Bullied

Bullied

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:1-5)

 Why anyone would pester Charlotte is beyond me. If the sweet, little face of this ten-year-old doesn't melt you, her cherubic voice will. But a bully tried to stir up some trouble one day. Intimidation tactics, pressure, names, threats – the pest tried them all. But Charlotte didn't fold. And in the end, it wasn’t her big brown eyes or infectious smile, but her faith that pulled her through. The older student warned Charlotte to prepare for battle. "Any day now I'm coming after you." But Charlotte didn't flinch or cry. She simply informed the perpetrator about the facts. "Do whatever you do," she explained rather nonchalantly. "But just know this: God is on my side." Word has it that the threats have ended.

School bullies may not await us any longer, but funeral homes do. Job transfers and fair-weather friends do. Challenges are the potholes of life. So, where do we find the energy to face them? God never promised an absence of distress. But he does promise the assuring presence of his Holy Spirit.

At first blush, a person might assume that the Holy Spirit is all about the spectacular and stupendous. We’ve all seen the television images of sweating preachers, fainting and falling audiences, and questionable miracle working, right? While no one would deny the eye-popping nature of the Holy Spirit's work (like tongues of fire over the apostles' heads), a focus on the phenomenal usually causes us to miss the Spirit’s quieter, stabilizing work. The Holy Spirit invisibly, yet indispensably, serves as a rudder for the ship of your soul, keeping you afloat and on track. So, take heart. This is no solo journey. The next time you feel as though it is, review some of the gifts the Spirit gives. For example, "you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance." (Eph. 1:13-14)

Interesting word choice. The verb “sealed” conjures up a variety of images. To protect a letter, you seal the envelope. To keep air out of a jar, you seal its mouth with a rubber-ringed lid. To keep oxygen out of wine, you seal the opening with a cork. To seal a deal, you might sign a contract or notarize a signature. Sealing declares ownership; it secures contents. The most famous New Testament "sealing" occurred with the tomb of Jesus. Roman soldiers rolled a rock over the entrance and "set a seal on the stone." (Matt. 27:66) Archaeologists envision two ribbons stretched in front of the entrance, glued together with hardened wax bearing the imprimatur of the Roman government. It was as if to say, "Stay away! The contents of this tomb belong to Rome." Their seal, of course, proved futile. But the seal of the Spirit proves forceful.

When you became a Christian, God sealed you with the Spirit. "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." (Eph. 1:13) So, when hell's angels come seeking to snatch you from God, the seal turns them away. He bought you, owns you and protects you. God paid too high a price to leave you unguarded. As Paul writes later, "Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption." (Eph. 4:30)

In his book, The Dance of Hope, Bill Frey tells the story of a blind student, John, whom Frey had tutored at the University of Colorado in 1951. One day, Bill asked John how he’d become blind. The sightless student described an accident that had happened in his teenage years. But the tragedy didn’t just take the boy’s sight – it took his hope as well. He told Bill, "I was bitter and angry with God for letting it happen, and I took my anger out on everyone around me. I felt that since I had no future, I wouldn't lift a finger on my own behalf. Let others wait on me. I shut my bedroom door and refused to come out except for meals." The admission surprised his tutor because John, during their studies, hadn’t displayed any bitterness or anger. So, he asked John to explain the change. John credited his dad.

Weary of the pity party, and ready for his son to get on with life, he reminded the boy of the impending winter and told him to mount the storm windows. "Do the work before I get home – or else," the dad insisted, slamming the door on his way out. John reacted with anger. Muttering and cursing and groping all the way to the garage, he found the windows, stepladder, and tools and went to work. "They'll be sorry when I fall off the ladder and break my neck." But John didn't fall. Little by little he inched around the house and finished the chore. The assignment had achieved the dad's goal because John reluctantly realized he could still work. And so he began to reconstruct his life. Years later John learned something else about that day. "I later discovered that at no time during the day had my father ever been more than four or five feet from my side." The father had no intention of letting the boy fall.

