Making the Holiday a Holyday

Yes, yes, I know. Christmas is more commercial than Christian. The sales, the thrills, the shows are less and less about Jesus' birthday and more about dead presidents. Some would be surprised to know that the U. S. economy gauges its health and sets guidance based on December sales reports. In fact, Christmas was a pagan festival, a riotous one at that, “Christianized” by Constantine to appease both cultures.

All kinds of mystery, fallacy, confusion and greed surrounds this holiday. But a very liberating phrase is apropos – “It is what it is.”

You can complain about it.
You can dissect it.
You can chart it.
You can disregard it.
You can hate it

Or …

You can use it.
Redirect it.
Recreate it.
Sanctify it.

Paganism, greed and other empty philosophies surround us everyday. Our currency has pagan symbols as the basis of its design, but we put it in collection. The bus driver may be atheist or even a Satanist, but we let him drive us to church or work. The days of the week are named after mythical gods, but we use them. It is what it is, but we use it for what we do.

Paul says, “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord: and he that eateth, eateth unto the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, unto the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks (Rom. 14:5-6).”

The basic message that Paul gives is this – If you want to make the day Holy, as in special for you, do it. Just don’t make your specially sanctified day binding on someone else.

Application - Christmas is what you make of it. It is what it is but you can make it into something special. You can make a holiday a Holyday. Start some tradition with your family (or with your self for that matter). Take advantage of a sale and buy some gifts. Bring God into it through prayer, study, or acts of kindness. God is so holy that He can make any day holy - if you bring Him in.

Have a Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas.

Let Me Hope You

Odds are, if you are trying to do something significant, you have or will run into significant opposition. Personalities, circumstances or situations often seem to keep us from fulfilling our destiny. While it is easy to quote a famous overcomer or chant a strengthening mantra, despair can wreck havoc on our hearts.

So let me hope you.

“For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that its tender shoots will not cease.
Though its root may grow old in the earth,
And its stump may die in the ground,
Yet at the scent of water it will bud
And bring forth branches like a plant

(Job 14:7-9)."

Don't Quit - You're almost there.

Damn Despair!!! Don't ever give in to it.

Never mind what the world may say - Now is the time.

Keep swinging - The fight is fixed.

Keep Pushing - Deeds are better when done.

Break out - The world is waiting to see just how beautiful you are.

I Hope this hopes you.
-The Brooklynite Hopedealer
"Got those verses"

The Model Prayer

Jesus taught the disciples to pray in what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. As I have recently blogged about prayer I thought it good to look at the lesson of the Master teacher. Hopefully it will encourage all of us to pray and pray the Lord’s way.

We should remember that this is a model of prayer, not a prayer. It should not be spoken as a prayer or repeated to God. To do so would be speaking to God in someone else’s words. How would you feel if your child came to you in an intimate conversation and recited someone else? Exactly. Prayer should be from the heart but guided with the intellect. This is why Jesus gave the model.

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen (Mat. 6:9-13).”

Here are some thoughts about prayer that come from looking at the Masters model.

Prayer should be Simple – Jesus did not have a lot of complexity in the model. Straightforward blessing and requesting instead of concepts, loftiness and ambiguity. There is great eloquence and profundity in simplicity.

Prayer should be Spiritual – The content is more about the things of heaven than earth. Our prayer ought not to be a focus on the passing, but on things eternal.

Prayer should be Scriptural – A constant in the model is the repetition of Scriptural themes (thy name, daily bread, the kingdom). The model challenges our preparation to pray by studying the Word of God.

Prayer should be Significant – There is not one small time issue in the model. Every aspect is huge, meaningful and dynamic.

Prayer should be Supplicating – God supplies our daily bread, forgiveness, and deliverance. We should prayerfully seek these with thanksgiving.

Prayer should be Steadying – Focusing on higher things like the Hallowed Name, the Kingdom, the Will in heaven, the power and the glory, helps to put life in perspective. Bills, rain, trouble and pains lose weight in that glory.


Again, I hope this helps us to have meaningful and fruitful prayer lives. We should not only do the right things, we should do them the right way. God Bless.

In His Name

Prayer is an often misunderstood concept, especially among Christians. Some view prayer as a transcendental meditational chant. Others as a ritual filled with ceremonial language that is used in no other forum. Still others think it to be a waste of time.

One of the more mistaken thoughts comes from a misinterpretation of scripture. Jesus said, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it (John 14:13-14).” Many have taken this scripture from its rightful context thereby creating unfortunate expectations.

This scripture does not make the Sovereign God of Eternity our universal servant. This is not a blank check for the praying saint to write in whatever he wants. There are three things that should help one understand what this scripture is about.

First of all, the context is about the apostolic ministry. Jesus is talking with His apostles about His departure and subsequent impartation of the Holy Spirit. As Christ talks about work, ministry and belief in the miraculous, He makes the promise we are considering. The apostles, who would be known for the miraculous, needed the confidence of the promises of Jesus.

Secondly, consider how dangerous for our lives it would be if God gave us anything we asked for. How often have we prayed an immature prayer, begging God for something we did not need? Or how often have we prayed in emotional temper tantrum and said that which we later regretted? If the verse in question were literal then God would give us even things we do not need, deserve or could handle.

Third, and most importantly, there is more to “in my name” than a prayers closing statement. The ancient concept of “name” carries the idea of mentality or manner. Jesus basically says, “ask like I ask and what I would ask, and I will give it to you.” This makes it impossible to ask something outside of the will and likeness of Christ. Face it folks, we often ask things for our own benefit, selfish desire and immediate gratification. That’s not how Jesus prayed. To pray in His name or in his manner, would be selfless, God glorifying, world changing prayer.

Fight the Funk

Inevitably, the day comes when you just don’t feel like doing what you must do. You were called to it, even created for it, but inexplicably and unexpectedly your will dissipates. Most days you can leap over the wall, kill the dragon, save the village in time for a late breakfast. Then other times you can barely get out of bed to use the bathroom.

Fatigue comes in many forms;
Muscular – when you extensively use certain muscles to the point of exhaustion.
Physical – like muscular fatigue but on a body wide scale. Sometimes the results of chemical depletion or sickness.
Mental – when you literally get tired of thinking. (One time after a stressful day with the church, I almost broke down and cried because Cathi asked me if I wanted corn or green beans.)
Emotional – usually following a traumatic or depressing situation. It can cause an implosion of the psyche, manifesting in a shut down of the body and mind.

Worse than all of these is Spiritual Fatigue. This is the exhaustion of the will. The will can manage all other tiredness in general (ie. change diet, get more rest, cry it out), but what happens when your will loses will? How do you overcome not wanting to overcome? Despondence, apathy, and passionlessness are more than moods; they are droughts of the soul.

David said, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD ().”

Here are four keys to manage or defeat spiritual fatigue:
1. Get a better perspective on life through what you “see” out of God’s Word. Encourage yourself. Build yourself up.
2. Expose yourself to encouragers not enablers. Hopefully you would have already surrounded yourself with them before you went into crisis. sometimes a shoulder to cry on is the worst thing in the world.
3. Count the cost of your continued inactivity. Can you really live with the village being burned down? Your work is important.
4. Never ever buy into the notion that things will always be the same. Life rewards action. Forcing yourself to do what you are supposed to do has a way of creating momentum for your entire being. Purpose can awake passion.