Prayers of Generations Past

“Then this thought burst into my mind, “After I am in heaven with Jesus, the only way I can still affect the generations that follow is through prayers I prayed while living on this earth!” Tears emerge. Heart warms. God bumps ignite. We see this over and over in God’s Word where God’s promise is fulfilled in the generations to follow. For example, Jesus prayed in John 17 for future believers in Him, which includes those even today. Wow, His prayer is still coming to fruition.” - Pg. 24, My Prayer Chair, RLM Ministries.

Carla McDougal, in her new book, My Prayer Chair, said in the third chapter how she got God bumps when her great-great uncle told stories of how many believers sprouted on their family tree. The stories he told touched her heart and she reflected on Psalm 145:4 how, “one generation will praise Your works to another…” What would that look like?

Was it when my aunt scrawled her God-notes on cards to me? Did she whisper prayers about me as she wrote those notes and put in her “treat money?” I think she died before she knew the fruit of her prayers in my life and what God would and still is doing in it.

Carla wrote, too, how Jesus prayed for believers not yet born. I thought about how Abraham was told by God that he would become the father of Israel. He would not see the fruit of his prayers in his generation. Carla asked, “What prayers are being prayed that are being answered today?”

What would our life look like if we had the patience to pray for someone even if we do not see the answer in our lifetime? What kind of impact would it leave if we were to pray bold prayers?

It would change us. It would change our outlook and grow us through the pain and frustration of yet unanswered prayer. I wonder if our view of God would change if we looked into the Bible and studied only answered prayer. What if we sought the answers of questions like:

1: What prayers took generations to answer by God?

2: What prayers were answered quickly?

3: What prayers did God say no to and what prayers did He grant?

Then, perhaps we should look at the substance of those prayers. Do they sound like our prayers? These are questions ruminating through my mind as I read this chapter in, My Prayer Chair.

Book Review: God’s Not Dead

“God must necessarily exist in order for atheists not to believe in Him. There is no other explanation for the capacity to reason (even poorly). Atheism and naturalism can’t account for reason. To say that reason came into being for no reason is unreasonable. The logical processes of reason and deduction in the scientific method must be assumed in order for scientific inquiry to take place; therefore, science can’t verify itself in the strict sense.” - Pg. 36, God’s Not Dead: Evidence For God in an Age of Uncertainty; Thomas Nelson

Unbelievers consider faith and science different as if faith takes an instant dislike to science. God’s Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty by Rice Broocks reads like a history and science book combined as Rice shows how both science and faith are connected.

Rice has spent thirty years focusing on university campuses around the world. He is the co-founder of Every Nation family of churches. He is the senior minister to Bethel World Outreach Church in Nashville, Tennessee and has a master’s degree from Reformed Theological Seminary with a doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary. Rice writes directly to the atheist and humanist. Perhaps because he hated church? “The notion of being religious was repulsive. Church was just a place to have weddings and funerals.” Rice says.

“Skeptics (and atheists),” Rice writes, “Use ridicule and mockery to label people of faith as anti-intellectual or irrational. Set up a false dichotomy between science and faith, telling people to choose one or the other. Keep the debate one-sided by not allowing a dissenting opinion in the public arena, making sure the only places where expressions of faith are allowed are in strictly religious settings.”

So this book is written for them. It is also written for the believer. Rice believes every believer can and should engage the non-believer in constructive discussion. People who don’t educate themselves in what they believe are exercising blind faith. Blind faith, Rice says, is wrong. Rice dissects the arguments of Dawkins and Hawkings, referring to debates and examining the details.

There are lots of scientific details as he goes into Darwinism and other theories. Rice should be considered a formidable foe when considering a debate with him. I would love to have him on my team if debate were a competition between believers and atheists or humanists. He demonstrates a thorough knowledge of atheism and humanists, of science and history.

I especially love reading how our belief in God is so confirmed in science and history. Rice goes into the historicity of Jesus and how non-Christian artifacts confirm, not just that Jesus existed, but third-century historian Julius Africanus cited the first-century historian Thallus, who witnessed the darkness which occurred on the day of crucifixion.

Rice quotes Africanus as saying, “On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the 263 book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun. For the Hebrews celebrate the passover on the 14^th day according to the moon, and the passion of our Savior fails on the day before the passover (see Phlegon); but an eclipse of the sun takes place only when the moon comes under the sun. And it cannot happen at any other time but in the interval between the first day of the new moon and the last of the old, that is at their junction: how then should an eclipse be supposed to happen when the moon is almost diametrically opposite of the sun?”

