Advent : How not to $ell Christmas

I'm here tonight at Waters of Life, a locally owned Christian coffeehouse and bookstore in Miami. My friends are doing their sound check and I'm here thinking about Advent, the Old English Church, Elwin Ransom, helping a friend out in English and writing this blog entry out.

You might suggest or conclude that there is a certain peculiarity to starting out an entry on Advent in this way. But, . . . the thing is that the notion of Advent isn't about compartmentalizing the season to brief, usually ill-prepared, candle-lighting moments at the commencement of Sunday worship services across America.

So, if it's not about chocolate Advent calenders, then . . . what's the point,already. The shopping frenzy is in full vigor, where the money is coming from, I don't know. There are no limits to where you can find trees for sale, either. Let me share an extreme and disgusting example: Driving to visit a friend last night, I passed on US1 a strip club selling Christmas Trees on it's property. I might add, there's no fear of God, whatsoever.

Anticipatory Penitence. That's what Advent is about. . .

It about being humbled at the magnitude of our sin, our folly and our pride. In short: our brokenness. Despite the weaknesses of our flesh and our inexplicable ability to negate the undeniable presence, power, purpose, plan and provisions of God on a daily and faithful basis, God is among us and fasted for 33 years from the incomprehensible holiness of Heaven in order to pitch His tent among us and redeem all creation - not just our spirits, but our flesh and all that God called good so long ago.

Anticipatory Penitence. That's what Advent must be. . .

It must be a commitment to decrease our protagonism in our lives so that God's will and presence can take center stage in our lives. It is mandatory that we acknowledge how we dilute the Gospel message and massage it to fit our whims, needs and desires. As we face the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, we choose to address our pride and desire anew to turn our lives over to our Lord and Savior - not for a season - but once and for all. As the sacrifice on the cross was a one time and perfect sacrifice, we turn our every aspect of our lives - ALL of it - to Him as a living and contrite sacrifice. No part of our lives remains ours to control, dictate and choose what is best.


Anticipatory Penitence. That's what Advent will always be . . .

It's about asking the Spirit of God to reconfigure our minds and our hearts so that our greatest desire is to be humbled, willing to be taught and willing to forego the easy life of church for the hard life in Christ. We anticipate the sacrifices with joy, count the losses and pain as gain and look forward to the day our Redeemer returns. In the meantime, we anticipate seeing Christ in the least of these, not in theory, but in everyday practice. We look forward to seeing the Kingdom break into, and break through, hardened hearts and seemingly impossible situations. We anticipate Heaven by living in peace with our enemies, friends, families and angels unaware.

Anticipatory Penitence.

Wait for the Light tonight. Look forward to God's breaking into your life and your hearts. In these hopeful states of heart, mind and soul will we truly make room for the Babe of Bethlehem in the filthy stables we call our hearts. It is only then that we will see all things as genuinely redeemable - especially me, you - all of us - only then we will "get" the incomprehensible love of God.

This evening, I read the following words written by a gifted and truly insightful brother-in-the-faith, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick:

From this saint's life we understand that language is truly a gift from God, passed to us primarily in tradition through our parents but also sometimes more directly from our Maker. In the ancient English literary tradition, poets came to be understood in two sense: as blessed and as makers. Their blessedness is a result of God's gift to them, not only in terms of His common gift of language to all mankind but also in terms of a particular gift of eloquence that He has given to certain people. As a maker, each poet is called upon to be a shaper of words, with his incarnate being to work out the sense of his blessing into words fit for their subjects. Therefore, the Orthodox Christian writer must understand himself both as one who seeks the blessing of God for his work and also as a diligent craftsman who perfects what he is given.

The whole passage is absolutely beautiful. In thinking about the Church, I found the singular source of inspiration for me to be rooted in the fantastic notion that each of us, as members of the Body of Christ, are called to, "to be a shaper of words," with every single one of us as, "...incarnate being[s] to work out the sense of his blessing into words fit for their subjects."

To paraphrase the great contemporary songwriter & author Nick Cave, language is a means to access the divine imagination; and in doing so, we are in communion with God. In others words, though language, we are able to abide in Him; opening ourselves to be dispensers and conduits of the Holy Spirit in the culture we happen to find ourselves in. Additionally, it is through this outpouring of the Spirit that we access God directing His words, power and purpose toward the target of His perfect will and pleasure.

Although I risk stating the obvious, the spoken or written word are not the only means of "communicating" available to us as human beings and as Christians, to be sure. All thoughts are inevitably "transliterated" into a language of body, music, literature or other avenue with the final end of "manifesting" a belief, attitude, feeling, worldview or motivation.

What does this mean for each of us?

First, have you taken inventory in the manifold ways which God has blessed you?

Ask yourself:

How has God equipped you as a person, worker, member of your community and ultimately, as a member of the Body of Christ?

Have you ever seen yourself as being equipped to be employed by God is the unfolding and unveiling of His divine purpose and plan?

Second,

Are you ready, as a member of Church, to work out the sense of the talents, gifts and graces which Our Lord has invested and deposited in you for the purpose of "manifesting" His intentions before all humanity in the corner of the Kingdom you happen to currently be sojourning through?

If the answers to these questions exhibit longing to serve Him with gladness and singleness of heart . . . If the results of your reflection reveal heartfelt obedience and anticipation of being used by God in the aforementioned ways, then you are ready to be a poet of the Logos, a wordsmith for the Kingdom. As a picture is usually greater than the description of the episode, event or thing we witness with are eyes, our actions are greater that a picture. They are the animated icons of the everliving Word ever-present in our lives. Therefore, proclaim His great works before the assembly and before all the nations.

Now and Always -

Daniel

A Friday Prayer

Most gracious and ever-loving God.
Author of our healing,
Champion of the oppressed.
We thank you for your immeasurable mercy & love.

We adore you Savior and Lord.
You only are worthy of our praise and worship - now & forevermore.

In earnest petition - with contrite and thankful hearts,
Heal our broken hearts.
Mend our souls and grant us shalom.
Protect our lives - from temptation & from ourselves.
Redirect our paths - so that they may lead to you.
Rekindle our passion for you - again & again.
Burden our minds to love like You - neighbor & enemy alike.
Bring us out of the desert of our comfort zones.
Disturb & disrupt our lives into complete surrender.
Drive us toward full dependency in & for You.
Take all control away from our hands, hearts and minds - for you alone are our Sovereign God.

Transform our lives.
Transfigure our countenance.
Transcend our pettiness and direct our eyes toward your majesty.

On this day, grant us the revelation of your will, absolute confidence in your promises and the undeniable witness of your presence.

On this day, come Holy Spirit -

Come...

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

Homesick for God

I believe God answers prayer in four ways: (1) Yes (2) No (3) Wait (4) My grace is sufficient for you. Prayer, according to Dr. Robert Crouse, is being homesick for God.

St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions, “It is thou, O God, who dost rouse mankind to delight in praising thee, for thou has made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless, until they find their rest in thee.”