And your Father has no intention of letting you fall, either. You can't see him, but he’s present. You are "shielded by God's power." (1 Pet. 1:5) He is "able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy." (Jude 24) Ponder that truth. God is able to keep you from falling. So, does he want you living in fear? No. Just the opposite, actually. "The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, 'Father.' And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God's children." (Rom. 8:15-16) That’s a pretty intriguing thought.

Deep within you, God's Spirit confirms with your spirit that you belong to him. Beneath the vitals of the heart, God's Spirit whispers, "You’re mine. I bought you and sealed you, and no one can take you." The Spirit offers an inward, comforting witness. He’s like a father who walks hand in hand with his little boy. The child knows he belongs to his daddy, his small hand happily lost in dad’s. He feels no uncertainty about his father’s love whatsoever. But suddenly the dad, moved by some impulse, swings his boy up into the air and into his arms and says, "I love you, son." He puts a big kiss on that bubbly cheek, lowers the boy to the ground, and the two go on walking together. Now, has the relationship between the two changed? On one level, no. The father is no more the father than he was before his expression of love. But on a deeper level, yes. The dad drenched, showered and saturated the boy in love. God's Spirit does the same.

"The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Rom. 5:5) Note the preposition, “of.” The Holy Spirit pours the love “of” God in our hearts, not the love “for” God. It’s like God hands a bucket of love to the Spirit and says, "Drench their hearts with my love." Has it been a while since you were drenched with the Spirit? If so, then tell him. He's listening to you – and he's speaking for you. The Spirit comes to the aid of our weaknesses. “We do not even know how we ought to pray, but through our inarticulate groans the Spirit himself is pleading for us, and God who searches our inmost being knows what the Spirit means, because he pleads for God's own people in God's own way.” (Rom. 8:26-27)

The Spirit comes to the aid of our weaknesses. That’s a verse worthy of a highlighter, because who doesn’t need that kind of reminder? Weak bodies. Weak wills. Weakened resolves. We've known them all. The word “weakness” can refer to physical infirmities, as with the invalid who had been unable to walk for thirty-eight years (John 5:5), or spiritual impotence, as with the spiritually "helpless" of Romans 5:6. Whether we are feeble of soul or body, or both, how good to know that it's not up to us. "The Spirit himself is pleading for us."

Many years ago, there was a White House briefing on the AIDS crisis. While most of the attendees represented relief organizations, a few ministers were invited. The agenda of the day included a Q & A with a White House staffer charged with partial oversight of several billion dollars earmarked for AIDS prevention and treatment. There were lots of questions. How does one qualify? How much can an organization hope to receive? What are the requirements, if any, for using the money? Most of the questions came from organizations. But one came from a minister who had a heart for AIDS victims.

"One of my friends in Miami is dying from AIDS. He spends two thousand dollars a month on medication. With insurance balking at coverage, I'm wondering if I might find him some assistance." The White House policy staffer was surprised, but polite. "Uh, sure. After the meeting I'll put you in touch with the right person." Determined to bring the problem to the top of the food chain, the minister remained standing. He held up a few sheets of stapled paper and said, "I brought his documents with me. If more is needed, I can run them down." The staffer remained polite. "Absolutely. After the meeting." The staffer then fielded another question or two from those assembled when he noticed the minister had raised his hand again. This time the preacher went to the bottom line. "I'm still thinking of my friend," he explained. "Who signs the checks?" "Excuse me?" "Who signs the checks? I just want to talk to the person who makes the decisions. So I want to know, who signs the checks?" Pretty audacious – a minister seizing a White House moment to help a friend. Pretty loyal, too. Does the bedridden friend in Florida have any idea that his cause is being presented just a few hundred feet from the Oval Office? And do you have any idea that your needs are being described in heaven?

The Holy Spirit "prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will." (Rom. 8:26-27) The AIDS-infected man had no voice, no clout, and no influence. But he had a friend. And his friend spoke on his behalf. The impoverished orphan of Ethiopia, the distraught widow, the aging saint in the convalescent home – they all may think they have no voice, no clout, no influence. But they have a friend – the Spirit of God, who speaks the language of heaven.

