Thursday, March 10, 2011

Last night for youth group I had the students create masks because masks are what we use to hide our true selves.  We hide our sin.  We hide our shortcoming.  Basically, we hide anything that we do not want others to see.  That takes care of the inside, but what about the outside?  That is where our masks really come in handy.  With our masks on, we can pick and choose exactly what we want others to see.  This led to the following instructions for the students; on the outside they put words representing how others see them.  On the inside they put their fears, doubts and shortcomings.  When they finished, they put their masks aside and we discussed Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness using a video from your tube based on “40” by Si Smith with the song “How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan.

Today’s New Testament prayer mentions how we are still “sometimes paralyzed in fear.”  That is when we put the masks on.  We want to hide our pain from everyone, even God, but God does not want that for us.  He wants us to be honest with ourselves and with Him.  God wants us to share those fears, shortcomings and doubts.

God know we struggle and face temptations.  Jesus struggled and faced temptations in the desert when the devil tempted Him.  Jesus showed us that we can get past those struggles and temptations by relying on God.  We ended youth group by turning off the lights, the room lit by a single candle.  In silent prayer each student came forward and placed their masks with all the fears, doubts and shortcomings at the foot of the Cross.  They placed it in God’s hands.  Won’t you?

Father, I pray that we can truly “rise up” and “follow You fearlessly.”  Go not let us fall prey to ways of the world, but instead help us to get up and not be afraid.

Amen.

Terry Van Wyk

Wednesday, March 10 – Day 22

Seeking His Glory in Evangelizing All Peoples
Seek God….to be recognized and honored by leaders.

As we pray for our leaders, our president, our representatives, our judges and mayors and governor, we can easily reduce them to their office, and forget about them as people, persons like us. They carry the same fears and doubts, the same weakness, the same tendency to sin. They need Jesus as much, but not more, than we do.

So our prayers for our leaders begin with our prayers for their hearts and souls. Our prayers begin with the most important request, that Jesus Christ will be their Savior, that He will be Lord of their lives, that they will experience the freedom of forgiveness, the hope of heaven, and the strength of a life lived under the care of our Shepherd. We understand that we can’t expect Christian behavior from people who aren’t Christians. We can’t expect them to follow Jesus if they don’t acknowledge Jesus as their Lord. So, we pray for Jesus to become their Lord and Savior.

And our prayers are lifted for those who have been saved, our brothers and sisters who try so hard to serve our Master, while surrounded by temptations of power and pride. Recognizing how hard it is for us to be faithful, we empathize with our Christian leaders who fail like we fail, but who are forgiven like we are forgiven. We pray that our leaders will have the courage, regardless of the consequences, to clearly communicate that Jesus is their king, that while we live in a democracy, this democracy is part of a monarchy, ruled by the King of senators and representatives and judges and presidents.

And we pray for “we the people”, who find it quite easy to blame the leaders of our country when we ourselves are the government of the people, by the people and for the people. We pray that our King will rule us as we vote and participate in this democracy.

And we pray our gratitude, that regardless of the actions of our leaders, that Jesus reigns, that Jesus must reign until all of His enemies are placed under His feet. We pray in the assurance that our King reigns very well. We pray, knowing that we are citizens of another country, a country that faces no real threat, a holy nation that is strong and stable, and we’re going there soon. Thank You, King Jesus, for being the leader of our leaders, for continuing to reign as Your kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven.

Gary Brouwers

Peace Church