In the Epistle to the Romans 8:26, a loving expression of God’s providence, lovingkindness and care is described. The passage is about living for and in Christ, not prayer. Says St. Paul to the Romans, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you, (Romans 8:11, RSV). So the passage is as much about prayer as it is about making Christ Lord of one’s entire life. It is as much about prayer as it is about dying to one’s self and being raised up in the Spirit of Christ and living for and in to Christ. In this case, certainly one’s communion with Christ is so intimate that the Spirit leads the believer and does, at times, initiate, direct and respond to prayer.

Marjorie Thompson, Presbyterian minister and author writes, “Prayer involves freely entering a relationship of communication and communion with God, for the sake of knowledge, growth, and mutual enjoyment,” (34). Accordingly, the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (BCP), The Holy Eucharist: Rite II, the Celebrant prays, "Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen."

The revelation, given to each Christian, through faith alone, that God knows us and knows our innermost needs, anxieties and desires, is an expression of God’s majesty, not of God initiating prayer. We worship and praise God because he is God. Prayer is the quintessential expression of praise and laud. It is worship and we initiate it. In an Outline of the Faith, commonly called the Catechism, prayer is defined as, “responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words.” Christian prayer is then defined as, “response of God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

One method for waiting and for listening to God is journaling. I’ve elected to write my journal entries on my blog and post them. It is a prayer exercise which really does afford me with a vivid opportunity for growth and contemplation. If another person wishes to comment or just read my thoughts, it is both encouraging and humbling.

Prayer is about thanksgiving and about total dependence on God. God is not my errand boy. He is not some celestial whipping boy for me to do with as I see fit and only acknowledging him when it is profitable or otherwise convenient. Prayer is humanity's opportunity to commune with God and to render all honor and glory to him. In faith, we can petition for others and for ourselves. But let us not forget, if Christ is Lord of our entire lives, then even if we kick and scream when a prayer is answered in a fashion we consider unsuitable, we also know God is in control and we should be grateful to him for it. God's providence, mercy and grace are expressions of an unconditional love which is absolutely unfathomable for any finite being, regardless of formal education, natural intuition or genuine brilliance. No one under this sun, never has been able to attain such a level of comprehension about God's will and purpose as to render the mystery of God's perfect plan solved and revealed in its entirety.

So, prayer is worship. Prayer is praise and adoration. Prayer is the ultimate expression of intimacy between creator and created. As created in the image of God, prayer is a magnet of sorts compelling us to move ever so closer and closer to him. There is no need to be homesick. Come home already, PRAY.

Incomprehensible

Incomprehensibility - the precursory state of mind necessary for the leap of faith.

I've been thinking about God as incomprehensible. I'm almost sold on the idea that seeking to "understand" God is actually an impediment to trusting Him. Unlike human relationships where the need to comprehend & communicate with one another is paramount to fostering positive, edifying and sound interactions, it is the absence of comprehension that avails us to greater dependency on Him. This dependency - rooted in trust, not evidence of any kind, promotes intimacy. This is the "knowing" that God desires for us to have of & for Him. It is love, not comprehension. It is a knowledge rooted in the heart, not the mind.

I don't recall where I read the following, but there's this notion that human relationships work upon a natural sort of faith that is independently exercised by all regardless of any particular belief in God. So, for instance, if I see examples before me that demonstrate I can trust you - chances are I will. Seeing is believing. This is natural faith.

Following this train of thought then, if we try to make God comprehensible, then we seek to reduce God to a manageable "in-the-box deity" which we can then proceed to control & command. How so? It may be more about our human insecurities & innate inability to trust what we cannot see. It may be that in "understanding" how God works we can control God and then, through some measure of rationalization, we can convince ourselves of our power to convince or exert some degree of influence over Him.

On the other hand, there is supernatural trust. That is to say - trust that intentionally defies human nature and believes in God despite what is before us.
We believe even if we do not see. This is the faith Jesus equates with that of a child. Children do not usually understand the "how" and "why" that causes loving parents to do what they do as parents. Usually, unless they're exposed to the tragic and unsettling realities of broken homes, for instance, in most cases they believe their parents - without question. This, then, is the closest example to supernatural faith that we have on this side of the Jordan.

If we only seek to trust God's person & character - then we choose to surrender any "empirical" need to comprehend God and we begin to live in the knowledge of sovereignty over each of us and over the entire cosmos. This is a knowledge grounded in love, strengthened by faith and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

It is through the sustenance of prayer & God's word that we will be nourished and thereby moved to seek greater trust and love for God, rather than a need to know Him philosophically so that we can trust our knowledge instead.

An Afternoon Prayer

Lord, fill us with peace.
Fill us with confidence when we feel weak, anxious and scared.

Lord, listen to our prayer.
That by day's end we've seen your hand break into our situation to calm the storm.

Lord, grant us wisdom.
Grant us the ability to discern the signs. Choose our words, Abba, and help us to surrender all our needs & fears to you.

Lord, embrace us with your arms and cover us with your mantle of protection.
May we feel safety beyond understanding. Your secure arms will cause us to smile and rest in the midst of chaos.

Lord, never let us go.
Never let us go down to the pit of despair. Never let us go into the darkness. Keep us faithful to you. Never let us be . . .

Without You.

Miami Music Ministry Training Heralds and Forerunners for the Kingdom of God

“Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to.”

Psalm 119:77
The Message

At a Starbucks halfway from each of our respective homes, Richard Aspinwall, A-list producer in Nashville & Co-Founder/Director of the Miami Music Ministry, and I share what God’s doing in our lives - and in South Florida through the music ministry that he started with his wife, Heidi Aspinwall, 13 years ago.

As we sip coffee and enjoy the background music selections which include Miles Davis’ unmistakable So What, Richard tells me how together with Heidi, National Director for Volunteers for Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection (DOOR), they headed down to Miami, Florida, from Nashville, Tennessee, thirteen years ago to start what they felt was a clear mission from God – to establish a place for youth across all social, economic, racial and ethnic lines to gather in community and have their musical interests & gifts nurtured all the while providing the conditions to mentor them toward a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.

Since then, God has brought countless youth to the Miami Music Ministry. For just a dollar a lesson, kids ranging in ages from 8 to 18 are paired with a skilled musician and receive 30 minutes of individual instruction in their instrument of choice. Students can choose from voice, guitar, bass, drums & percussion, piano and organ. Kids come from across Miami-Dade County and some from all different churches throughout the community. For those dealing with demonstrable financial hardship, “the ministry will make every effort to provide students who cannot afford their own instruments with loaned instruments [and/or] other music materials for free.”

According to their website, “The Community Music School is an innovative approach to the transformation of young lives through private music instruction, high levels of expectation, evaluation, and the development of personal relationships between students and instructors.”