God’s Not Dead runs through archeological, reliable manuscripts, prophetic, and extraordinary impact as the book sets out to prove the evidence of God through science and historical evidence. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It really affirmed my faith, helped me to learn more about it, and I agree with Rice Broocks that Christians need to learn about their faith rather than walk blindly. I gave this book five stars.

*Book given by the publisher to review.

Take My Fractured Pieces and Make Me Whole

“As a result, your prayer life changes to a twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week living, walking, breathing relationship with Jesus. Begin now drawing nearer to Him in prayer.” – Pg. 20, My Prayer Chair, Reflective Life Ministries

“Life begins to feel fractured when I don’t often seek Him in prayer,” I said to my friend. Lots of good things are crammed into every spare nook and cranny, making use of the time He has given me, and striving to be wise in the stewardship of that time. But we can get carried away.

Our pastor once preached how even good things can keep us from greater things. In this case, my friend spoke to me about how good it was to sit with Jesus and get into His Word after a prolonged absence. She felt fractured.

I agreed. Many times when good things make me crazy, I feel like a plate that has shattered on the floor—in pieces, frenzied, and yearning for rest. Carla McDougal said prayer is, “twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week living, walking, breathing relationship with Jesus.” This is true and that makes my Sundays easier.

My Sundays are for service, not worship. Because I serve, it’s hard to worship in the traditional sense. The band is playing and I am letting God use that day to stretch me, make me uncomfortable, and change me by serving. In ministry, you see and feel too much. It can become overwhelming which is why my worship of Jesus happens seven days a week through conversation and prayer; and what I need is that time on Jesus’ lap in His Word.

That’s when Jesus takes my fractured pieces and gently puts them back into place. He eases away the stress and helps me love better when I make time for Him.

I mean, we make time for our friends to shop, to drink coffee, or to go on a road trip; so why do I put Jesus last? Isn’t He my friend, too?

So I am making a more conscientious effort to make time for Jesus in my prayer chair, my prayer bed, or my prayer kitchen. Some people have prayer closets. I sit in places of my house where it’s most comfortable—the place that matches my mood. Everyday is a chance to worship Him with what we do and how we live; in how we pray.

Are you feeling fractured this morning?

Join me once a week as I go through Carla McDougal’s new study. The last post can be read here. 

I’m Going to Pick Up My Staff

Read Psalm 25:4-5

This is a series based on Carla McDougal’s new Bible Study, My Prayer Chair: A Living, Walking, Breathing Relationship With Jesus. As you read this, you are walking through her study with me. You might remember that I did the same thing with her first Bible Study, Reflecting Him. I don’t know how long this will be, but if you need to catch up, you can go to catagories and look under Book Reviews/My Prayer Chair.

Like Moses, we make excuses when God asks us to step out of our comfort zone and do extraordinary things that absolutely terrify you. In Carla’s case, she was being asked to lead and write a women’s Bible study.

In my case, God asked, over time, first to speak to a group of women on a topic dear to my heart; then to a writers group on how book reviewing and critiquing go hand-in-hand; and finally, to lead a prayer group which still takes momunmental effort because it’s way out of my comfort zone. But none of these things were done without prayer.

Carla begins her chapter speaking about the inspiration for the title of her Bible Study, My Prayer Chair. Her grandmother had a special rocking chair in which she prayed diligently. In reading that, I felt a bit of shame because I take God for granted and rush to His side when I have realized it, to crawl into His lap and hold on for dear life. I pray diligently, but in several spots, over the course of the day, and sometimes like the other day, in my own favorite chair in the living room. Sometimes, I even escape into the bathroom for private prayer.

While my daily, normal prayer is fine, sitting in my quiet living room and being still is by far the most intimate and where I worship God best. I have trouble praying in a large group, especially for a long period of time. Sometimes, I’m into it, and other times, I struggle. I hear every squeak of the chairs, every burp, every sniffle, and when the phone rings I hear it. I hear every intake of breath, and when we are asked to take turns praying the anxiety builds and I begin rehearsing what I am going to say. It’s never flowery or as nice as other prayers, but to speak what’s on my heart is too intimate. Then, there’s my other worship.

I write. It’s how I worship God. I write and I get out. Writing, like a sponge, is when I can wring out all the excess and make sense of the chaos of daily life, like what I am doing now.

