School is in session

This Saturday the 12^th is Starving 2^nd Saturday!   I am again thankful for those of you who have agreed to agree with me in prayer for our prodigal loved ones.  I believe Jesus when he said in Mathew 18:19 “Again I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”  I know that we must be in agreement praying for the will of God to be done.  As an interesting note about asking of God for something, my study bible pointed out something about the Greek used in this verse.  In saying “anything you ask for” Jesus used the word:

 “aiteō which is the seeking by an inferior of a superior.  In respect to God, to supplicate, beg, ask for something, or petition God.  …  It may be significant that this verb is never used to characterize Jesus’ requests of the Father.  Rather , the word erōtaō  to inquire, seek, ask a question, interrogate, is always used.  According to some scholars the difference between aiteō  and erōtaō  is that the former involves the requests of subordinates, whereas the latter implies more often equality between the persons involved.“ (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible NIV 1996 AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN) 

So I humbly beg that our prayers to the Lord will be in agreement with his will.   

This last week or so, as I have been praying and preparing to write this blog entry I have been thinking often of Jacob and the night he wrestled God.  The story in Genesis 32:22-32 has Jacob alone on a river bank and mysteriously wrestling with a “man” all night who turns out to be God.  Jacob is so stubborn that God injured his hip—and still Jacob refused to let go till God blessed him.  To be honest, I have been thinking about that sometimes thinking to myself “well, come on down here Big Guy, I’m ready.  I’ll wrestle with you.  If I can make it all night, do I get the prize?”  And honestly, I can’t figure out why that passage has been on my mind for the last couple of weeks.  So I decided to try to study it as best I could.

From the same reference bible as above there is a notation about how this battle could be a spiritual turning point.  (Forgive my shameless plagiarism here but I think I can put together my own coherent thought from this….)

The events of the night represent a climactic point in Jacob’s spiritual growth.  He proved that he could persevere and overcome without cheating.  He saw that his own strength was futile and he humbly sought help from God.  From the events at Bethel (Ge 28:10-22) to this point, Jacob had undergone tremendous spiritual growth.  He was a different man than the one who had supplanted his brother through deceit.  Therefore God gave him the new name Israel, which means “he struggles with God.”

I also took a little time to retrain my thinking about the blessing from God.  I think I’ve equated monetary gain, stature, and appearance too often with being “blessed.”  In truth those may be things that could come as a result of being blessed, but the blessing and the real prize would be to have God speak praise of me.  Just like my dad would when he would say “Good job son, I’m proud of you” but coming from God--magnified to infinity.

At the same time I have been thinking over this passage, experientially, God has been moving people into my path at some critical times.  I think I’ve had a couple of divine appointments.

On January 29^th after a few fitful days of no sleep, and begging God for an answer to what am I doing out here?  He sent someone to me, out of the blue.  A lady working the service counter at a truck stop just started telling me her story.  I sent part of that day’s happening in an email to one of our group members:

“I had the great privilege of meeting a Godly woman who told me about some of her testimony.  She mentioned that she had gotten away from the Lord and that just as it says in scripture, God chastens those he loves.  We talked about different things that the Lord will teach us in the wake of our trials and one thing we both agreed was to wait upon the Lord.  I was reminded of a sermon where pastor Pickens had said that he thinks "sometimes one of God's favorite tools with us is to make us wait upon Him."  For me this conversation with her was a bit of an answer to my prayer of why am I out here away from my family and friends and home?  If I was still back in Olathe, would I be waiting upon Him?

My past life may be part of that answer.  It is very likely that I would be out pursuing someone else to fill the void left by S---.  Perhaps (time will tell) God is using this isolation to help me do just what he told me to do when I first called out to Him.  Wait upon the Lord.”

Then again today, another specific encounter just occurred.  I have been trying to deal with some frustration at constantly running in to so many homeless people.  I seem to be a magnet for their attention lately.  I could be sitting in a crowded McDonald’s and minding my own business as I carefully learned to do in New York, and someone will just walk up to me and only me, and ask me for money.  I often cheerfully do give it, but I admit, sometimes I get angry.  Not at them; at God.  I have been guilty of saying in my head at times like that, “God, you took EVERYTHING I have already and now you want MORE?!!”  Every time I do that, the Holy Spirit convicts me, gives me a few days, and then re-enrolls me in the class.  Today,  I rode my bike to a little restaurant like a Chipotle here in southern California. 

Class was apparently in session.  I didn’t see her till I was already inside.  She looked something like a white lady version of George Clinton (click here to see a picture) .  I’m not kidding.  I was so careful to be inconspicuous.  I ordered, sat down across the room and near other people.  I could feel that tug saying… you need to do something.  I silently and quickly gave thanks for my food, still being careful to not make eye contact or even glance.  I shot a quick prayer “Lord, if I’m supposed to do something, please send her over here, ‘cause I don’t want to start something.”  I took a quick bite… with the food still in my mouth she was at my table.  “Can you believe those kids want me to sell drugs or just move out the neighborhood,” she asked me?

That led to an hour long visit with a stranger, who as it turned out, ministered to me.  She just wanted to share her testimony and listen to mine.  She left me with a tremendous blessing saying “God is in the restoration business you know?”

Wow, so I think I have been wrestling with God.  Over my circumstances, over my will, over my willingness and slowly, appointment by appointment, and match by match, I believe He is helping me to grow.  He is also helping me to persevere, to not give up, to keep praying, keep fighting, keep hoping.

Lord, will you turn my heart, and her heart from hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.  May we be convicted of our sin, and repent.  May the hearts of all of our prodigal loved ones be turned to hearts of flesh and lead them to you—Amen.

Thank you all for joining me again.  Also, please send me updates as you hear about someone getting saved or a prodigal coming home somewhere.   I hear from time to time great things like the guy in Ohio who was homeless and then after he turned his life over to Christ he got that radio job.  Wow!  What a prodigal story!  Post them at the site if you want at

http://starvingsecondsaturday.blogspot.com/

Also, there are 13 of us on the list now, so please feel free to invite others to join us if you see fit.  And one other thing… I may send another praise report.  The movie coming out from Calvary Church of the Nazarene in Memphis called The Grace Card ( www.thegracecardmovie.com  ) is coming out Feb 24 or 25^th.  I hope lots of people go to see it!