I know much is said about Rick Warren and there are verying opinions of him especially in conservative circels.  However I praise God for the prayer he delivered today.  Here it is both by video and the text

Almighty God, our Father:
Everything we see, and everything we can’t see, exists because of you alone.
It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory.
History is your story.

The Scripture tells us, “Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States.

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama,

the wisdom to lead us with humility,
the courage to lead us with integrity,
the compassion to lead us with generosity.

Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans–united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you–forgive us.

When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone–forgive us.

When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve–forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes—even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy, and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet.

And may we never forget that one day, all nations–and all people–will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life—Yeshua, ‘Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus—who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

And Here is the video

Today I was reading back through Mark 9:14-29 and it was impressed upon me how these verse deal greatly with spiritual immaturity.  I believe spiritual immaturity is a perpetual problem in the Christian life and we often struggle with this.

I picture the beginning of this passage of scripture where Jesus is coming down the mountain and he draws closer to the crowd he hears these scribes just ripping into the disciples.  I am sure the scribes were belittling the disciples and questioning their ability to even minister.  We know the Scribes did not like Christ and they had probably hoped that if they could discredit the disciples then they would be able to discredit Christ as well.  

What I think is great here is that Christ steps right into the middle of the scene.  Instead of tearing into his disciples for their lack instead he steps in and draws the attention away from them.  In essence he delivered them from humiliation.  We could take a great lesson from this.

When Christ asks what is going on it is the father of the child that responds to him.  Then when the father explains what is going on Christ responds with a rebuke.  In this passage of scripture we see weak faith.  The father displayed weak faith in fact he was part of the faithless generation that Jesus mentions in verse 19.  In addition to this Jesus says “if you can believe” in verse 23.  This is followed by the cry from the father saying “help my unbelief” in verse 24.  

This child had not been healed because faith was weak.  Sometimes we like to harp on the disciples in this passage but it was not just the disciples that displayed that weak faith.  There was a crowd there and no one had enough faith to heal the child.  The father did not have the faith, neither did the disciples, and certainly not the scribes.

However we also have to take notice that the disciples seemed powerless in this circumstance.  We all know what that is like.  The disciples are the very people that should have been able to heal this boy.  There were nine disciples there when the man first came but not a single one of them was able to heal the boy because they lacked power to do so.

Now before we get on a high horse and think we are better then others we must notice the rebuke Christ gave.  He looked directly at that generation standing before Him and rebuked them.  But can we really think we are any better.  I mean isn’t every generation faithless and in reality are we not all being rebuked for it.

I must confess I have often been spiritually immature.  I am not talking about I have failed to pray or read my Bible or something like that but what I am saying is that I have failed to express faith at times.  So often I let my circumstance control me rather than my faith.  But that is why I am thankful for these two verses here 

When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?”And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

These verses let us know that Spiritual Power is available and we do not have to me immature.  The disciples wanted to know why they had failed.  They wanted to know the cause.  Jesus had already given them power over evil spirits and they had already cast out evil spirits so what was the problem this time.  Why did they fail when they had succeeded before.  Then Christ gives the answer.

Immaturity and powerlessness an be conquered through prayer and fasting.  Jesus pointed out this one thing the disciples were not living close enough to God.  They were not praying and fasting enough, they did not seek him enough, they did not put Him before all things.  we must crave God so much that other things pale in comparison.

I sit and think how often I have been spiritually immature and let other things step in front of my relationship with the Lord.  How often I have not put him before all things and have put my problems in front of my God.  But it is all taken care of if I only put Him before all things.

These days have been crazy I blogged about it here. So I have not really known which was up or down between going to the hospital, taking my daughter to school,coming home from school, the stress of a baby coming early, my mom coming in a week, and moving man it is crazy.  But…

Today I was doing some reading and read this verse ”She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  For some reason I could not take my mind of this verse it was just stuck in my head.  Now I know we read this verse at Christmas and most of the time we probably just blow right by it but I want to spend some time on this verse.  

Now Joseph was actually going through a pretty traumatic experience.  I know we do not say alot about him usually but think about this he finds out a girl he is going to marry is pregnant and he has done nothing to get her that way.  Then and angel comes to him and tells him that the this child is “of the Holy Ghost” talk about traumatic.  What is great is Joseph did not just freak out and run away, he did not clam up.  Joseph actually did something that we all should consider doing when a traumatic experience hits he got along and called out to God.  Now scripture does not come out and say this but it certainly is implied.  Joseph was a righteous man he probably wept to God and poured his heart out to God.  God sometimes just waits for us to pour our hearts out to Him when we experience difficulties.  Let me share with you a few verses that comfort me when I just need to pour out to God as in these last few weeks.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16).

 

“It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear (Isaiah 65:24).

Finally I love the end of this verse when it says for “He will save His people from their sins.”  Not He might save, but He will save.  Who does he save “His people”.  Those of you who tend to lean towards the Calvin side of things can figure this out.  The Mission of Jesus Christ His purpose for living is to save “His People” I take comfort in knowing I was, and am the mission of Jesus Christ.