How do we participate in our political system without being seduced by worldly values? Let me recommend you visit an article written by John Piper: (http://www.desiringgod.org/12all/index.php?action=archive&mode=view&mi=329&nl=1&ei=hbilyeu@ridgecrestbaptist.org

What a great time to be a Christian! Seize the day!

Hosea

Peter followed Him at a distance.”

Events were falling into place. Prophecy was being fulfilled. Jesus was being led from the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter - brash, bold, Peter - was following. Luke adds this note: at a distance.

Is that me I see? Am I a “distant” follower of my Lord? Do I follow Him as long as the sun is shining, and abandon Him when darkness reigns? Is my following contingent upon my circumstances or upon my puny ability to understand His omnipotence?

It is better to follow at a distance than to not follow at all, but it is best to stay by the Savior’s side, even if He is walking to the Place of the Skull.

Stay close!

Hosea

Luke 22:45 “He found them asleep, exhausted with sorrow.” HCSB

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed alone. His closest friends were near Him, but they were asleep. Luke’s account gives us this insight: they were “exhausted with sorrow.”

Sorrow is an exhausting, sometimes debilitating business. Grief saps the soul, turning everything a shade of gray. It takes longer that we think to sorrow appropriately, and it takes a greater toll on our lives than we expect. Sometimes others view our sorrow and wonder why it is taking us so long to “move on,” but they are usually  those who have yet to be touched by The Great Sadness.

Give yourself - and others - time to grieve. Expect to be exhausted!

Hosea

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives . . . Focus your thoughts for a moment on the words as usual. It is obvious that Jesus had some holy habits in His life!

Habits, spiritually speaking, often get bad press. They are equated with “vain repetitions,” traditionalism, and rote religion. All these potentials can become reality, and habits could be hazardous to your spiritual health.

Are there “holy habits” that can move us Godward? The life of Jesus, as well as the testimony of countless others, suggest we should answer in the affirmative. Jesus had a holy habit of prayer, often rising before dawn to pray. He had a holy habit of solitude, withdrawing from the crowds and, at times, from those closest to Him. His familiarity with Scripture indicates a holy habit of time in the Word. He cultivated the habit of living in close community with a band of brothers and sisters.

Dallas Willard, in his book The Great Omission, defines spiritual disciplines as “activities in our power that we engage in to enable us to do what we cannot do by direct effort.” Spiritual disciplines are holy habits that can produce healthy hearts!

Hosea

Do this in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19).

“I’ll go to the book table,” I said. “You get the computer ready and I will be there shortly.” I meant to do it; I wanted to do it; but I forgot to do it! Seven hours too late I remembered I had left good people waiting on me because I forgot.

I blame my age, but I know forgetfulness is possible at any age. When it comes to the “things above,” we can easily become sidetracked by the “things of earth.” Perhaps that is one of the reasons Jesus gave us tangible reminders - bread and the fruit of the vine. These earthy elements help us remember our wonderful Savior, the Lamb of God who takes away our sins. We remember, we rejoice, and we are renewed!

Hosea

“Everybody has a will to win. What’s far more important is having the will to prepare to win.” Bobby Knight, quoted by Clarence Thomas in My Grandfather’s Son.

I think the distinction is tremendously important. Too often we view our failures as a lack of will or even as an indication that God is not listening to our prayers, when the real culprit may be an unwillingness to pay the price of preparation.

Champions do not simply desire; champions prepare!

Dr. Lon Allison, director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, uses what he calls the 1-10 guide to witnessing:

1 - Lord, let me have at least one spiritual conversation this week

10 - (From John Maxwell) If I am in conversation with someone for at least ten minutes, I believe God intends me to raise spiritual issues.

I like that! It keeps me from thinking I have to move every conversation, regardless of how brief, to a spiritual discussion, but it also challenges me to be ready as conversations become more than casual.

In James MacDonald’s book, Downpour, he lists a second promise to be made by those who seek personal, radical, joyful, biblical revival:

I promise to set God’s Word high above human teaching and to handle it with the respect it deserves.

I see no prospect for personal revival apart from God’s Word being treasured! Today, once again, I commit myself to hearing and doing the will of God as He reveals it to me!

Debbie and I are enjoying and growing as a result of the teaching we are receiving at the Billy Graham School of Evangelism in Asheville, NC. One of the presenters, Dr. Lon Allison, is the director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. He and several others have recently shared this definition of witness: To witness is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and others to lovingly bring a person one step closer to Christ. That’s a definition that should encourage us all! It may take 7-10 witness encounters (or more) before a person steps over the line of faith, but every encounter can move them one step closer!

Lon also shared how he prays for God to allow him to engage in at least one spiritual conversation each week with someone outside of the faith. He quoted John Maxwell who uses a “10 minute rule:” If I am in conversation with someone at least 10 minutes, I will take that as God giving me an opportunity to raise spiritual issues.”  That keeps us from the error of thinking that every passing encounter requires us to force a spiritual conversation.

I am reading a book by James MacDonald titled Downpour. It is a call to experience God in personal revival. He defines revival as “renewed interest after a period of indifference or decline. In his introduction, he invites us to make and keep some promises. I have found these to be challenging. Let me share the first promise: A Promise about Dissatisfaction. This is a promise that I will be dissatisfied with anything less than a genuine personal experience with God. Let me quote MacDonald: “I want more of God in my life. I want more heartfelt worship and more measurable progress in personal righteousness. I don’t want to just hear I’m in God’s family; I want to feel it! I want true joy and peace that penetrates the conceptual and arrives unhindered at the center of a genuine personal experience.”   Is he focusing  too much on  “feeling” instead  of faith?  Perhaps , but I find his words  increase my appetite for  an encounter with the living  God, and  I think that is good! Apathy is an ever present danger for any believer, and spiritual appetite needs to grow if we are to experience revival.

Hosea