Pastoral Prayer Ministry

Did you know what "Christian" means?  Yep, it means "little Christ"...  Wierd eh?  Or is it?  Think... little Christ.  That's what the early Christians were sometimes called: "little Christs".  I'd be fine with being called that!

So why doesn't the Christian life work for you?  Maybe, just maybe, it is because YOU are trying to live it out... YOU may be trying to live out your Christian life, when it is Jesus who needs to be living in and through you...  Am I being ironic here or hyperbolic or playing with words?  No!  It's a paradigm shift, of sorts, it is a spiritual and mental shift as to what it means to be alive in Christ and walking in and by Holy Spirt.

Am I confusing you or is your spirit curious or intrigued?  Romans 12:1 says it clearly, look it up in the Amplified Bible and The Message, they are great ways of communicating this message that we as believers in Jesus are to be "Living Sacrifices".  Galatians 2:20 says it even more radically or bluntly: who is to be living in and through this "earth suit" (what Bill Gillham calls your body)? Jesus is!  Or take a look at what Jesus confronts His disciples about in The Message's rendering of Matthew 16:24-26!  Clearly there is a key point here to get in our hearts and lives!!!

So, if this kind of discussion intrigues you, let me add something that is a "downer", but very honest and real and needs to be said:  If WE are trying to live our own Christian lives, even the best "performers" amongst us will fail miserably (you may do a good job of hiding the failure in the short run, but all who live the Christian life in their own strength are designed/destined to fail!)...   bold words, eh?  Well, come and learn why and how to get out of that "pit" if you find yourself there!  This a key to many people's faith walk!

Come and take the course in January!  http://www.pastoralprayer.com/webinars-and-training.html

The funeral is OVER, let's celebrate the Grace, freely given to us!

Whatever happened to Matthew 17:21 about the demon coming out with prayer and fasting?  It's hard to find that verse in most translations actually saying "fasting"!  Why?  Did it get added?  Why?  Not sure I'll answer that here, however, it does relate to my point and gives pause for questioning our paradigm for fasting and what fasting is to look like.

Take a look at Isaiah 58... here is the fast we've been called to, primarily (I'm not anti-fasting, I'm encouraging grace-filled, joyful Christian living that accepts all that Jesus has done for us: no performance, no earning worth in the redemptive process!)  We don't get extra heaven "gold stars" for beating up our body by refusing it food, in order to show how Christian we are.  Jesus' disciples were encouraged to eat and celebrate, not fast.  Jesus seemed to identify fasting with grieving (when He died/left them).  Joyful men seem to rarely fast.  So what is the big deal with absurd amount of fasting in some Christian circles?  Is this dualism/Gnosticism?

Colossians 16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink orin respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day- 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come ; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from  whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. 20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch !" 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use )-in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men ? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

Clearly, there are issues with motives and heart attitudes about which Paul is exhorting or challenging the church of Colossae related to fasting and eating various foods (I am not talking about allergies and dietary restrictions here).  Today, there are also there same ungodly mindsets (that encourage various forms of self-effort in the Christian life, to please God) that must be exposed by the Truth, Grace and Love of God.  

We are forgiven and free in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer!  We have place (read: we are authorized) into the Royal Chambers and to come before the King with our requests and not be destroyed, but to be heard and given freely from His Bounty.  We are His children and he has extended to us the "sceptre" of Jesus, He has torn the veil of separation, He has paid the Bridal price (too much to expand upon here are these scriptural word pictures of expensive, free Grace).  We are His and He is ours & His banner (or His family name) over us as we banquet (feast) with Him is: Love!  That's His name: Love and that is now our "Family Name": Love.  What a Joy this is!  So come and eat of and with Him who was The Sacrificial Lamb.  He calls us into the Rest of All that He has done for us!  Celebrate!  Be filled with Joy!  God is with us, Emmanuel!

When a person tells me that they have experienced betrayal of sexual vows of faithfulness in their marriage, I explain to them emphatically that they have been traumatized.  

A casual or accidental visual encounter with pornography or nudity as a child or adolescent is often a severe trauma to that individual.

Many are surprised, especially about the latter issue of being exposed to pornography as a form of trauma.  I explain that my understanding of trauma is to understand that any impact against a human being that is not loving or is wrong is potentially traumatic.  So to ignore (neglect) a child is, as described in the Life Model ( www.lifemodel.com ): Absence Trauma, or is to be seen as the lack of the good nurture, provision and protection that all children need.  Clearly a moral code is involved in discerning these matters, however many different cultures and peoples would agree secularly on these issues as witnessed in the DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD of the United Nations: http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/resources/child.asp

So from Judeo-Christian thought, the accidental or casual viewing of pornography by a child may well be an invasion of their innocence.  Such accidental or otherwise seen lustful material assaults their growing brains and bodies and attacks their souls and spirits in ways that are damaging and distorting to their latent (yet to be awakened) sexual understanding and experience.  Such trauma may be visual nudity that isn't to be seen under those particular circumstances.  Clearly I am expressing Christian views on nudity.  However, many Christians may not see these events as the visual assaults that I believe they can be.  The effect of this trauma can set in motion destructive thoughts and behaviors that can be devastating and may impact many others lives beyond the one initially traumatized.  

