glorify yourself in their ailments, lord

Heavenly Father,

 We pray today for all those who are struggling with health problems.

May you see their physical and emotional needs and come to their aide.

Give them wisdom to know what to do, as well as what not to do.

Give them peace in the midst of their pain and turmoil.

Most of all, may they bask in the knowledge that you,
the Creator of the universe, love them and is ministering to them.

Please also minister to those family members and friends who may be caring for them.

Give them patience, energy and a steadfast spirit.

Give them the grace to be a blessing to their loved one and not a burden.

Most of all, may they bask in the knowledge that you,
the Creator of the universe, love them and are empowering them.

May you be their rock and salvation, their stronghold and their deliverer.

May you glorify your holy and precious name as you act on their behalf.

May your will be done, as it is in heaven.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”1

1  Ephesians 3:20-21

our great god

What do you do when a woman interrupts the worship service, uses inappropriate language and claims the church is persecuting her?

Unfortunately, I don’t have the answers. I mean, I can tell you how I tried to handle that situation at church this morning, but it didn’t work very well. She wouldn’t calm down, wouldn’t listen to reason and refused to leave. The congregation watched in stunned silence. The woman was obviously agitated and very confused.

Praise God that a woman in the audience came to my aid and eventually coaxed her to leave the auditorium. Despite the bizarre circumstances, we continued to worship. The worship team soldiered on admirably despite the unnerving development.

After making sure the woman had someone to talk to, I returned to my seat. It was then that everything began to take its toll on me. What in the world just happened? How can I possibly preach after that?

Ignoring the worship leader’s call to sing, I bowed my head and prayed until it was time to preach. My emotions swung back and forth, praying for the Lord’s will to be done and for me to have the full armor of God on. This was spiritual warfare, pure and simple.

On the other hand, I felt absolutely terrible for the woman, knowing how confused and delusional she was. Part of me wanted to run after her and comfort her.

Regardless, I sure didn’t want to preach anymore. Those around me had seen me crying and praying, and a woman encouraged me with a pat on the back when it was my turn to preach. Knowing I had to get up and do my thing, I did.

The rest is pretty much a blur. After admitting I didn’t want to preach, I led a prayer for the woman and then delivered what God had put on my heart. To be honest, I’m not sure what I said, and if it was even close to what I had prepared.

And now, here I am, alone in my office, writing this blog entry. And I’m still stunned by what happened. Was it real or a dream? Did a woman really stand up in the middle of the worship service and say all those things in front of all those people? Did it really happen?

But when I peel back the emotions and really think about this morning, the most amazing thing is how great our God is. He took a preacher who didn’t want to preach, couldn’t preach, and preached for him. He took a broken man who was upset and under attack and delivered a message to His people.

Make no mistake, our God is a great God, the only God, Creator God. I praise your name, Jesus, I praise your holy and powerful name!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”1

1  Ephesians 3:20-21

it's a god thing

Hansel and Gretel.

“Oh look, Gretel. A house. Such a p-p-p-retty l-l-l-ittle house.”

That’s when it all began. In a stupid 4th grade play, Hansel and Gretel.

My life was never the same as stuttering became a way of life. Playing Hansel in front of a large crowd was too much for me. Thinking about the memory makes me shudder to this day.

My speech impediment impacted every area of my life, making an introverted boy even more introverted. Speaking up in class was out of the question, and asking a girl out? Well, it wasn’t going to happen. Just introducing myself to others was traumatic, knowing that it was going to come out in staccato and other kids would laugh at me.

And yet, God apparently had plans for me. This shy, stuttering 10-year-old would, at the age of 49, become a full-time preacher.

How does that happen? The only explanation that makes sense is it’s a God thing.

The first order of business was getting me some confidence. He took care of that with some speech therapy in college.

Check.

The next order of business was convincing me to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. He sent me the perfect witness, a good friend with an inoperable brain tumor and an amazing attitude.

Check.

After that He needed to get me to actually preach the Gospel to a large group of people. That happened as an elder who had no choice but to fill in at the last minute for a sick preacher.

Check.

His call now firmly on the heart, the Lord wanted to get me some experience. He made that happen through supply preaching for a local Bible college, followed by two part-time ministries.

Check.

And then, finally, He had to get me to take the big step into seminary and full-time ministry. No problem. The Lord made sure my secular job was eliminated at the same time when a church on the south side of Indianapolis was looking for a new pastor.

Check.

Why is all this relevant? Because there are two things that are burning in my heart to share with you:

1. God is utterly amazing, a worker of miracles. If He can take a shy, stuttering boy and turn him into a pastor, He can do anything as far as I’m concerned.

2. God has a plan for our lives. He has a plan for my life and I believe He has a plan for your life as well.

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’" declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”1

Think about it: God has plans for you and has the wherewithal to pull it off. While you may not be called to preach like I am, I believe the Lord does have something in mind for you (see Romans 12:1-8).

So what has God put on your heart?

What do you want to do for Him and His people but seems impossible from a human perspective?

Maybe, just maybe, that’s what He’s calling you to do. Maybe, just maybe, that’s precisely what He has planned for you.

And if doubts creep in during your journey remember Hansel, the stuttering 10-year-old who, against all the odds, eventually became a preacher at the age of 49.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."2

1 Jer 29:11
2 Eph 3:20-21