Greetings Everyone!
Here we are on the 24th and Jan's and my summer will be "over" Sunday August 7th as she returns Monday the 8th to Monte Vista Christian School for her 17th year! Since school days were over on June 3rd, many things have happened that have allowed me reasonable time for introspection and reading, a dangerous proposition indeed!
One book that I thought would be a full summer read is Steve Lightle's Operation Exodus II. One definitely needs to put on their prophetic seatbelt for this tome! I received this book from my young friend, Pastor Jesse West of Pleasure Point Community Church and found many affirming, time honoured principles to life: prayer, vision, obedience, intercession, God's victories, focus, etc. In addition, this "report" is filled with those stories we hear about in Africa, Asia and the like, unbelievable and crazy miracles that aren't as apparent here in the west. Four days and 6 pages of notes later, I'm on to my backup read, JERUSALEM, by Simon Sebag Montefiore. This 650 page "anthem" attempts to tell the chronological history of King David's home, bringing all the characters to life from a balanced perspective. Hmmm, I'll let you know in a couple of years! This will be like wading through Doris Kearns Goodwin's LINCOLN, a slog, but utterly worthwhile on the other side. I hope some of our political leaders will heed Lincoln's thoughts and implementations on team building!
Unfettered time also leads me to hang out in "Oswald-Land" and June provokes much thought on prayer and personal connections to God...hmmm, maybe that's every month! Well, June 1st set the stage we all face, "can a twisted life be made right?"
In always attacking "common sense", Oswald digs in the skewer, "...(our religious common sense says), Oh, yes, with just a little more Bible reading, devotional time, and prayer, I see how it can be done.”
Then comes the spiritual brain twister, "It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration. That is why we see so few fellow workers with God, yet so many people working for God. We would much rather work for God than believe in Him. Do I really believe that God will do in me what I cannot do? The degree of hopelessness I have for others comes from never realizing that God has done anything for me. Is my own personal experience such a wonderful realization of God’s power and might that I can never have a sense of hopelessness for anyone else I see? Has any spiritual work been accomplished in me at all? The degree of panic activity in my life is equal to the degree of my lack of personal spiritual experience." (Bold and underline, both Oswald and me...original text http://utmost.org/the-staggering-question/ )
What's the level of our panic activity thermometer as we motor though summer? Are we, or can we, put this kind of panic out of lives for good...now? Can these kernels you've heard before become true for us?
"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the whole earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." (2 Chron 16:9a)
And...
"LORD, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works." (Isa 26:12)
Thoughts?