The dollar a lesson is a way of introducing responsibility to each student. Kids become stakeholders as they invest in their music education. The dollar also represents the actual reason for why the Miami Music Ministry exists – it’s about God and not about material wealth or so-called “success”. The teachers, most of them having gone through the music school themselves, are now in a position of modeling servant leadership and mentoring each student in the areas of music, discipleship and community.

This is the spiritual component to the program. Students are prayerfully nurtured to offer up their gifts and talents to God for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. They are presented with the central life lesson in the long obedience following Jesus - He is the first priority. At the Miami Music Ministry, it’s not about going somewhere and being told you’re going to be a great musician, but rather, it’s about learning to devote themselves (and their craft) to the glory and greatness of God Almighty. In the beginning, the younger students may not grasp this radical concept, but they’re taught by their teachers who model the ministry’s ethos.

As the students demonstrate proficiency, they are grouped into bands. Here they learn to perform in community and to listen to each other. Here is where they learn to groove together and accompany one another. Here is where all the different parts of the “body” are recognized as essential.

On August 29, 2009, the new Miami Music Ministry year will begin. Each Saturday, from 1 PM to 5 PM, students meet with their individual teachers. Along with the one-on-one instruction, all students are taught to read music and music theory in a classroom setting.

The program follows the Miami-Dade County Public Schools school year calendar, including breaks and holidays. The music school commences on the Saturday after Miami Dade County Public Schools open. Consequently, the music school ends the year on the Saturday before public schools close for the summer.

Interested parents, guardians and church communities can call (305) 479-6132 and leave messages expressing their interest and/or requesting further information. Toward the middle of August, calls will begin to be returned in order to place students with teachers for the upcoming music school year. Please visit the Miami Music Ministry website at
http://www.miamimusicministries.com/.

The Lighthouse Prayer Room has Reopened!

Dear Friends in Christ -

After a few months of raw reflection on the many lessons learned as a result of previous prayer events, it's my privilege and joy to announce that The Lighthouse Prayer Room has reopened.

Was it ever closed per se?

What does that mean?

How soon can we start praying there again?

Let me try to answer these hypothetical questions in the following manner -

It means that the ministry will continue - no matter what. It means that as a direct result of prayer - not all of them my own - we've changed some of the methods we were using before to address events and get people involved. I'm confident that in the future, more participants will eagerly join us in community worship, intercession and in personal adoration of our God through our Lord & Savior via the Lighthouse Prayer Room.

How soon can we start? I believe God is reconfiguring some things - He's working on relationships within the body; in turn, members of the body are pouring into one another and finally - we've come to embrace the blessed reality that trials & tribulations are a wonderful way of measuring the success this ministry is having in the lives of many in the local Church.

So, I begin this new kairos in the life of the Lighthouse Prayer Room asking for your prayers for the ministry and for every single person involved.

Please stay in touch, tell us how this ministry is serving you, submit prayer requests and please - let others know about this ministry. Stay in touch with me, let me know how I can serve you and how we can serve one another in Christ.

Know of my prayers for each of you -

In Jesus,

Danny

Elegantly & Lovingly Challenged

About two years ago, I read a book entitled Unchristian. Authors David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons presented an extremely sobering account of the perceptions, impressions and views those outside of "The Church" have about those who claim the title of "Christian". Last night, an extremely dear and brilliant friend unwittingly challenged me to reflect upon these very same attitudes & perceptions.

I asked myself, "How have I contributed (directly or indirectly) to feeling & perceptions that Christians are:

Belligerent
Exclusive
Judgmental
Close-Minded
Self-Righteous
just to name a few . . .

As we go on our way "doing church", are we perpetuating among those who would consider themselves outside of the Church - or as it may sometimes come across - "outside of being religious" - to hold fast to their views that Christians are in fact living far from the adjectives that should be automatically thought of when the word Christian is mentioned? What are those adjectives? Here's a hint - they are all the antithesis of the aforementioned ones.

Friends, I do not think we can just simply ignore any of these epithets any longer. If the Church wants more than anything else to incarnate, transmit, enact and extend Christ, then there's no way we can simply dismiss these terms and suggest that those who feel that way are going to simply have "to deal with it", "go to church and see how it isn't that way" or "go out there and get a better education on what Christianity is all about". Let's face it - we got a lot of work to do.

It is our call to bless and receive all God's children. We are enjoined to be available, accountable and to love.

Maybe it's as simple and as powerful to take responsibility, as a member of the Church universal - claiming the heritage and mystery of our faith, and ask for forgiveness. Maybe it's about listening to why others feel the way they do, acknowledging and valuing their views - wholeheartedly and genuinely. And whatever we do - let's not excuse what isn't - regardless of "historical" ramifications - pardonable. We can argue until our faces turn blue, but the tragic truth is - the Church was not united against slavery, it wasn't unequivocally united for civil rights, for peace and for justice. Consequently, this means many people have been hurt, abused, ignored, marginalized and disenfranchised - on our watch.

Brothers & Sisters, we have two choices to make - we either begin to take the perceptions with heartfelt interest and with an intentional desire to seek restoration, healing and peace; or we can choose to ignore them. We have already seen the brutal and irrefutable price of ignorance. May we be the generation that breaks the chains of passivity and embrace a new era of accountability.

With heartfelt love and humbly offered -

In Christ Alone,

Daniel Medina

Break Out of Captivity

The Next Evangelicalism is mandatory reading for any member of the Body of Christ. This is a gross understatement, but it is sometime necessary to state the obvious nonetheless. In the midst of all the publications concerning issues of Church & Race, Church & Culture, Missions, Emergent/Emerging Church, Church Growth and the future of the Western Church, Soong-Chan Rah's book directly challenges most, if not all authors and "authorities" of said areas of "Church studies". His heartfelt love for the Church is undeniable. Yet, Rah unapologetically indicts the captivity of the Western Church by the dominant white culture as the elephant in the room which can no longer be ignored by leaders in the Western Church.

Chapter after chapter, Dr. Rah's book provides multiple cases, examples and references marking the manner in which the captivity of the Western Church continues to galvanize and suffocate the true mission of the Church of Jesus Christ. He describes how, "... our movie-theater sanctuaries (to appease the consumer looking for an hour's worth of entertainment on a Sunday morning) and our mall-like church buildings reveal our captivity to the materalistic and consumeristic culture of American society," (p. 53). As our individualism contaminates our understanding of community, the Western Church continues to transmit a distorted theology and warped sense of life in Christ. Spiritual marketplaces where we can try on churches, compare ministries as if they were products, goods and services, is a sobering reminder of how we - for I believe we are all to some degree held in captivity - seek, "... programs that came in a nicely packaged, preset curriculum. . .," without having to deal with the, "...relational messiness of the primary culture," (p. 102).

There's more to come as I continue to reflect on this impressive and thought & spirit-provoking book. It is my prayer that Rah's book becomes a source of humble, loving, but uncomfortable conversations among members of the Body of Christ. I pray that Rah's pain and tears are shared in Christ-centered communities across the West for the sake of addressing the good, the bad and the ugly of living together (or not) in the Western Church.