I am writing this and it’s Friday. The television is off. It’s silent. I have a glass of Francis Coppola’s Pinot Noir Diamond edition. I followed Carla’s suggestion when she said to pray first, then read the required scripture. I asked God to reveal what He wants to reveal to me. And I am just basking in God’s presence right now. He’s looking over my shoulder as I write. I’m sure of it.

But is He pleased with my life?

Have you ever asked yourself that question? Is He pleased with my choices? Is He pleased with the every day normal that I live? Lately, I have been making excuses about missions, and until recently, kept it far from me. So I tossed my excuses to the ground with all the rest of the litter, and I commited to a short term missions trip next year to Honduras. Naturally, I also volunteered my husband. He didn’t even know of my desire, like I didn’t know of God’s prodding in his life to lead a men’s group.

Who knew?

I guess there is a lot of us Moseses out there, making excuses, living the way we want to live, instead of living the way God would want us to live.

It’s time to pick up my staff.

Are you making excuses to what God is calling you to do?

You Can Be Compassionate

Courage (Photo credit: Pete Reed)

The most alarming aspect I’ve observed in this Christian culture is what happens when a Christian stands against something popular. The worst backlash isn’t from the secular crowd (though that’s bad enough), but from that person’s own Christian brothers and sisters. They accuse that Christian of being hateful or judgmental, using words that aren’t true of that Christian person or business.

Once Christians were a group reputed to stand for something and now I’ve wondered if some have traded truth in favor of popularity, money or fear? Standing against something popular tends to put you in a bad light. People nowadays define compassion as agreeing with the other person’s choices. The definition of compassion per the dictionary is, “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”

You can be compassionate while disagreeing with someone. Love doesn’t necessarily agree with everything the person stands for. I have liberal family members and I still love them, but I certainly don’t agree with them. If they struggled with misfortune or whatnot, they would still have my love and compassion though I may not agree with their choices.

So when a Christian stands for biblical truth, let’s clap them on the back for having the courage to speak rather than using words designed to shame and silence them. In this age where everything goes, it’s refreshing to see that kind of courage.

Have you experienced this? How did you deal with it?

You Have a Purpose For Living

 

Me Before You is unique and the story-telling is wonderful. However, when you read this remember that in God your life has purpose no matter what has happened to you. For more explanation, click here to read my review of Me Before You. Meanwhile, the publisher has sent these links for you to enjoy.

 

v      ME BEFORE YOU Video: The Novel Women Everywhere are Talking About

 

v      ME BEFORE YOU Book Club Kit: Everything you need to make your next meeting a smashing success!

 

v      ME BEFORE YOU Inspirational E-Cards: Live Boldly, Wear Those Stripy Legs with Pride, Don’t Settle, Push Yourself, and Just Live Well

The GPS That Doesn’t Fail

Are you going to heaven? (Photo credit: Matthew Bietz)

More often than not, I hear complaints from people who own GPS’s of streets that continue though they dead-end and being taken to questionable destinations due to faulty directions. Recently, a man on Amazon challenged the validity of the Bible when I reviewed Revealing Heaven by John W. Price.

The commenter’s first objection was that the Bible and Science are direct opposites. I gave him this link as an answer. He said he experienced a near-death experience and that I need to take my blinders off. The Bible shouldn’t be taken as fact and he said all religions lead to God. You only have to read about the different religions to understand they are all different. The Hindu religion for instance has 33 million gods and goddesses. The near death experiences mentioned in Revealing Heaven don’t mention the 33 million gods and goddesses. Jesus is most definitely mentioned in some (not all) of the near death experiences. I repeat one part of my review here: If an experience contradicts the Bible, ask lots of questions.

 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. – 2 Corinthians 11:14 NIV

Think of the Bible as an accurate GPS to guide us along our journey Home, a way to get to know Jesus in a relational way, and to make sense of the nonsensical. People who ask the typical questions like, Why do bad things happen?, should read Randy Alcorn’s If God is Good. It’s an exhaustive exploration of that very question. I have a copy you can keep if you are asking genuine questions. I will happily mail it to you if you email me at: nikolehahn@thehahnhuntinglodge.com.

Jesus is my Shepherd and the Bible is my GPS. Unlike the actual GPS, re-calculating when it makes a mistake, God didn’t make a mistake when He gave us His inspired Word. Without the Bible to guide us through our many questions, we are susceptible to create our own god. Besides, if we do not have the Bible, then how do we know of God’s existence, who He is, or if He even cares except by the testimonies of those whose words could be misled or corrupted? How can they correctly interpret their near death experience without the Bible? God does not contradict Himself.