It's not up to you to pray your prayers. None of us pray as much as we should, but all of us pray more than we think, because the Holy Spirit turns our sighs into petitions and our tears into entreaties. He speaks for you and protects you. He makes sure you get heard. He makes sure you get home. Now, suppose a person never hears this, never learns about the sealing and intercession of the Spirit. This individual thinks that salvation security resides in self, not God, and that prayer power depends on the person, not the Spirit. What kind of life do you think that person will lead? A parched and prayerless one. Fighting to stay spiritually afloat drains him. Thinking she stands alone before God discourages her. So they live in a spiritual desert.

But what about the one who believes in the work of the Spirit? Really believes. Suppose a person drinks from that fountain? Better yet, suppose you do. Suppose you let the Spirit saturate you with assurance. After all, "we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!" (Rom. 5:5) Will you be different as a result? You can bet your Sunday on it. Your shoulders will lift as you lower the buckling weight of self-salvation. Your knees will straighten as you discover the buoyant power of the praying Spirit. Higher walk. Deeper prayers. And, most of all, a quiet confidence that comes from knowing it's not up to you because you’re not alone.

Then you, like Charlotte, can tell the bullies of the world, "Do whatever you need to do. But just know this: God is on my side."

Grace,

Randy

Gloves

Gloves

Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.

But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!

So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent? There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! (Romans 8:5-14)

I was so proud of the new work gloves I’d just purchased. My old set was worn and had a few holes – completely defenseless from the bite that yardwork can take out of your hands. So, I went to the local hardware store and shopped until I found just the right pair. I must have examined half a dozen, and probably tried on just as many. After all, what good are gloves if you don't like them, and they don't fit? And then I found them – with the help of the clerk who did me a favor. She reached under the counter and produced a set still in its packaging. “Just what I was looking for,” I thought. And at that, I cheerfully paid the price, walked out the door and drove the short ride home to test them out.

So there I was – standing in my yard with my brand-new gloves like a kid in the outfield with his brand new mitt. I plunged my hands into the smooth, leather-grained cowhide and . . . nothing. My hands stopped mid-way into the gloves. Seems I couldn’t get my fingers into the fingers. The five entryways were all stitched closed. Mistake at the factory? Probably. Oversight of the store? Perhaps – maybe that’s why the clerk found them under the counter. Who knows? But one thing was certain: my fingers wouldn’t fill the glove. A closed fist could, but an extended hand wouldn’t. “No problem,” I thought to myself, “I’ll just make do,” because who has the time to go back to the hardware store to return work gloves when there’s lots of work to be done?

So, I fisted my way into the palm and parked it there, my fingers folded, the glove fingers flopping in the wind. Not exactly what I had in mind, but, hey, when it comes to looks and utility, I couldn’t complain because my fingers were safe. Rose thorns were no longer a threat. Function, however, was a bit of problem. Have you ever tried to pick up a shovel with your fingers folded inside a glove? Not easy. Neither is mowing the lawn, or trimming the roses. Your hands feel like horse hoofs. Wave at a neighbor, and he thinks you’re shaking your fist. And forget grabbing some shears, or those little plastic whips you use in the weed-whacker. Simply put, I had things to do. I wanted extended fingers, stretched and strong, because I had leaves to rake, a lawn to mow, edges to trim and weeds to pull. Same’s true for God; he’s got things to do, too. But I’m not talking about yardwork.

Babies need hugs. Children need good-night tucks in bed. AIDS orphans need homes. Stressed-out executives need hope. God has work to do. And he uses our hands to do it. What the hand is to the glove, the Spirit is to the Christian. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." (Rev. 3:20) God gets into us. At times, imperceptibly. Other times, disruptively. God gets his fingers into our lives, inch by inch, reclaiming the territory that is rightfully his own.

