prayer request

Remember that post a few weeks back - where I was pondering the amazing gifts of prayer we've been given. I'd like to piggy back on that for a minute and ask that you pray for my cousin Brandon.

He's 28 years old and has just been diagnosed with a very agressive and rare form of cancer. The prognosis isn't encouraging, the treatment sounds big and intense and it's all happening in TX far away from his friends and family in Alabama.

Please pray.

God + __________ =

So something happened on the way thru prayer requests the other day at Bible Study. A brief exchange about Oprah's latest epiphany offering began a stirring....

Since I've no affiliations with anyone - I'll only make one brief disclaimer and then I'm afraid I'm just going to march right into the deep abyss of controversy.

The disclaimer is this - I could be wrong.

However - I've had a tremendously painful history with being very deceived in a very spiritual and seemingly trustworthy place, hurting lots of people and then doing the hard work of de-programming over many years- so if you think I'm wrong you're going to have to work REALLY hard to convince me of it. I've got scars that still speak.

Here's what I believe - God plus anything is wrong. It's a sweeping statement and those can be dangerous when taken out of context; but in light of Oprah and her daily spiritual offerings - in that context, God plus anything is wrong and I must speak...more boldly than I prefer.

It's a debate of facts for some, a debate of feelings for others - and so I've been struggling since Tuesday to come up with a simple explanation for my convictions. Here’s my attempt…

As most of you know - we have an adopted daughter.

Let's say that she came to us tomorrow as a teenager; now far more learned and experienced in life than when she arrived at the age of 4, and made a request. What if she told us that we were doing a fine job as parents - but she really thought she'd benefit if we'd let her birthparents move in.Her argument would include the truth that there are tendencies she has that we don't understand that her birth mother would know instinctively, and that health issues could be discussed with more information if birth father was sitting at the dinner table. She would continue to let us know that we were indeed special to her and she was appreciative of the rescue we offered many years ago, the care we were providing now, and the love we'd given so freely - and that none of that had to change - she just wanted to add more knowledge to the equation. This new knowledge would not be to hurt us but to expand all of us - especially her, to help her navigate the days to come a bit better. It would be a valid argument full of truth and potential hope.

Except for this one thing - there's no way we could add two more parents into the equation without Jeff and Cindy becoming diluted in the process. We would tell her "no" (as you would tell her no) because first of all although it makes sense and it could be reasoned out - it's not best. Our authority would be challenged, her faith in our love and our ability to care for her would be challenged, the house would become divided, the other 2 children would begin to wonder what all of this meant for them and everything would begin to crumble all under the guise of just adding a little more information.

But there would surely be therapists, teachers, and even spiritual leaders who would love this idea of us unifying to heal – or maybe it’s actually diluting to avoid conflict; - or is it really an opportunity to fill her with facts so she wouldn't have to have faith in us? I guess it would depend on where you stand. There would be no real authority in her life - just more resources and information to make her complete. She would truly be enlightened.

Here's the comparison: You see Oprah hasn't to my knowledge come out and told you that she wants to replace your faith in God, His Word or His care for you - she just wants to add a little something to it. And how logical it all sounds, and of course it makes sense.

This new book she's steamrolling into modern (especially female) culture references the scriptures in more than one chapter. He (Eckhart Tolle) talks about God. It looks good, it sounds good, it feels good - she's even offering "community" thru her web page, she's allowing for daily reinforcements with her radio show, TV show and magazine - she's making it easy for you to dive right into "group think" = a precursor to deception. And thru it all we will be more informed! And remember what Satan said to Eve - maybe God is holding out on us...He surely wouldn't mind if we added something along the way - not if He really loves us.

Well, I'm not God but I'll tell you this - our daughter better not come home with her birth parents and their baggage in tow - it'll be ugly. Not because we hate them, fear them or are concerned they'll hurt her - but because we are enough parents for her - God said so and that's it Information isn't the answer.

