What Can We Do?

thought

 

We face growing violence in our land, unnecessary and fatal violence. What can we do?

 

 

  • Push for legislation
  • Protest
  • Not much

We discuss possible causes: breakdown of the family, violent video games, prejudice, poverty. Easy to talk about, hard to change. There’s not much we can do, right?

Wrong! 

1 Timothy 2:1-3 (MSG)
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation.Let us pray

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What the World Needs

discipline

 

 

We need more

 

Justice
Mercy
Humility

Our courts are about winning, not justice. We want revenge, not mercy. And we look out for #1.

Micah 6:8 (NIV)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

bless humble

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Firey Wisdom

Rock solid

 

 

From George Washington:

 

“Government . . . Like fire, it is a dangerous servant
and a fearful master.”

Pray that we don’t get burned.bless soul pic

 

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Heal the Nations

blueprint

Revelation 22:1-2  (NIV)
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

“Healing of the nations.” Nations get sick.

When people get sick, we pray for them. Likewise, let us pray for the sick nations of our world. Bless praying

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Undimmed by Tears

Architect

 

“O beautiful for patriot dream
 That sees beyond the years
 Thine alabaster cities gleam
 Undimmed by human tears!”
Katharine Lee Bates, 1893

 

Lord God, I weep for our cities–
corruption, violence, greed, addiction, neglect.
I pray for justice, peace, grace, liberty, love. amen

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Happy Birthday to Us!

ConThotRWB1

 

Do you pray for those in authority?

 

 

  • Only for the guys I like
  • Confuse and disrupt their plans, Lord
  • May they lead wisely
  • I pray for their spiritual well-being

America is 240 years old this year. Our congregation turns 260. Our church is 20 years older than the nation. Following biblical instructions, that young congregation probably prayed for King George.

There is a message in that: faith trumps politics. We serve Christ, first and foremost, no matter who is in the White House. Let us pray

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Better than Right

1 Timothy 6-11

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Better or Worse

Architect

 

Many of us hope and pray that our kids do better than us.

King David had lots of wives. His son Solomon had more–700 wives, more or less. Way more than his father.

1 Kings 11:4 (NIV)
His wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

Solomon had more wives and less devotion.

Lord God, may my children do better by you than I have, more devotion, less distraction. amen

 

 

 

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Educated Parents

blueprint

 

The Bible offers this child-rearing advice:

 

 

Ephesians 6:4 (ERV)
. . . raise them with the kind of teaching and training you learn from the Lord.

You can’t teach what you don’t know.studying praying

 

 

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Parenting, Puritan Style

Rock solid

 

I just bought a my very own copy of A Puritan Golden Treasury. Those stuffy old Puritans left us some rock-solid advice.

 

 

“If you neglect to instruct them in the way of holiness, will the devil neglect to instruct them in the way of wickedness? No, if you will not teach them to pray, he will to curse, swear, and lie.”
John Flavelbless soul pic

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