Take your tongue, for example. He claims it for his message. And your feet? He requisitions them for his purpose. Your mind? He made it and intends to use it for his glory. And what about your eyes, face, and hands? Through them he will weep, smile and touch. As a glove responds to the strength of the hand, so you will respond to the leading of Christ to the point where, like the Apostle Paul, you can eventually say, "I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Gal. 2:20) But the process isn’t always immediate; sometimes it takes a while. For instance, why do some walk with such confidence, while others regularly stumble?

Receiving the unseen is not easy. Most Christians find the cross of Christ easier to accept than the Spirit of Christ. Good Friday makes more sense than Pentecost. Christ, our substitute. Jesus taking our place. The Savior paying for our sins. These are astounding, yet embraceable, concepts. They fall in the area of transaction and substitution – familiar territory for most of us. But Holy Spirit discussions lead us into the realm of the supernatural and the unseen, subjects about which we quickly grow quiet and cautious, fearing what we can't see or explain.

So try considering the Spirit's work from another angle. Think about what Jesus did in Galilee as being similar to what the Holy Spirit does in us. Jesus dwelt among the people, teaching, comforting, and convicting. The Holy Spirit dwells within us, teaching, comforting, and convicting. The New Testament word for this promise is oikeo, which means to "live or dwell." And Oikeo comes from the Greek noun oikos, which means "house." In other words, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer in the same way a homeowner indwells a house. “Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them – living and breathing God! But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells – even though you still experience all the limitations of sin – you yourself experience life on God's terms.” (Rom. 8:5, 9-10)

Did you see the phrases of permanence in that passage? “God's Spirit is in them;” “God himself has taken up residence in your life;” and you are the person “in whom he dwells.” To Timothy, Paul urged, "You have been trusted with a wonderful treasure. Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you." (2 Tim. 1:14) And later on, could the apostle's words have been any clearer than when he said, "Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16) All believers have God in their heart. But not all believers have given their whole heart to God. Remember, the question is not, “How can I have more of the Spirit?” But rather, “How can the Spirit have more of me?” A palm and a few fingers just won’t do.

C. S. Lewis put it this way: “Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. . . . Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the desires you think wicked – the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’"

So, take an inventory. As you look around your life, do you see any resistant pockets? Any stitched-up fingers? Go down the list. Your tongue, for example. Do you stretch the truth? Puff up the facts? How about your language? Is your speech a sewer of profanities and foul talk? And grudges? Do you harbor resentments like boats at a dock? And while we’re at it, are you unproductive and lazy? Do you live off the system, assuming that the church or the country should take care of you? I’m sorry if you find these questions a little too personal, but don’t blame me. Blame Paul. He wrote the checklist.

“So put away all falsehood and tell your neighbor the truth because we belong to each other. And don't sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil. If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need. Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.” (Eph. 4:25-31)

Do your actions interrupt the flow of the Spirit in your life? Harbored sin interferes with Spirit circulation. Confessed sin, however, repairs the heart and restores the power. But it could take time, so don't give up. Don't let stumbles stop you. Come and keep coming. Ask and keep asking. "Your heavenly Father [will] give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!" (Luke 11:13)

Reminds me of a fly I encountered in an airplane one time. On a flight some time ago, a fly was buzzing around the cabin. “That’s odd,” I thought. “A fly flying inside a flying plane. Why would a fly fly during a flight? Does he think he’s helping the plane? Doing his part to keep the aircraft airborne?” Why did the fly in the plane fly in the plane? Why didn’t the fly just light for a moment and enjoy the flight? Maybe he thought the airplane needed him. And just like that, he flew to the front of the plane.

Moments later, however, he returned, this time looking far less confident than before. Fear flickered in his tiny, little eyes. "I don't think I can keep it up,” he said. "Keep what up?" "The plane! I don't think I can keep the plane up. I'm flying as furiously as I can. But my wings are getting tired. I don't know how long I can do this." “But don't you know it's not up to you? Look. You’re surrounded by strength, and held aloft by a power that isn’t your own. So, stop flying. It's not up to you to get this plane home." Insulted, he buzzed off.