Prayer Room Update

"Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end - it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it - it will surely come; it will not delay."

Habakkuk 2:2-3

Dear Prayer Room Friends:

It's time for an update.

After four prayer events, we've seen what works and what doesn't. God's been loud and quite clear, to say the least. Regrettably, some of the support we thought we would get wasn't extended to us. On the other hand, this allowed us to see where God is actually taking the Lighthouse's prayer room ministry.

We hope many of you can commit your support through prayer and attendance at future prayer events. We thank you for all of the prayers and kind words so many of you have shared with us along the way of this amazing journey.

Please know that we covet the privilege of praying for each of you. Please feel free to use this site to share your prayer requests with us. We will lift them up in prayer!

Thank you for reading this note.

In Christ,

Danny

A Viral Gospel

In St. Luke's, The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 8, we encounter St. Philip the Evangelist spreading the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ in the midst of the murder of his brother-in-Christ, St. Stephen, and of persecution as recorded in the aforementioned chapter.

The chapter begins with the brutal stoning of Stephen and ends with the conversion of Saul. It begins with one of the most severe persecutors the Church ever knew and ends with his transformation into the greatest evangelist the Church has ever known. These are the consequences of a viral Gospel, a message that is contagious and rather than sapping life, health and hope from those contracting it's effects, it regenerates, transforms, heals and is life-giving.

Like a virus, the Church was also forced to spread through the neighboring regions of Jerusalem as a result of persecution. As they were scattered and spread, Christians, "went about preaching the word" (v.4). In the midst of dispersion there was declaration. As they were scattered by force, Christians scattered the seeds of love that propagated into new believers. Instead of destroying the Church, it grew and became - indestructible.

Philip was one of the seven original deacons of the Church. Along with Stephen, Philip was selected because he was a man, "of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom" (Acts 6:3). He was reliable and faithful. He was full of the Holy Spirit, therefore equipped with every good thing necessary for the ministry. And he was wise. His wisdom, to be sure, was not his own. It was from God. Without Him - he could do nothing. In the midst of turmoil, seemingly insurmountable challenges and fear, Philip was a faithful servant of the Lord. He continued to serve despite the manifold reasons available to hide, put the ministry aside or give up all together.

We are called to be a virus. We are called to spread, disperse and scatter across our city, nation and the world over. To spread the Gospel is to spread a life giving condition that will never cause death, only life and in unfathomable abundance. May we also experience in the midst of turmoil, opportunities to spread our praises and proclamations of the goodness of our King of Glory.

Paramore: Born to Scream Hallelujahs

I just wrote this article for The Good News, a local Christian newspaper. I wanted to share it with all of you as the theme is, in my opinion, relevant to how Christians view the role of other Christians in the arts. It's controversial thing, to say the very least. As a high school student, I never imagined these bands would ever exist, or for that matter, be embraced to the amazing extent they've been. Being that the Miami Music Ministry is all about bringing Jesus discipleship alongside musical training and development, it's only a matter of time before one of our own is before the limelight. May it always be for His honor and glory.

Here's the article:

Paramore is a band you want to keep your ears peeled for! Multiplying its fans by the hour, Paramore has continued to blow the minds and musical expectations of fans and critics alike. That’s not all, though. Here’s the best news: Paramore is a band comprised of young, talented and unashamed Christians.

In their thank you notes on the “RIOT!” album, all four band members thanked Jesus Christ. Their lyrics speak of misplaced faith, brokenness and of screaming “hallelujah.” A number of sideline observers of the buzz worthy emo pop “punk” band from Franklin, Tenn., are looking for more information on what the band thinks about the so-called “Jesus issue.”

“I try to talk about struggles and imperfections,” says lead singer Hayley Williams about her Christian faith, “and even questioning your faith at times. I don’t have anything figured out that the next kid doesn’t. It’s the people who shove their faith down people’s throats who create the stigma against artists with religious backgrounds.”

Formed in 2004, Paramore has been supported by top notch producers and record gurus. In 2005, Paramore got their first “big break” when they were practically signed “on-the-spot” by John Janick, founder of the record label Fueled by Ramen. Janick, “… was instantly struck,” the official Paramore website cites, “by their presence and their dedication, he immediately signed the band to the label.” Williams adds, “Fueled By Ramen has been amazing to us. So many kids started checking us out because our name is on their roster. It’s like a big family. We all share such a massive unit of fans.”

It seems that current commercial success and touring hasn’t eroded Paramore’s testimony. As musicians, Paramore’s presence, hard work and music is worthy of all the recognition they’ve been duly given. From a Christian perspective, perhaps many who didn’t know Jesus before may now consider Him as they realize that “we are broken” and in need of being restored.

This is particularly true when one reads the very personal blog entry by Williams regarding the controversial use of God’s name and the phrase, “Once a whore you’re nothing more,” in the song, Misery Business. The song, as Williams explains, “… is a true story... written at a time in my life that I felt very bitter towards a girl, who I still haven't forgiven, for a lot of things that she did a few years ago.”

In July 2007, as concern grew for her and band members over the lyrics, Williams decided to write a moving and apologetic Buzznet blog entry on the story behind the song. “I’m ashamed to say that, although I’m a believer in Jesus Christ and I claim him as my God, when I wrote those lyrics I wasn't addressing him. I was using his name casually. In vain, to be blunt. if you know much about the Christian religion (which I’m not too fond of addressing my faith as), you'll probably know that one of the ten commandments is "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain"... it goes on to say, "...for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." As a believer in Christ, that last part scares the hell out of me. I don't want to be held accountable for being the cause of so many people using his name in vain. you don't have to believe in what I believe and no one in Paramore is ever going to go around forcing our faith into people's lives... but believer or not, I might have led some of ya'll to believe that I take my saviour lightly. and I don't.” Williams continues, “God brought me through everything that I say in "Misery Business". I believe that I am a stronger person because those things happened in my life. through that situation, I learned so much. when I sing that song now, I’m not the same person I was when I wrote it. when I sing those lines that I used to sing in vain, I mean them in a different way. I don't want to opportunity to be held responsible for causing a lot of people to use my God's name in vain. so, whether or you not you believe in Christ. whether or not you care if it means something when you say God. just know that as for me, when I am singing those lines, I’m telling God that it feels good to stand up for myself and be victorious after long months of confusion and pain. I don't hurt the same way anymore.”

Paramore will perform in West Palm Beach on Wednesday, June 3, at the Cruzan Amphitheatre, opening up for No Doubt.

Being Jonah

On Saturday evening, I had two great friends share how they enjoyed listening to the story of Jonah as it was read from Eugene Peterson's The Message. The occasion was my preaching at The Lighthouse and the focus of the lesson was on our seemingly inexhaustible way of running in the opposite direction whenever God calls us to do His will - His way.

