Praying Together on Monday - 11/26/2012

Abba, today I thank you for your call upon the life you gave. All that I am have or will be is your gift to me. I offer this to you again, as we begin this the most challenging and demanding time of year, Advent.

First, Thank you for your desire to redeem us, when I think of what choices you had but chose to redeem us, I continue to be amazed that you would go to such lengths to save a fallen creation. Thank you for the babe of Bethlehem, but it isn't Your birth that saves, but Calvary and your death upon it, that redeems us.

Our schedules are filling up or are already full of appointments, worship services, etc., which stain our resources to the limits of our endurance. May I find time each day to seek you out, and spend time alone with you. I need you not only to preach, teach and lead, but so that I continue to be connected to you. Thank you for all the materials, resources, books, etc., I have to ‘get me ready,’ but more than any of these I need you! More than the ability to speak, teach and yes, write, I need a fresh relationship with you. So breath into me, pour your Spirit into this now empty vessel, that you chose to be the means of refreshing to a thirsty and hungry world. Even while we don’t know our own need, somehow, there are those who just like me, need you.
I’m no different than they, we are all in need of yourself. Especially in days like this.

Grant us peace, as we face not only today, but this and the weeks that follow. Thank you for the privilege you provide many of us who live and/or work among “the least of these.” Many of us are faced with not only the challenges of limited resources, but for those who have almost given up hoping and trying for a better life, and which makes this season of ‘giving’ so limiting. Help us, your servants to be salt and light in times of shortage, reduced funding, and limited resources. You are and have always been the source of provision, may we trust you and frankly, embrace you for the needs that are so real.

Thank you for enough. Like the widow of 1 Kings 17, what i don’t have is only matched by what you have. Thank you! Somehow may we see you in what little or even in the abundance. You are our source and supply, may I trust you with what we have and that which we don’t. Thank you for just enough for you to get the glory.

Comfort the hearts of these my brothers and sisters, that you continue to care not only about them, but that you stand with them, and you’re not far off. Thank you for strength for where I am, and for where we (you and I) are going. May my life be an example of a daily living, and vibrant faith, in the middle of hopeless and godless times and places.

Thank you for being yours! For what purpose I can’t always be sure, but I am by your choice, not even my own. I continue to believe to ‘ . . . see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ THANK YOU FOR HELP, HOPE AND VICTORY!!! In Jesus name I pray, AMEN!!!

Love ya, T.A.B.

"Ubuntu"

Praying Together On Monday 11/19/2012

Abba, today I thank you for these your children, these who have offered themselves to you and your service, those who have sacrificed and those who have shed tears as they are laboring for you in what seems to be an endless journey of limits, shortage, being misunderstood, and yes, overlooked. We serve at your pleasure, and hope you find pleasure in us. We didn't call ourselves, you called and we answered, often with loud, YES!!!  Only to find ourselves wanting, what we don't have, or being who we're not, and even here you are helping us become thankful for who we are. It is confusing, and I often don't 'get it???' "Why are you disquieted my soul . . ." Ps. 43:5. Thank you for your help and comfort. Thank you for creating me as you have. Thank you for working within me and never giving up on me. Thank you for resources I don't have or see, for help I don't know is around the corner or bend in the road. Thank you for those who are praying for me, and chose not to let me know they are.

Lord, I'm just a man, and I'm not always sure I know what you're up to or even how close you are to my and our situation. Thank you for this awareness that you are aware of my need and you are working to 'save me," as you did Peter as he sank beneath the waves. Thanks for being here, now, today and not far or distance from me.

I bless you for a goodness I don't deserve, a mercy I didn't expect and a grace that embraces me, even as I run away in moments of fear. Thank you for making me your own, and reminding me of your love for one just like me. I am a child, not a man, I am broken  but you're healing me, I am a sinner, but you've redeemed me; I am foolish, but you've made me wise, I am so needy, but you are filling every part of that need with your own self. Thank you for being present, in this moment, and for those moments I will face this week; for those I can't see coming and don't expect. Even there you are. Help me to trust you and depend so much upon myself, my ability, my intellect,

Jesus, I need you, and somehow you want me to a part of great and grand outcome I don't see understand or 'get.' Yet you call me to be you Son, Servant and partner in the redemption and renewal of this piece of the world. Lord, don't let me miss it, the thing you want and doing in this moment. I am so often wrong in so many things, but I love you and somehow I'm sure I make you laugh as I struggle, trying to 'figure out' how I am to do, what you know only what you can do. Thank you Jesus for loving me as you have, and continue too. You are an AMAZING GOD!!!