Granted, I don’t make a habit of speaking to flies, although I have had a few choice words for them at home lately. But we all fly furiously back and forth, ever busy, always thinking that the success of this journey is up to us. And we fear letting up, don’t we? Well then, stop for a moment and look out the windows. God's wings sustain you. His engines empower you. You can flap like a fly and not accelerate this flight. It's your job to rest and receive.

Accept his power. You be the glove and let him get his hand deep into your life. Surrender to his plan. And then keep at it. Unceasingly seek God's Spirit. Accept. Surrender. Keep at it. “A-S-K.” Ask. Seek. Knock. A-S-K. "Your Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13)

So, let God put his Spirit deep into the fingers of the glove that’s your life. Then, you’ll truly be able to experience the hand-in-glove relationship that he died to give you.

Grace,

Randy

Wait

Wait

Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him — but some of them doubted! (Matt. 28:16-17)

Apparently, three years of miracles weren't enough. Nor were forty days at the Resurrection Retreat Center. They'd seen him empty tombs and dictate weather patterns, but some of them still doubted. Really? Who knew him better than they? Ask them a Christ question. Go ahead. Anything. Did he hum as he walked? Pray before he ate? Did he talk to storms in his sleep? And, if he did, did storms listen? They knew. They knew the person of Christ. And they knew the passion of their Master.

John probably winced as the hammer clanged. Mary wept as her son groaned. Close enough to be splattered by his blood, they knew his passion. When it came time to prepare the body for burial, they did. And when it came time to see the empty tomb, they did that, too. Peter ran a finger down the stone slab. Thomas studied Christ's pierced hands like a palm reader. And for forty days Jesus taught them. Can you imagine a six-week seminar with the mind behind the microbes? Hand trained by Christ. Witnesses to the most critical moments in history. These folks were ready, weren’t they? Apparently not. Why? Because "some of them still doubted."

Questions surrounding the disciples kept buzzing like summer flies. Even after a thousand campfire conversations and a scrapbook full of jaw-dropping moments, some disciples resisted. “I'm still not sure.” So, what’s Jesus to do with them? What will he do with the doubters? We'd like to know, wouldn't we? We'd really like to know the answer to that question because that word, “still,” stalks our sentences, too. "I still worry." "I still gossip." "Permafrost still chills my marriage." "I'm still torn between the AA meeting and the corner bar." "I still clench my teeth every time I get a call from that speck-of-dandruff ex-boyfriend of mine." The truth is that we find odd comfort in the lingering doubts of the disciples. That’s probably because we still have our own. And so we wonder, “Does Christ have a word for those of us who are at a standstill of doubt?” Yes, he does, and his instruction might surprise you.

What he told them, Jesus tells us. "Don't leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I told you he has promised to do." (Acts 1:4) Jesus's word to the doubting disciples? "Wait." Before you go out, stand still. Prior to stepping out, sit down. "Stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven." (Luke 24:49) So they do. "They went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. . . . They all met together continually for prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus."
(Acts 1:13-14)

They have reasons to leave, of course. Someone has a business to run; another has a field to farm. Besides, the same soldiers who killed Christ are still walking Jerusalem's streets. The disciples have ample reason to leave . . . but they don't. They stay. And they stay together. "They all met together continually." As many as 120 souls huddle in the same house. Imagine, then, how many potential conflicts existed in that group. Talk about a powder keg.

Nathanael might glare at Peter for denying Christ at the fire. Then again, at least Peter stood near the fire. He could resent the others for running. So could the women. Faithful females who stood near the cross share the room with cowardly men who fled the scene. The room is ripe for conflict. Mary could demand special treatment. Jesus's blood brothers are in the room. They once tried to lock up Christ. Who's to say they won't lock up his followers? And isn't this a men's meeting? Who let the ladies in? Bitterness, arrogance, distrust, chauvinism – the room is a kindling box for all four. But no one strikes a match. They stay together. And they pray together. "They all met together continually for prayer."