God plus Oprah and Eckhart may make you feel more enlightened; and maybe your ego is something that God left out of the Word to prompt us on this sort of "Easter egg hunt" for the rest of the story. Maybe "ego" is "flesh" and we can transform into more Presence and then our flesh will be perfected and God will change His mind about us "crucifying the flesh and living in His Spirit". Maybe one good, transformed, enlightened human full of the “presence” is all it’s going to take for _______.

I don't know what then....maybe that's a good question - once the transformation happens, what then?

Or maybe this is a distraction; an opportunity for you to maintain just a bit of control, an opportunity to feel the power of self discovery - isn't that what this stirs in you really?

Or maybe you'll be the one who'll actually stay steady on the course of "be ye holy as I am holy" - this new quest to ignore the ego, pursue your miracles etc. won't affect you at all. You’re just browsing anyway.

Guess what - that's exactly what the enemy is hoping - just add a bit here - and while you're busy adding you'll never notice the fading that's going on in your heart. And eventually you'll start letting people know that "yes, you need to repent of your sins, ask Jesus into your heart and pick up a copy of _____, _____ and…. well I guess it'll depend on how many gurus we’ve added by then.

My friend the day is coming when it all crumbles around you and Eckhart and Oprah and Marianne will be on their next book tour, they won't take your call or answer your e-mail - and your enlightenment and information won't help you much at all.

I'm begging you - pray!
Ask God if this is something He wants you to add to all He's teaching you and showing you, if you think He says yes, find that plan in scripture and then please call me I'd like to hear about it.

If He says no - RUN!!!!

Run like a child running from an adorable rabid dog - he may be cute but he's going to kill you.

2 coats and a blessing bonanza....

So 1 Samuel 15:22
"And Samuel answered,
" What pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to his voice?
It is better to obey than to sacrifice.
It is better to listen to God than to offer the fat of sheep."

I finally found a consignment shop in our area recently and was cleaning out some clothes to consign. I had a stack for the store and a stack for give-away. As I took the last load to the van I remembered I had a couple of coats I was ready to let go of so I grabbed them too. One long red one, and one long black one.

I loaded the coats into the van and felt a strong impression that they weren't to go in either of the piles - they were not to be consigned or given to Goodwill - I was to give them to my friend Rebecca. It was a strange thought because I knew they wouldn't fit her and they didn't really look like her, blah, blah, blah... But then her mom came to mind - that didn't make any more sense than the original idea - they wouldn't fit her either, but maybe....so I kept them in the van.

I dropped off the clothes for consignment, I dropped the rest of the clothes off at Goodwill and eventually found only 2 coats left in my trunk. When I would remember they were back there I'd start the whole questioning process again: "Why Rebecca? Why her mom? This is so strange, but ok God".

A couple of weeks ago I finally remembered to give them to her. She had no idea what to do with them either - but I explained that it was very strong on my heart to give them to her or to her mom - and that I just needed to obey - would she please just take the coats, pray about it and let's see what happened.

She took them and eventually passed them to her mom explaining that we were all just praying and obeying and waiting . So her mom prayed about it, and the Lord finally put a lady on her heart. Yesterday she delivered them.

As Rebecca relayed the story to me today - her mom walked in with the coats to a woman who received them in utter amazement. You see that woman had just prayed "God if it be your will I'd like a red coat and a black one for funerals".

The God of all creation hand delivered those coats by way of 3 women who tripped their way thru hearing and obeying and now get to bask in the blessings of getting it right!

Isn't that so amazing?
and
wouldn't it be even more amazing if we got to be a part of God's intentional, very specific, crazy fanatical love for His people and all the cool ways He hears and answers their prayers far more often.

I really hope I get to be a part of something like that again - you see the bags I took to Goodwill (my pseudo-sacrifice) - that's a cool thing to do and I pray over them and all of that....
but...
the 2 coats that journeyed me thru obedience - that was off the charts.

To obey is better than sacrifice.

Oh and Rebecca you should know that I prayed this morning during my workout that God would let me know that I could actually hear His voice....so thanks for being a part of Him answering that prayer for me.

And, oh by the way - weren't you the one that told me between chips and salsa a couple of weeks ago that you wanted to experience the process of knowing you heard Him, and did what He asked....

So I wonder who were the coats about really?

only God.