and direction.

James 1 tells us that the storms in our lives are inevitable. He doesn’t say if storms come our way, but when they come our way (1:2). We can be sure that our Heavenly Father allows these storms to come our way so our dependence on Him will grow. God wants to make us mature, strong, and complete in him. Storms are the avenue to that destination. The outcomes of strength in character and wisdom for living come only through the storms of life. They are very hard to endure and can seem, at times, like they are breaking us. It is then that we have to be sure that all our trust in the One who is in ultimate control of the storm, and He will see us through. We can be assured that going through the storms of life will bring us to a new level of love for God and passion for His glory!

So…even though spring is officially still weeks away, and we still have the snowiest time of the year ahead, we can take heart. Sit back, have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, build a fire in the fireplace, and enjoy the storm. This too shall pass.

Now it was night and stars were bright.
All the bustle has ceased for the moment.
I rolled out my blanket, stretched out by the fire,
And readied to catch a few winks.
I thought about stories I had heard through the years.
Of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
How God would provide, and lead and guide,
And give victory over foe and fears.

It started with nothing more than a breeze.
A blowing that wasn’t the same.
Then it grew louder, and then it was brighter.
The sky was now all aflame!
I was fearful and wondered what it could be
That would make this strange thing occur
Was it storming? Was I dying?
It now all became a blur!

With a shout and scream, and a blast of a horn,
An army now came into sight.
This was an army like I’d never seen!
Their appearance gave me a fright.
Their number was huge, all over the sky,
They looked like they’d just come from battle.
They yelled, and sang, and shouted out praise,
I admit, I was quite rattled.

These angels were giving glory to Yaweh,
The God of heaven and earth.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The forefathers of my nation of birth.
They said not to fear, and not run away,
For the news they were bringing
Would give us great joy
Soon we would be singing!
A messiah was promised,
This we all knew.
Our nation had waited so long.
He would bring hope
And joy to our people
And make right all that was wrong

They sang of peace, and goodwill to all
A Savior they said had been born.
A stable was the place of his birth.
Out of the way and very forlorn.
He was to be found in a simple manger
With animals in His presence
No riches or gowns or presents of splendor for
This king who would make such a difference.

Then they were gone and silence returned.
We were left in amazement and wonder.
We looked at each other and looked to the sky
This message we now had to ponder.
We decided to go and see for ourselves
This thing that we had been told
Could it be? Was it all true?
This promised messiah of old?

So we ran and raced to the little town
Where so many had come to reside
And we found the place the angels had said
We paused and we stepped inside.
We came to the place where the baby laid
And to our knees did we fall
And gave Him our worship, and adoration
We knelt there in wonder and awe.

How long we stayed I don’t really know
For time was forgotten that night
We returned to the fields, laughing and shouting
Telling everyone of the glad sight
Of a baby that came to bring hope to the lost
Of Messiah who came to bring peace
We did not know that price to be paid
Would come in the form of a cross.

As I reflected on the scurry of the weekend. I was reminded of another “Black Friday.” This day was another day for a purchase. It was the most important purchase of all. This “Black Friday” was a day for which we should truly be thankful. On that day over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ went “shopping” for the Salvation of our souls. On that day, however, there were no specials, or advertisements, and no one was waiting in line. There was only one way this purchase could be made and it had to be in person. The precious blood of Jesus was the payment for my sin and it bought me eternal life when I accept it. I Corinthians 6:19-20 tell us this, “Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? God now owns all of you, the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.” (The Message.) We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

So as you celebrate this weekend, don’t forget that God has his own “Black Friday” purchase, and it is very special. You are that purchase, and it does have a return date. I look forward to that day that Jesus will come again and take me to my forever home.

Happy Thanksgiving, and be safe shopping!

Let us know what you’re thankful for in the comments section. r.

10 REASONS PEOPLE LEAVE THE CHURCH

1. I don’t believe in organized religion
2. I have my own way of connecting with God
3. I got tired of the church always asking for money
4. My life situation changed, and I just never went back
5. I don’t have to go to church to be a good person
6. I’m too busy, and Sundays are my only time to rest
7. Church is boring
8. The people tend to have their own cliques–I never fit in
9. Christians are judgmental and hypocritical
10. I don’t think I’d be welcome anymore–I’ve done some bad stuff

I am sure we have heard some or all of these before. More importantly, Westwind understands why people are coming back to church.

REASONS PEOPLE ARE HEADING BACK TO CHURCH

1. Time with God/re-entering of the soul
2. Community and friendship with others
3. Spiritual growth
4. Love and forgiveness
5. Peace
6. Healthier family life
7. Healthier life balance

As Westwind continues to teach God’s Word and promote transformational living, let’s think about how we can help people reconnect with church.