Resources:

Christian Ministries International

Answers in Genesis

Gateway Bible

Hoping For a God-Change

Yada. Yada. Yada. Yada.

That’s been my attitude. Like putting proverbial ear plugs in my ears when Missions becomes the topic. My perspective was colored by the past. Missions held a stigma for me. But in truth, I made excuses.

In re-reading here and here, I realized those excuses were a defense system–a heart condition of unforgiveness. The past made Missions undesirable combined with a fear of getting overly emotional or being moved so much that I would change. Like I said in the last blog post, I am not comfortable exhibiting emotions. I certainly don’t like crying in front of people. Then, as I re-read the last posts, I saw the truth.

My excuses.

My unforgiveness.

My roadblock.

I emphasize my roadblock because that’s what it was and I asked God to remove those feelings.

So now excitement trembles through me as I and my husband plan our very first short term missions trip to Honduras next May. We are even thinking of doing local missions projects in the in-between. We both realized, with no children, there is nothing holding us back from doing short term missions or serving for a few hours at a local missions organization. My husband and I are hoping for a God-change. What I mean by a God-change is for God to further peel away layers from our soul that He doesn’t want to remain.

The timing is right. Ten, five, or even three years ago, I still struggled with stuff and wasn’t ready. I needed to go through what I did in order to be ready for God’s purpose for our lives.

So I ask now that you pray for us as we begin fundraising in May. I will periodically post details and even have a page where you can send your donations. I will also have more information on the missions organization itself so you can see what we will be doing and why.

Stay tuned.

Have you gone on a missions trip? How has it changed you?

Book Review: Revealing Heaven

Revealing Heaven by John W. Price is about near death experiences and how every person who is good and kind gets to heaven no matter their religion, but mean people will face hell.

John W. Price is a member of the Near Death Experience Research Foundation. He is an Episcopal priest. A collection of real life accounts of near death experiences (NDE) are recorded in this book, but I have to say I am disappointed in it. The book contradicts scripture.

The first half of the book works at proving that life after death exists. He says a lot of Christians doubt it exists. Most Christians I know believe in life after death, but when you hear of near death experiences it’s natural to feel skepticism. Price uses scripture to prove life after death. I don’t dispute this part of the book. Halfway through is when I had a problem.

Skepticism plays in when he writes about how some NDE’s return able to read minds and predict the future. One of the NDE’s saw Heaven but remains a Buddhist today. Price talked about how God didn’t care about any sin, unless you were mean; especially a mean Christian. At the end of the book, Price affirms his own belief. Here are the two statements of belief:

Page 137: “Now Jeff had not been baptized a Christian. Yet he and others like him with whom I’ve visited did not go to hell, but rather experienced God’s wondrous love in heaven. How can we reconcile this with statements in the New Testament that way we must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in order to go to Heaven? I think the conclusion we can draw here is this. Jesus is, in Christian theology, God come to earth. Since God is love, so is Jesus, and he showed and commanded that love for us. Those who do live a life of love are, whether they know it or not, accepting Jesus in his command to love as the central orientation of their lives.” Emphasis mine.

Page 143 [Regarding John 14:1-6): “As an Episcopal priest, I cannot argue with it except to point out that it seems to exclude non-Christians.” Emphasis mine.

Price also speaks about the controversial Rob Bell and his book “Love Wins.” In several places, Price can’t explain the scripture about Jesus being the only way.

In the beginning of the book, Price’s stories of NDE’s returning exemplified changed lives from meeting Jesus, but towards the end it felt like all I had to do was love well to go to Heaven regardless of the choices I make in my life. He got one point correct, however. Jesus is about transformation. Jesus also spoke about loving our enemies. Love is God. However, there is more to God than just love. For clarification, I would recommend reading the Bible and pray. Satan can come as an angel of light, too, and if something contradicts the Bible, one should ask lots of questions. From the point of view of a non-Christian, I am left confused as to how to get to Heaven.

Scant places in the book talk about getting to Heaven through Jesus. Then, many statements talk about God’s love as if that’s His only attribute. I gave this book one star. It contradicts the Bibles’ main point: the only way to Heaven is through accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. You can’t be a Muslim and enter Heaven, unless you have accepted Him as your Savior which means you are no longer a Muslim. His book indicates that religion doesn’t matter. All roads lead to Heaven. This makes Christ’s sacrifice on the cross meaningless.

*Book given by publisher to review.