So I ask, what is it you want to do and accomplish this week, that I can't, even with my best effort? Where is that situation that is yes, frankly impossible without you hand being involved? Thank you for being more and more than enough! Thank you for a strength I don't have, for a faith that seems spent and not I'm empty. Could this be the place you wanted to bring me too. Where you are the Shepard  and I shall need of nothing???" Is this the valley of Baca (Ps. 84:6) where you make it a place of refreshing springs? I say thank you for that I can't see or understand, this place where I am confused and uncertain, where I 'feel' alone and without comfort, where the pain of the moment seems to be my only friend and companion. Yet, in that 'secret' place of my heart, I know You are here!" THANK you for the struggle, It is here that you draw me closer to yourself, and comfort my heart. I love you Abba, not just for what you do, but who you are. I bless you for blessing, I don't deserve or could earn, I honor you for your gift of salvation unearned and undeserved, for refreshing my spirit by the presence of the Holy Spirit in this moment, this day and this week, AMEN!!!

Love ya,
T.A.B.

If I have been forgiven by Jesus . . .

Why is it, we who have been forgiven so much, seem not to be able to forgive others?
Surely I’ve made mistakes, and fallen short of the grace that was given to me, yet Christ makes it clear that if I ask Him to forgive me, He will. I asked, He has. If I have received this, should I not do the same for others?

Thinking back, I may or may not know what it was that alienated us from each other, it may have been something I said, or foolishly did, it really doesn’t matter, if I could remember I’d gloss over it, or excuse myself. Whatever it is does matter, if you would then help me find that place and lovingly walk me through it so that we both can be healed.

I find the silence on this subject shocking. I find my own inability to give what I’ve received even more so. here is the truth, I have wounded several without knowing it, and yes, I have wounded others on purpose. For those I’ve wounded or hurt and didn’t know I was doing it, I ask your forgiveness. But I need to hear the words from you to know you’ve found grace in your heart to do it and say it. For those who I’ve hurt or wounded, offended, etc., on purpose, I ask for your forgiveness as well. Whether it was in anger, frustration or just plain stupidity, I did it in a moment when I allowed my selfishness to get the best of me, and I’m truly sorry. What may have hurt the most is that I wasn’t aware I was doing it, or just so stubborn in forging ahead anyway. I can’t be responsible for what others do or have done, I am responsible for me.

Too often I (we) look for reasons (excuses) for why we do or say the things we do, “ . . . my childhood was marred by unloving and non responsive parents; being born poor and in a racist society, caused me,  to etc.

If I have been forgiven by the blood Christ shed for someone like me, why is it I who have never spilled a single drop of blood for anyone, won’t do what Christ did for me and tells me to do (and frankly enables me to do) in John 15:9-12,  ‘ . . . love ye one another, as I have loved you. But “T,” I thought you were talking about forgiving? Yes I am and was. “If you love me keep my commandments,” Oh dear, there you go again Jesus, “Love one another, as I have loved you” John 13:34-35.  Yet all of the Scriptures in the book won’t have any affect, if I am unwilling to apply them to myself.

Father, I confess my sin of being unforgiving, I’ve held on too my anger, resentment and the pain on purpose and for far too long. I refuse to allow what you’ve done in and for me to be applied to those who have hurt and wounded me. Lord, frankly I’ve secretly hated them while you have loved me, and want to allow this love to be shared with these who judge me the worst of sinners. While I am just that, because I hold on to what you want and are willing to allow me to let go of, but I refuse to do so; forgive me as I embrace your forgiveness of these as well.

Thank you for the freedom your love and Spirit bring. The weight of my sin I can no longer bear, you have taken it and replaced it with your self in and by the Holy Spirit.  I thank you for your grace which uplifts my spirit anew. In the Name of Jesus I pray, AMEN!!!

Love ya, T.A.B.

"UBUNTU"

10 Reasons Pastors Leave the Ministry

Over 1,700 pastors leave the ministry every month. This staggering number includes some of the brightest, most inspiring pastors in the country. To prevent the continued flight of our pastors, we need to understand the cause of the problem. Though every situation is unique, the reasons pastors leave are often similar. Here are 10 common reasons pastors quit too soon.