We often feel called by God to do what we claim He has disclosed to us to do. Most of us would say that there is a sense of collective agreement in that. I'm sure there are those who would disagree, but I confess that I do hear that kind of talk often and without much reservation. We get into the dicey stuff when we start to "count the costs" to doing whatever God intends for us to do. Here is where rationalization comes in. Here is where we may start crumbling a piece of paper during our prayer time and tell God that we seem to be having a bad connection and we'll just have to call back. In my heritage, sometimes the wrong, but popular thing to do was to claim limited to no language proficiency (Spanish) and say "no English" and hang up the phone. We can do that to with the language of angels, too.

So, back to Jonah. . .

Jonah was a prophet that continues to brazenly exhibit the quintessential weakness of most, if not all, of God's servants: Pride. Pride gets in the way of our doing what is genuinely God's will & pleasure. Jonah was angry at God because God was merciful to a people that had caused Jonah's people great pain and hardship. It was brutal. Jonah was adamant about the promises God had made to His chosen people, but he would have nothing to do with God's unfathomable grace and mercy, which surpasses our understanding and ability to love - if we are ever truly capable of love - but that's for another day.

We hear so many brothers and sisters talking about their ministry. In light of that, I suggest we rethink the ownership of ministry. If all that I have is God's, including the blessings and privilege of doing ministry on God's behalf, then how is it possible that any ministry I'm involved is in all actuality - mine? It's not you see, that's the problem. Pride convinces otherwise. At the moment that we claim ownership over God's ministry, then we take on a distorted sense of ownership that brings along with it all manner of wrong conclusions, controls and worldly concerns that are actually antichrist. All these things seek to weaken, undermine and misdirect the purposes of the Kingdom of God. I'm not saying we always do this wittingly. I figure that most of us are shocked at the very thought! But, my friends, that's what we do - and this is what Jonah did. Jonah wanted to tell God - and He did - who He needs to save, how He needs to do it and who He shouldn't save. We often tell God how we are going to run His ministry, when and who should benefit from it and why we're subject matter experts on His character, universe, plan and purpose. Pretty arrogant, eh?

May we pray for God's mercy on each of us. May we pray for God to divest us of all pride and to infuse each of us with His Spirit. For only in the Spirit can we be moved toward a greater sense of humility and holiness in our lives. It is through holiness that we begin to see ourselves as Jonah and strive to live in the reality of our reluctant and rebellious attitudes toward God.

Get Lost in Jesus

Spiritual mapquest.

I've had many friends tell me how they used one form of Internet based directions or another and instead of arriving at their destination with zero-to-no stress, they ended up getting to their place by way of Tokyo.

I think many of us like to use some form of spiritual "mapquest" in the hope of arriving to our desired destination. We don't want to be prompted by the Holy Spirit and make these "unnecessary" u-turns or stops along the way.

A good friend in Immokalee, Florida, mentioned how we need to get lost in and with Jesus. So often we want to set the directions and request the path of least traffic and discomfort. How different is that to the committed Christian life, eh? In the truest sense of submission to the sovereignty and Lordship of Jesus, we relinquish all control, expectations, demands or sense of direction. We just go. We "follow" Him.

Jesus knows the direction - we don't. Then why do we seem to always want Him to take the passenger side and we do all the driving? I'm reminded of the famous Depeche Mode song, "Never Let Me Down Again", where the lyrics are just about right. But there's that unfortunate line in the song- I hope he never lets me down again. . . Is that how we feel? That Jesus has let us down before so turning over the driving to Him is difficult for us? We need the Holy Spirit to search our hearts. Do we need to ask for forgiveness from the Lord for something we haven't let go of yet? Are we holding any anger, resentment, fear or doubt toward God? Is it possible that we've let Him down before? Over and over again?

Do you know anyone who tends to lower the volume on their radio when they're looking for an address? It's not a perfect example as it's not a universal reaction to being lost, but I'd say this for it, though . . .

How many of us turn the volume of the Spirit's voice down (or turn it off altogether) when we're lost or looking for directions? We count on ourselves and rely on our abilities to find the way. We try to "remember" the path or the route we took. We look to our past as a measure of the present and as a means to discern the future. Only Jesus takes us and sets us on a course where the past is no longer the true north of our lives - we now set our eyes on Him.

I'd encourage each of you to give into Jesus. Turn over the keys to Him, roll the window down, lift up your arms into the wind and the let the Spirit run through your hair & your heart . . .

Where is God taking us?

Recent events have made having to address where is God taking us (and me) an unavoidable and extended meditation - for weeks - if not months.

Let me provide some context and background, though. Last night, I had the privilege of meeting with college students from Elizabethtown, KY. This theme came up - again! This time, though, the emphasis was on the challenging practice of discernment.

Discernment isn't about guessing where God wants to place you or how He wants to use you. Discernment isn't divination. Discernment is more about dedicating oneself to trusting God. See, discernment is one of those "words" that if not handled with care, it will surely become all things to all people.

For some, discernment is about "seeing" where God is leading them. For others, it is "listening" to God for directions as to where He is leading and taking them. And yet for another group, it may be a question of "obeying" God. I believe God can call us - so we should listen. I believe God can reveal His plan for our lives and ministries - so we should have eyes to see. As for obeying, we only need to live in the Word and we will come to see that listening to the words of the scriptures with our hearts compels us to live in steadfast obedience - out of love and fear of the LORD.

One brother shared his plan to evangelize those he came into contact with in Miami. Another student mentioned how he expected to come and build things while on his mission trip to South Florida. In the natural, they didn't do either. The one with evangelism laying heavy on his heart didn't get to talk to anyone about Christ. He prayed over someone and did all sorts of chores at the agencies he was serving at. The other student felt idle at times as he was told to slow down and not rush through the tasks - once again menial - he was expected to complete.

I can sound cliché and that's fine, but the fact IS that they both had their hearts' desires met. They couldn't see that they were enacting the Gospel, so they both evangelized. They couldn't see that their completed tasks, possibly going unnoticed in the middle of the melee typical of major urban homeless ministries at local shelters, was, in fact, noticed by the One for whom they did serve the least of these. To find peace and purpose in this truth is the practice of discernment. It is the practice of removing our agenda from the Master's table so that we can truly embrace His pleasure and will.

Discernment is distilling our thoughts, attitudes and intentions so that a separation can between that of the Spirit and that of flesh can take place. We discard that which is of the flesh and live in what is of the Spirit. With the eyes of our heart, we can see, we can listen, we can obey and we can discern in with the steadfast confidence that what our Lord desires for us is all that we need, all that we should desire and all we should live to be and do.

So, where is God taking us? The location doesn't matter. It never did - and it never will. His company is all that matters - forevermore.

Lead on LORD . . . lead on.

Last available 72 Hour Prayer Event Time Slots

UPDATE - REMAINING 72 HOUR PRAYER EVENT TIME SLOTS

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2009

6 AM
7 AM
9 AM
10 AM
3 PM

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2009

7 AM
8 AM
1 PM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM

Don't Be Afraid. . .