This is the nature of trauma: it spreads it's damaging impact to others, sometimes in the most insidious forms.

Christians may have been taught to understand two forms of sin, lawlessness or transgression against God and others: sins of omission (the lacking of right, loving actions) and of sins of commission (wrong/immoral actions). Clearly, this idea of the passing on of sin from one generation to another is warned against as a consequence in Deuteronomy 30.  Many view this passing on of sin as some sort of supernatural transfer of some dark energy force called sin to the next generation.  This, I will not argue, although I will caution that although we are to confess and understand the sin (moral law breaking actions or intentions/thoughts) and iniquity (lawlessness) of our ancestors, we are are never held responsible by God for the sins of those that came before us.  Each of us is responsible, before God for what we think and do.  So what gets passed down are character defects, lack of skill in loving and nurturing, wisdom that comes from emotionally mature and secure parents and other caregivers.  These "lackings" can all be seen as the "fruit" of trauma.  One might see these in a typical description of a dysfunctional family.  The fact is, we are all wounded by sin/trauma and we all have the resulting dysfunction present in our families to varying degrees.

The Joy and Glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Messiah/Son of God, is that He, Jesus is the "Repairer of the Breach" that sin/trauma has torn in the fabric of Creation and especially we humans.  Hebrews 10 and the Book of Romans so clearly describe these issues, as does reading the Book of John.  

Jesus' supernatural conception; 
the miracles He performed as He cared for people; 
the Truths and right ways of Life He taught and 
the nature of His Love for others and God; 
the death by unlawful execution for crimes He did not commit (so that He could be the    perfect sacrifice  and payment for the sins we have and do commit); 
His bodily resurrection (or coming back to life) after being dead for 3 days and 
His physical rising up to Heaven in the presence of witnesses:

All of who He is testifies that He was the fulfilment of the foretelling of the One who would come and save us from our sins (Isaiah), the perfect Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world and heals the impact of sin's trauma (Luke 4). 

http://www.alphanewsdaily.com/Messiah1.html is a great listing of the stunning Old Testament scriptural prophecy of the coming and ministry of the Messiah, Yeshua,  Jesus Christ of Nazereth.  He is literally the solution to our trauma.  Walking out that process of healing with Him and others is another big topic!

What is a greater and more worthy thing than understanding what trauma is?  To understand what The Great Physician offers as Healing to the Nations is the greatest understanding and wisdom of all! (Psalm 1).

27 Stop toiling and doing and producing for the food that perishes and decomposes [in the using], but strive and work and produce rather for the [lasting] food which endures [continually] unto life eternal; the Son of Man will give (furnish) you that, for God the Father has authorized and certified Him and put His seal of endorsement upon Him.

28 They then said, What are we to do, that we may [habitually] be working the works of God? [What are we to do to carry out what God requires?]

29 Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger]. (John 6, Amplified Bible)

In Verse 29 of John 6, Jesus is speaking of himself, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  So tell me reader: have you investigated His claims? He is, as C.S, Lewis asserts, as a result of His claims, either a: Liar, Lunatic or Lord (one worthy of our worship and loyalty). http://merecslewis.blogspot.ca/2011/09/deciding-about-jesus-liar-lunatic-or.html

So, why do I share these verses from my readings, today? Well, I struggle with going to real earthly food that perishes, at times, versus finding my value, comfort and calling in Jesus and His Body (of believers). True emotional maturity means seeing the ways that I try to comfort and care for myself and understanding if they are truly healthy and worthy ways in my Saviour's eyes/heart, for His heart is mine and mine is His and I can do His Will in His Strength (Plillipians 4:13 & Galatians 2:20).  I can find "food and drink" that truly satisfies!

As I seek to live by faith, this idolatry of wrongly running to food as my comfort in my life has become clearer. Yes, I said idolatry. That's an old word, maybe for some.  It's meaning is to look for meaning and value in things apart from the Lordship of Jesus Christ. To look to food as what will fill the ache in my soul is to idolize.  Yes, anything can take the place of our Lord Jesus in our lives and Paul and the other writers of the New Testament frequently ask us to be wary of this carnal or fleshly detour. The Father's Ten Commandments address it as: having no other gods besides Him. So we are left to see that apart from living in Jesus Christ, our fallen nature will get us looking anywhere but to God for comfort and meaning (Romans 8:6-8).

So, I surrender again to my Lord and Master and Friend: Jesus Christ and choose to recognize and relate to Christ within as my All-in-All.  For He alone can give me what I truly need to thrive here and to live with Him in Heaven. Consider the posted site/blog above on Jesus' claims, they have the potential of revolutionizing your life and outlook, fovever.  Find the "food" that never spoils and truly satisfies.