1. Discouragement
Fifty percent of pastors report feeling so discouraged they would leave the ministry if they could. Complaints speak louder than compliments. You can receive 15 compliments and one complaint, and the complaint will stick. When you hear criticism and look out to see empty pews, it can be difficult to recognize the positive impact you’re making. The key is to remember: no matter how much negative you hear, you’re always doing 10 times more good.

2. Failure
Seventy percent of pastors say they have a lower self-image now than when they started. Many pastors have difficulty recognizing success. They compare themselves to other pastors and other ministries. Comparisons produce only two outcomes: (1) you think you’re better, which results in excessive pride, or (2) you feel like you don’t measure up, which creates a sense of failure. The key is not to compare, but to celebrate your successes.

3. Loneliness
Seventy percent of pastors do not have someone they consider a close friend. With so many people looking to pastors for guidance, it can be difficult for pastors to let their guards down. They don’t want to come across as less than perfect. They feel they can’t be transparent and vulnerable. That creates a sense of isolation. It’s important for pastors to find people they can open up and share their struggles with, instead of absorbing and isolating.

4. Moral Failure
Thirty-three percent of pastors confess having involved in inappropriate sexual behavior. The moral failures of pastors are magnified more than the average person. The key to avoiding moral failures is creating a system of risk prevention. When you meet with someone of the opposite sex: let your spouse know, never meet behind closed doors, and do not discuss relationship issues. For pornography, software is available to monitor or block Web activity.

5. Financial Pressure
Seventy percent of pastors feel grossly underpaid. Most ministries are nonprofits so pastors are not compensated well. When you can’t fully provide the life you want for your family, it makes it hard to continue. Then you look at friends not in the ministry with big houses and nice cars. Pastors can relieve the pressure with better financial planning. Try following the 80-10-10 rule – 10% to church, 10% to savings, and 80% to live off.

6. Anger
Each year, 4,000 new churches begin and 7,000 churches close. When things aren’t going well, pastors become angry – with others, themselves, or God. Thoughts fall along these lines: “I did everything you told me. I went to seminary. I started a ministry. Why are you not doing what you said?” The worst thing about anger is it spreads like wildfire. The medicine for anger is forgiveness. We have to forgive so we can move forward.

7. Burnout
Ninety percent of the pastors report working between 55 to 75 hours per week. Pastors are put on a treadmill. They go from the ministry to a hospital visit to writing a sermon to meeting with congregation members. They just keep running until there’s no passion or energy left. They become exhausted and depleted. Vacations and sabbaticals can provide perspective. Another key is empowering other leaders so all the weight is not on the pastor’s shoulders.

8. Physical Health
Seventy-five percent of pastors report significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry. Many pastors overwork themselves and simply do not care for their bodies. When you’re busy, it’s easy to eat poorly. But eating the right foods is essential to physical health. It’s the difference between fueling the body and depleting the body. Pastors also don’t get enough rest or regular exercise. Exercise makes a huge difference in physical and mental health.

9. Marriage/Family Problems
Eighty percent of pastors believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Too often, a pastor’s spouse and children end up taking a backseat to the ministry. The key is balance. Marriage has to be a top priority. Your relationship with your spouse is the most important relationship you have on this Earth. You have to nurture your family relationships – whether that means having family night or seeking counseling.

10. Too Busy/Driven
Ninety percent of pastors feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands. A lot of pastors simply are not working efficiently. They are not protecting their calendars or giving themselves the space they need. They haven’t learned how to say “no.” Being busy is not always being productive. Pastors need to find ways to maximize the use of their time. You have to learn how to say “no” at the right times.

Take a look at these 10 points, then pray and ask God: What area do I really need to address? Where am I struggling? Once you identify the areas where you need to improve, take these three steps:

• Ask for help. If you’re struggling, there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking someone for help.
• Institute accountability. Find a group or person to keep you accountable in the areas you think you are weak.
• Take ownership of your choices. More than anyone else, you control the path you walk.
Take actions and precautions to make sure you don’t let any of these 10 reasons separate you from your passion for the ministry and your calling.
From a Post on FB by Jason Tyree 

Praying together - 11/12/2012

Abba, today we remember those who have served in our military, giving themselves in the service of our county and the cause of freedom around the world.  In saying ‘Thank You,’ we are trying to acknowledge the sacrifice they and others have made on our behalf. May we never forget.