"Don't be afraid. . . Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia." Daniel 10: 12-13

How often do we consider what's behind an unanswered prayer?

How often do we stop to reflect on the battle being waged on behalf of us by God and the angels of the Lord?

I don't honestly think we do - often.

We can draw all sorts of conclusions for why we experience unanswered prayers. I invite you to consider that many of the perceived unanswered prayers are not going to remain unanswered - rather our petitions, intercessions - the desires of our hearts are being fought for by God and His angels.

Just imagine Daniel lifting up his prayers to God and behind the scenes, God immediately hears him and no sooner as the prayer is even prayed, God commands the heavenly armies into battle for His servants.

Spiritual warfare is discounted by Christians across all sorts of traditions and persuasions. I confess that much has been said and done to "discredit" the notion that there is a darkness that is present, intent on deceiving and ultimate annihilation of God's purpose and people. I believe the darkness is real. It is here to achieve the ends for which it gave up any and all hope of everlasting communion and restoration with God.

The enemy has NOTHING to lose.

God knows this. He is here to protect us, fight for us and save us from the onslaught of the darkness. But do we know this? Do we pray with the genuine sense that what we pray for and to who we pray to and to what we pray into is real? God is real beyond our wildest imagination and most sophisticated intellectualizing. We pray into another realm. We just say "Lord" or "Almighty God" - anything that calls, praises and honors God and we're transported into the presence of God and transported before the throne of God.

In the midst of our turmoil and tribulation - God is waging war against the darkness. He is sending His agents, messengers and celestial warriors to invade and defeat the evil one and his legions. Daniel was told that for 21 days the battle with the prince of Persia waged on - on his behalf. The delay wasn't at all about God's silence.

I'm not suggesting that all unanswered prayer is due to battles in realms beyond our capacity to imagine. But I believe many are. I believe that if we pray considering the reality of the dimensions of war between the angels of the Lord and the legions of demons, we'll achieve a greater awareness of Paul's message to us all concerning Spiritual Warfare -

"Finally, be strong in the LORD and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Are we ready to put on the armor of the Lord? Are we ready to pray as intercessors and as warriors? As God broke into human history through Jesus Christ - are we ready and willing to pray into the realms of light and darkness? For 21 days the battle raged on Daniel's behalf. Perhaps your battle will take on one year, perhaps it will take less . . . or more . . . I don't know. Those that stormed the beaches of Normandy back in June 1944, didn't know World War II would be over by April 1945 in Europe and August 1945 in the Pacific. The Allied forces invaded Nazi occupied Europe with all their strength, power, minds, weapons - but above all - with hope. Hope in what they couldn't see, but believed would come - and it did. In the fullness of time.

LATEST PRAYER ROOM SLOTS - 72 Hour Prayer Event

Dear Friends:

Here's the latest update for the 72 Hour Prayer Event -

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2009 (Slots Still Available for Prayer):
4 PM
5 PM
6 PM

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2009 (Slots Still Available for Prayer):
6 AM
7 AM
9 AM
10 AM
3 PM
4 PM

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2009:
5 AM
7 AM
8 AM
1 PM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM

The Lighthouse Prayer Room - Daily Noontime Prayer for March 1 - March 7

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
and forget not all His benefits –

Who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases, who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion, who satisfies my desires with good things so that my life is renewed like the eagle’s.

The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

This is what the LORD almighty says:

“Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.”

Forgive me Father for all my sins and for my failure to love others as you have called me to love them – as I love myself.

“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

I WILL rend my heart and not my garments.
I WILL return to the LORD my God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.

Consecrate me, Lord Jesus.

I WILL fast and offer my life as first fruits to you, O my LORD.
I WILL call upon you – I will pray.
I WILL seek you – and I will find you.
I WILL open my heart – and receive you.

Take me out of captivity and make me free, Lord Jesus.

(Pray the Lord’s Prayer)

Amen.

72 Hour Prayer Event - UPDATED LIST

Dear Friends -

This is CURRENT time slot list for the 72 Hour Prayer Event. PLEASE confirm any time NOT present on this list. These are slots already TAKEN by others. The event starts this upcoming Thursday - please confirm your time & date. Let me know if you're coming alone or with others.

Thank you so much -

In Christ,

Danny

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009:

7 PM
8 PM
9 PM

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2009:

1 AM
11 AM
2 PM
4 PM
5 PM
6 PM
9 PM
10 PM

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2009:

1 AM
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
2 PM
5 PM
6 PM
7 PM
8 PM
9 PM
10 PM

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2009:

1 AM
9 AM
10 AM
11 AM

Update - Time Slots (72 Hour Prayer Event)

72 HOUR PRAYER EVENT NEWS:
THE FOLLOWING TIME SLOTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE -

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009:
7 PM
8 PM
9 PM

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2009:
1 AM
10 AM
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
9 PM
10 PM

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2009:
1 AM
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
2 PM
5 PM
6 PM
7 PM
8 PM
9 PM
10 PM

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2009:
1 AM
9 AM
10 AM
11 AM

New Noontime Prayer

Dear LHPR family -

Here's the noontime prayer for us to use in community from Feb 22 - Feb 28. It reflects tonight's message at the Lighthouse. Thank you for joining us for noontime prayer. Please tell me how it has made a difference in your daily life.

Grace & Peace to all -

Danny
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The Lighthouse Prayer Room
Daily Noontime Prayer
for
February 22 – February 28

The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart. . .”

Praise you, Abba.

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me in my
mother’s womb.

Thank you, LORD.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful; I know that full well.

Bless you, Father.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind
and with all your strength; and ‘Love your neighbor
as yourself.’

I will obey, O my God.

Lord Jesus, reveal yourself to me today. Set me apart,
change my heart and touch my lips with your hand.
Use me to reveal & glorify yourself to my neighbor.
Help me to love others – as you love me.
Help me to forgive other – as you have forgiven me.
Help me to serve others – as you served me.
Help me to die to myself – as you died for me.

In your name, Jesus, the name above all names –

Amen.

Lighthouse Daily Noontime Prayer

Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ:

The Lighthouse is a praying community.

Although we can pray anytime & anywhere, we feel called to encourage one another to intentionally pray as a community:

* at the same time
* at least once a day

Some of you may feel some concern about this request. I'd like to speak to that possibility in the following manner:

If we read Revelation 2:2-5, we will surely see that although God knows our works, patient endurance, our bearing up for His name and of our not having grown weary. . . the LORD still holds one thing against us - we have abandoned our first love."

In the middle of everyday life, we take and make telephone calls to family, friends, supervisors, clients, organizations, companies, agencies - you name it. We make the time. Let us - as a praying community - make time everyday, every high noon, to join in together in prayer - transcending the location and distance we may have between us physically, so that we many go up before His holy throne - together as family.

Bearing this in mind, I humbly ask all of you to join us everyday at noontime for prayer. Set your phone alarms, watches, clocks - anything for noon. At that time, just stop what you're doing, if possible and safe, of course - ask God to clear your mind and lift the following prayer up to the LORD:

O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is your name in all of the earth!