Mark uses the same Greek word here translated "continually" to describe a boat floating in the water, waiting on Jesus. The Master, speaking on the beach of Galilee, told the disciples to have a boat ready and waiting. (Mark 3:9) The boat was "continually" in the presence of Christ. So are the Upper Room disciples. One day passes. Then two. Then a week. For all they know, a hundred more will come and go. But they aren't leaving. They persist. Then, ten days later: On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus' resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4) Doubters became prophets. Peter preached, and people came, and God opened the floodgates to the greatest movement in history. It began because the followers were willing to do one thing: wait in the right place for power.

But we're so reluctant to do what they did. Who has time to wait? We groan at the thought. But waiting doesn't mean inactivity. Waiting means watching for him. If you’re waiting on a bus, you’re watching for the bus. If you’re waiting on God, you’re watching for God, searching for God, hoping in God. Great promises come to those who do. "But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." (Isa. 40:31) To those who still struggle, God says, "Wait on me." But be sure to wait in the right place.

Jesus doesn't tell us to stay in Jerusalem, but he does tell us to stay honest, stay faithful, stay true. "If you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors." (1 Sam. 12:15) Are you illegally padding your pocket? Are you giving your body to someone who doesn't share your name and wear your ring? Is your mouth a Mississippi River of gossip? If you intentionally hang out at the bus stop of disobedience, you need to know something – God’s bus doesn't stop there. Go to the place of obedience, instead. "The Holy Spirit . . . is God's gift to those who obey him." (Acts 5:32)

And while you're waiting in the right place, get along with the people with whom you’re waiting. Would the Holy Spirit have anointed contentious disciples? I don’t know. But according to Peter, disharmony hinders prayers. He tells husbands, "Live with your wives in an understanding way. . . . Do this so that nothing will stop your prayers." (1 Pet. 3:7) Waiting on God means working through conflicts, forgiving offenses, resolving disputes. "Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace." (Eph. 4:3) Jesus promised, "When two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." (Matt. 18:20) So if you want power for your life, it will come as you "do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible." (Rom. 12:18)

It will also come as you pray. For ten days the disciples prayed. Ten days of prayer plus a few minutes of preaching led to three thousand saved souls on one day. Too often, however, we invert the numbers. We're prone to pray for a few minutes and preach for ten days. Not the apostles. Like the boat waiting for Christ, they lingered in his presence. They never left the place of prayer. Biblical writers spoke often of this place. Early Christians were urged to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17); to "always be prayerful" (Rom. 12:12); and to "pray at all times and on every occasion." (Eph. 6:18)

Remember the adverb “continually” that described the Upper Room prayer of the apostles? It's used to describe our prayers as well: "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." (Col. 4:2) Sound burdensome? For instance, are you wondering, “My business needs attention, my children need dinner, my bills need paying. How can I stay in a place of prayer?” Unceasing prayer may sound complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. Do this – change your definition of prayer.

Think of prayer less as an activity for God, and more as an awareness of God. Seek to live in uninterrupted awareness. Acknowledge his presence everywhere you go. As you stand in line to register your car, think, “Thank you, Lord, for being here.” In the grocery store as you shop, “Your presence, my King, I welcome.” As you wash the dishes, worship your Maker. Brother Lawrence did. This well-known saint called himself the "lord of pots and pans." In his book The Practice of the Presence of God, he wrote: “The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.”

Though a rookie in the League of Unceasing Prayer, I’ve been enjoying the pursuit. I've discovered the strength of carrying on two conversations: one with a person, another with the Person. One can, at once, listen and petition. As a person unfolds his or her problem, for instance, I'm often silently saying, “God, a little help here, please?” He always provides it. I've also discovered the delight of regular sips from his water cooler. Lately, throughout any given day, my thoughts are marked with phrases like, “Guide me, God,” or “Forgive that idea, please,” or “Please God, protect my wife and children today.”

One last thought. The Upper Room was occupied by 120 disciples. Since it’s been estimated that there were about 4,000,000 people in Palestine at the time (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976) p. 15), that means that fewer than 1 in 30,000 was a Christian. Yet look at the fruit of their work. Better said, look at the fruit of God's Spirit working within them. We can only wonder what would happen today if we, who still struggle, did what they did: wait on the Lord in the right place.

Grace,

 Randy