Updated 3/18/2013: John W. Price left a comment beneath my review on Amazon saying, “This reviewer put words in my mouth/pen. I did not say “every person who is good and kind gets to heaven no matter their religion,” I said the reviews of returnee’s lives shows love is the key question regarding entry into heaven. I did not say, “Love is God.” I said “God is Love.” (I John 4:8). I did not say I didn’t believe in life after death, I said I didn’t know what to believe about it, as the Bible itself is not clear from its various statements. That is very different. The reviewer is right saying conservative Christians will have a hard time with this book, particularly if they are inclined to misquote me.”

My response: He infers it in his book. Others like this reviewer read it the same way, too. Price follows it up saying, “…reviews of returnee’s lives shows love is the key question regarding entry into heaven.” But Price is clear as quoted below that he believes Christ is not the only door to Heaven.

Price says on page 144:

“God’s love is not limited to Christians, but is for all people of goodwill who live with love for one another. The returnees show us this truth abundantly. I cannot in good conscience say that Christianity is the only way. I can say it is the way for me. I can say God’s love is not exclusive to Christianity or Judaism or Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism or any other faith group, since members of each group embrace and live the command that we are to love one another.”

He also takes issue with me saying he didn’t believe in life after death. I said in the above review, “The first half of the book works at proving that life after death exists. He says a lot of Christians doubt it exists.” I merely mentioned that in my corner of the world I had not heard that. I didn’t say he didn’t believe in it.

I like what this reviewer said on Amazon.

In any case, as a courtesy, I have added his comment to my review. It’s a courtesy I extend to any author.

How to Not Commit Suicide at Family Reunions

Five Tips to Successful Family Reunions.

 

Family Reunions are not happy reunions to some, especially if you have that one relative who always brings drama to every family party. A family reunion can often cause feelings of depression, unnecessary expenses, and more division if not handled carefully.

One can possibly become an alcoholic after a family reunion or perhaps consider suicide as a viable option to having to do that again. Joking aside, some of you have had happy reunions (you can go now), but this message is for those who are trying to knit together a happier family without considering a move to Siberia afterwards. Let’s encourage better families with these five tips:

1. Do A Weapons Check. Do a weapons check means you must be the bigger person at a family reunion. Refrain from the usual exchange of gun fire, like sarcasm, games, hidden meanings behind seemingly innocuous conversations, and avoiding manipulations. Resist the temptation to return fire as you smile and toast to that one’s health. Sincerity begins with you, even if that love is not returned. A family reunion gunfight may bring on other causalities you did not anticipate of family members unwillingly drawn into a generations-long family drama. Divisions happen when gunfire erupts.
2. Prayer. Pray before a family reunion. Come with God’s Word in your heart and repeat certain scripture to remind yourself that you may have difficulty loving someone, but Jesus loves them. Ask God to be in your family reunion. Then, give Him control over it. Step back and do nothing; don’t try to control it.
3. Avoiding The Asylum. Don’t let a family reunion make you feel like you should reserve a room afterwards in an insane asylum. Family reunions can be difficult, even tense, but can be remedied by simply choosing to hang out with those in the family who are a light. Not everyone is involved in the family drama. Not everyone wishes involvement, and so hanging out with family who want to get out to see the town together or catch-up on the good old times are better than trying to play the same game as the people involved in the dramas. Ignoring drama-creators are a remedy to going insane and being miserable.
4. The Hideout. Being a good helper at family reunions has many pluses. A helper can hide in the kitchen to avoid unpleasant people, while easing the burden of those organizing the family reunion by agreeing to do the dishes or clearing the table. Helping keeps your hands and mind busy when your mind prefers to dwell on the derogatory comments said under the guise of a smile.
5. Inclusive, Not Exclusive. Everyone must do their part at playing host or hostess during family reunions. This ensures each person feels welcomed and loved. No one is left out of conversations when everyone owns the hosting responsibility. Get a drink for Uncle Abe and make tea for Grandma Georgette (even if she is cranky). If nearly everyone is owning this responsibility, the drama makers can’t capture the spotlight and bring down the community mood. Drama makers crave the spotlight. Not giving them the spotlight helps make a family reunion more enjoyable.

Family Reunions should have a fun element. Don’t try to recreate what used to work, but do something new. There are games one can find online and many tourist areas where family members can visit, then reconvene in the evening as one group. Don’t try to control everyone the whole weekend. The fun element means letting family members go so they want to come back next year because the memories were so good. For those really difficult family reunions, I would suggest reading this article about Dysfunctional Family Bingo. Add a little humor and it’s amazing what you can tolerate.

How did you survive your family reunion? Share your stories.