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.
Amen.

Lord Jesus,
Help me be true to you,
Kind to people,
and take the Gospel to the nations.
In Your Name we pray,
Amen.

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Thank you dear friends in Christ. Please let me know if you intend on joining us for daily noontime prayer. This is biblical, historical and intentionally given so we can grow in intimacy with our Father, through our Lord Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Please, join us in making holy our daily lives and business.

Just send me a quick note telling me your in!

We start tomorrow.

Grace & Peace to all -

Always In Christ,

Danny

About the 72 Hour Prayer Event

Dear Family in Christ,

I want to ensure I clarify certain misconceptions about the 72 hour prayer event:

First, the event is not about any one person praying for 72 uninterrupted hours. This is how it works - a person commits to praying for half an hour, an hour or for as many hours as he/she feels lead to sign up for. That's all. You are only responsible for the time slot(s) you signed up for.

Second, you do not need to pray alone. We encourage you to bring family and/or friends to join you in prayer during the time you've selected. Choose this time to pray for healing, discernment, wisdom, resolution, power, grace, calming of anxieties, answers, direction - you name it. Pray for others, for the world, for those seeking God and for those rejecting Him. Pray for your enemies and all the brokenness, needs on this planet. Pray for deliverance from the darkness. Pray for the Church.

Third, you can pray -

A. On your knees

B. Standing up

C. Writing a letter to God

D. Composing a poem or song lyrics

E. Singing songs

F. Playing an instrument

G. Listening to music

H. Meditating

I. Journaling

J. Through centering prayer

K. Through lectio divina

L. Through painting, sculpture, graphic design

M. Alone

N. With a group

O. Sitting down

P. With eyes wide open or closed

Q. Prostrated

R. Through hip hop

S. With spontaneous words - telling God what's on your heart & mind

T. Using a Prayer Book

U. Using the Rosary

V. In tongues

W. Through dance

X. Through Jazz, Blues - the Psalms

Y. Anytime

X. You can pray

Fourth, we need all of you to commit to making your appointment with God to pray at the Lighthouse Prayer Room. We do not hold to any theology or doctrine suggesting you can only pray from the Prayer Room. What we are saying, though, is that we are a society not willing to break from our comfort zone - not even for God. We challenge ourselves and others to intentionally drive, carpool - find some way to co-journey to the Lighthouse and pray. We are building an altar of living sacrifices (The Church) making a statement about our lives. We are joyfully choose to go to the House of the Lord and pray. We are intentional about sacrificing our time, gasoline, money, comfort and sleep, if need be, to join a community of fellow Christians in prayer for 72 hours. This is a protest against our manifold expressions of "Churcianity".

Fifth, pray about this event. Pray for discernment, protection, provision, direction and grace. Pray for all the planning, coordinating and preparations that go into this event. Pray for all prayer rooms across more that 75 countries & for the staff of 24/7 Prayer UK & USA.

Please feel free to contact me if you need any further information. Please keep this ministry in your constant prayers and know of my prayers for each of you -

Always In Christ,

Danny

Praising God Almighty, Praising God, indeed!

Ever heard of a 49 hour prayer event? We did! God not only blessed the Lighthouse with a 48 hour prayer event filled with life changing testimonies and miracles, but just for good measure, He sent one more saint to join us for prayer right near the end of the event!

Healing occured, parents were called, people walked out feeling the unquestionable presence and embrace of our Father in heaven. Man . . . you had to be there, and you can. The next event is already being lifted up in prayer. As soon as we see God's confirmation, you'll know the time, dates and locations. Locations? Yep, that right . . . locations? You see, God also blessed us with another prayer room - now there's two! One at the Lighthouse in downtown Miami and the other on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables. All thanks and praise be to God and to His amazing servant, Desiree' Kameka.

Ask God to wake the sleeper inside! Ask with faith, joy and thanksgiving!

Join the army on it's knees as we pray for God's love, forgiveness, salvation, healing, provision, creation, protection, power, grace and mercy.

Pray without ceasing with faith and thanksgiving.

Be a Watcher.

TO WHAT END?

"His intent was that now, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers & authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom & confidence."

Ephesians 3: 10-12

It seems almost impossible to grasp the wonder and power of a prayer event. Externally, the chapel seems to be as familiar as ever. But, as sisters & brothers walk out of the prayer room, they express joy, intimacy, encounters and wonders. You see it on their faces - smiles, fresh tears, peaceful & hopeful countenances.

Amazing.

A dear mentor of mine challenged me to ask of the prayer room events - "To what end?" To what end do we come together as the Body of Christ to intentionally pray in one accord, in the Spirit, with unity and compassion for the needs of others. To what end do we intend to lift our own petitions to the Lord? Are we mistaking God for an idol? Do we take God for a pseudo-Santa Claus who seems to receive requests, honors the lists of those who have been nice, yet hides from those very same kids he seeks to reward with gifts? By no means! God wants to engage us and through prayer establish lines of intimate communication as we would have with a lover.

God wants us to pray with confidence, thanksgiving and without anxiety - however, He just doesn't want us to pick up the phone, call in our order and hang up the phone. He wants us to listen to His voice - often still & small - but always powerful, awesome and overflowing with lavish and immeasurable love.

Prayer Slots are still Available - SIGN UP TODAY!

Good morning, sisters & brothers - Here's the updated list for the 48 hour prayer event. PLEASE keep this event in your prayers and PLEASE, if you haven't signed up yet, consider joining us for prayer by signing up for one of the available time slots. You do not have to pray by yourself, bring family, friends, members of your community, etc.

All we ask is that you COMMIT to joining this movement - TODAY! Thank you so much, my friends, thank you. Please know I keep all of you covered in prayer -

IN Christ,

Danny
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AVAILABLE time slots for the 48 hour prayer roster (UPDATED):

Friday, January 23rd:
4 AM
7 AM
8 AM
9 AM
12 Noon

Saturday, January 24th:
1 AM
2 AM
3 AM
4 AM
5 AM
6 AM
7 AM
9 AM
11 AM

JOIN THE ARMY - EZEKIEL 37:10

Good morning, sisters & brothers - Here's the updated list for the 48 hour prayer event. PLEASE keep this event in your prayers and PLEASE, if you haven't signed up yet, consider joining us for prayer by signing up for one of the available time slots. You do not have to pray by yourself, bring family, friends, members of your community, etc.