But we thank you for those of your servants who like these in our military, serve in the Lord’s Army. That group of men and women in our cities, rural and foreign fields, where they are called to serve, often without notice by those of us who live in reasonable comfort here at home. Why even those of us who are suffering through the after-mass of ‘Sandy’ know that our present condition though difficult, will pass, and we hope soon, but would continue forever. These whose names we often don’t know sacrifice often without notice or praise, continue serving you with trusting hearts are in very real ‘foxholes and minefields.’ Grant that their hope and faith in you doesn't fail them in those moments when all seems lost or empty. Bless those whose whose support has taken a ‘nose dive’ through no fault or failure on their part. Thank you for the surprise you plan for them around the next bend in the road.

Thank you for your call on our lives, we didn't chose you, you chose us, Eph. 1:4), thank you for your Spirit alive and working in us for a far greater weight of glory then we can believe. Bless this week, with its open calendar, and questions as to what we are to do next. Strengthen our conviction of the call you gave us to be and then to do.

Bless our families who struggle with us, and serve without spoken complaint along side us; encourage their hearts with words of encouragement from unexpected sources. Grant us courage in the heat of battle, and often with those we serve along side with. Open my mind and heart to your Spirit’s leading in those private and personal places. May there be moments of reflection and comfort through your Word and Spirit, open me up to you in unexpected places and ways, I need you. Thank you for the unseen tears shed in the hidden places where no one sees or knows. Through them you bring me closer to yourself and for this I thank you.

I praise you now for victory I can’t create but fight for, a promise you've spoken long ago and you’re moving me into; for challenges that bring new strength and a victory that is certain, because you are in it and the source of it. Thank you now for your peace, which passes all understanding, from yourself and not what I have, resources I know about and people who could help if they wanted too. You Sovereign Lord are my and our victory, and in Your Name and power of your Spirit, we fight not to victory but from it! In Your Name we pray, AMEN!!!

Love ya, T.A.B.

"UBUNTU"

A prayer on Monday before the U.S. Election - 11/5/2012

Abba, today I thank you that you have allowed us to live in a county where we enjoy the freedom of electing those who will lead us. I pray that You will guide us as we vote. We have divided ourselves along several different lines, political, social, racial and economic. I get to choose who I think best represents what i see as a means to ‘fix’ the problems that face us all as a people and a nation. Somewhere in this ‘mix’ I forgot to ask you, “thy will be done, . . . ; on earth as it is in heaven.” So guide my thinking and direction as I select those that You know and want in these trying times.

Lord, not only do I need you, but our the county in which you have blessed me to live. Thank you for being concerned about not only me, and those who ‘think or feel’ as I do, but those who don’t as well. Their not my enemy, someone to be beaten and then destroyed; but my fellow citizens over which you are Lord as well. Once the polls are closed and someone is elected, my I bow my head in thanksgiving to and for your blessing for a process which leads to change without violence and bloodshed.

May I embrace those elected as Your choice, because the “powers that be are ordained of God.” Why have you selected these or those, I don't know, but You are God, and may I learn to breath and trust Your judgement, yes, even when I don’t like it, or think it best.

I thank you that “this world is not my home,” You’ve blessed me to be a part of a solution I don’t always understand. You place us in places of heartbreak and struggle; where wound are deep and memories are long. Where I wait for the chance to ‘get even,’ and refuse to hear Your Word, and say, “ . . . Father, forgive them.”

Our mission isn't to ‘change the world,’ but only my piece or part of it for your purpose and glory. To love those who don’t love themselves and don’t know how to love others. Help me to be You to them. You are all we really have. If I succeed and beat down my enemy, and those I’ve defeated, how different am I then those who have not your Spirit? Yes, Lord I want a different outcome, but you are in the one I have to deal with, grant me grace and peace, not only when the outcome is announced, not only to accept it, but to work within it for Your purpose.

Today I confess I don’t like suffering or means by which You bring or allow it. Thank you for the struggle to understand this purpose or reason You’ve allowed it. May I embrace you, my Lord, Savior and my God for the reason, and purpose You’ve chosen at this time and place.

Thank you for making me Your own, and walking me through even my ‘dark night of the soul,” because I know, “ . . . You are with me, Your rod and Your staff they comfort me, surly goodness and mercy shall follow me all the day of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” AMEN!!!