All we ask is that you COMMIT to joining this movement - TODAY! Thank you so much, my friends, thank you. Please know I keep all of you covered in prayer -

IN Christ,

Danny

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AVAILABLE time slots for the 48 hour prayer roster (UPDATED):

Friday, January 23rd:

3 AM

4 AM

7 AM

8 AM

9 AM

12 Noon

Saturday, January 24th:

1 AM

2 AM

3 AM

4 AM

5 AM

6 AM
7 AM
9 AM
10 AM
11 AM
12 Noon

From Walter Wink . . . About the Kingdom of God

Actualizing the Kingdom
Walter Wink

The early church did not seek to formulate a theory of illness; instead, it healed the sick. It did not attempt to explain how the demonic could exist in a good world made by a good God; instead, they cast out demons. They had no hypotheses about how prayer works. They simply prayed.... Their attitude was not anti-rational or anti-theological, but merely concrete. They looked, not for adequate ways to conceptualize the Kingdom, but for ways to actualize it.

Source: Engaging the Powers

http://www.walterwink.com/

The Lighthouse 48 Hour Prayer Event STARTS @ 6 PM on, Thursday, January 22, 2009 through 5 PM, Saturday, January 24. The event ends with a community meal at 6 PM & worship @ 7 PM.

AVAILABLE TIME SLOTS for Thursday, January 22:

10 PM

11 PM

AVAILABLE TIME SLOTS FOR FRIDAY, January 23:

5 AM

6 AM

7 AM

8 AM

9 AM

10 AM

12 Noon

1 PM

2 PM

3 PM

4 PM

6 PM

7 PM

8 PM

11 PM

AVAILABLE TIME SLOTS FOR SATURDAY, January 24:

1 AM

2 AM

3 AM

4 AM

5 AM

6 AM

7 AM

9 AM

10 AM

11 AM

12 Noon

1 PM

2 PM

3 PM

4 PM

5 PM

THE LIGHTHOUSE PRAYER ROOM 48 HOUR PRAYER EVENT

The Lighthouse 48 Hour Prayer Event Join us for the Lighthouse 48 Hour Prayer Event! It STARTS @ 6 PM on, Thursday, January 22, 2009 through 5 PM, Saturday, January 24. The event ends with a community meal at 6 PM & worship @ 7 PM.

Jeremiah's Reluctance

If you happen to read the Student Bible NIV introduction to the book of the prophet Jeremiah,

the following description of Jeremiah's insecure attitude is offered - I think it's amazing - "Jeremiah felt frightened and insecure - but he burned with a message". Isn't that most of us? It's me, I'm afraid - no pun intended. But really, aren't we often anxious about the message we carry within us? Certainly some of us aren't among other self-disclosing Christians, but "out there" I mean - where we've been told all sorts of things about the "world".

Jeremiah experienced all manner of worry, fear and reluctancy as he obeyed God. There's that wonderful passage in the book of Jeremiah where he admits - well, actually, he complains. . . "But if I say, I will not mention him or speak any more in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot," (Jeremiah 20:9).

That's the paradox . . . we feel fear, anxiety, feelings of insufficiency, but simultaneously, we have the call to proclaim, serve, minister and BE the body of Christ. Here's where the dependency on God is everything. The power to be, "servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God," (1 Cortinthians 4:1b) - can only come as a result of the Holy Spirit's empowering and guidance. It may also seem to us that God's has "wooed" us or has pulled the rug from right under us. Jeremiah utilizes a much more drastic term - "deceived" (Jeremiah 20:7a). God deceives? The complaint is visceral and unexamined, but nonetheless - very real.

God, however, will always be with us - even in the midst of the storm. It seems to me, though, that the nature of the storm will never be easy to ignore. We will most often be subject to the emotional roller coaster ride evident in our reactions to life's deep challenges and profound difficulties - in short - tribulations. The NIV introduction provides the following reflection - "...no one, not even his chosen messengers, will escape suffering. God's presence will make them strong enough to face it."

So, how does this inform our sense of call and our prayer ministry? More on this in part II . . . I'm off to the Lighthouse.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

It's Epiphanytide. C'mon, how many out there actually know what that means, eh? Technically speaking, the "Christmas" season begins with four weeks of Advent, 12 days of Christmas and Epiphanytide - beginning on January 6th all the way through to February 2nd, Candlemas. The secular Groundhog Day, of course, is the unfortunate winner (even among Christians) claiming the day as the litmus test for more weeks of winter (or less)...

How are we demonstrating to the world that we're an alternative society? So often there is an antagonistic approach to how the Church must somehow be countercultural - I do comprehend the intention, no doubt, but I would suggest that an alternative society creates culture and offers an option to the rat race and the emptiness with which the "world" sadly handles "holidays" (Holy days) such as Christmas. You see for all the talk about countering the dominant cultural values, the Church in the U.S., for the most part, seems to go along with the flow and embraces the "Christmas-is-over-on-December 25th" attitude, too. In fact, you may know of Christians who will throw their Christmas trees out on the 26th of December. We embrace the culture and yet, we somehow seem to think that we can provide an alternative to the world's despair and emptiness.

It would be too easy to submit a blog entry during "Christmastime" and retell the story so many have grown to superficially hear, but not listen to attentively as what it was, is and will always be - The Good News - and as far as this writer is concerned - the beginning of the End Times. So instead, I wait until today - January 9th, to suggest that we are nowhere close to the end of the observation of Christ's birth. IN fact, January 7th, according to the Julian calendar, is the Orthodox (Eastern) Church's date for the Observation of the Nativity of the Lord. These are our brothers & sisters in the Christian faith. While we're "getting back to normal" with the hustle & bustle of "life after the holidays", the proclamation of Christ's birth is still a new song in the air.

I see such radical and amazing power in reclaiming all of Christmas - from Advent all the way to Candlemas. I can only imagine how "church" communities, by intentionally gathering, celebrating, observing and praising God for the unfathomable gift of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, would shake the foundation (in the very least) or just absolutely undermine Babylon's "market" goals & mammon generating "cost-effective" strategies.

As a Prayer Room, I invite all to pray about this very issue. How can we - as individual & corporate witnesses of Christ's first coming and as "prophets" of His second coming - testify to the world that the celebration isn't over? How can we continue to live an "alternative lifestyle" where we do not simply get back to the grind, but rather celebrate that the chains of sin are forevermore broken and no longer hold any power over us? How?

I ask you to pray and find ways to keep Christmas all year round. Live out the message, but not just within you - proclaim it to the world through your churches, parachurch organizations and other fellowship gatherings. From Christmas Eve through Februrary 2nd, play the music of the season, gather and continue to pray, worship and celebrate the birth of the new born King - in the midst of worldly routine, continue to tell the world to prepare Him room! Keep the Christmas lights on, keep the trees & wreaths up, sing carols and make it clear - we follow Christ, not the market, we are of the Kingdom of God not the government of men and neither do we pay allegiance to this nation's extremely limited & hypocritical "toleration" of any open celebration of Jesus Christ's birth. I'm not saying to keep your kids from going to school or to not go into work, BUT you can surely ask the Holy Spirit to adjust your attitude, outlook and purpose so that you may be blessed with the privilege to see the world through God's worldview. To see this world supernaturally. To live in seasons and not in chronological enslavement.

"Glory to the Newborn King!"

Epiphanytide 2009