AGAIN!!!! REALLY!!!!

(This is a “sister post” to last weeks blog)

Ok, this is getting real humorous! I had the opportunity to play for a most excellent group of musicians at Hope Point church. The Lord blessed me with an encouraging time of worship as I was playing. As we finished I went through my normal routine to get to a seat. As the pastor finished his prayer, and began to open his sermon, I kid you not; he began speaking about the 15^th chapter of John!!!!!! REALLY!!!  YOU CAN’T PLAN THIS! I admit I laughed, but then corrected my self with the thought “maybe, just maybe something will be taught to me that will iron out my frustration with this verse.”

 

Here are some of the notes that I took during the sermon. I have to warn you, my note taking skills are a little strange!

____________________________________________________________________

Prayer-

 

“Whether we like it or not, asking is the power of the kingdom”

 

John 15:7

 

-         Have prayer more than food.

-         “if we fail with prayer we fail everywhere”

-         Plan more to pray more than I have

-         Absorb your life with Christ, then ask anything you want

-         Christ listens to those who have true union with Him

 

[Grasp verse 7 and tie it back to verse 5]

 

-         prayer is declaring our present need with God having the future answer

 

Example: a Fish stranded on a beach unable to get to water. The fish is left to die flopping around on the sand, and this fish’s need to be in water for life support is apparently important. The fish flops around fighting for life until a uncontrollable force, which is a wave, comes and carries it back to the water.

 

-         The wave washes the answer in!

-         Only he who realizes he is truly helpless can truly pray

-         Verse 7 is talking about things I cannot do but what God can give.

 

Jimmy, how many things did Jesus say that He didn’t mean?

 

_____________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

I am hesitant about doing this but I want to share my journal entry from last night as I was processing this information

 

 

“I look at the strongest points in my walk over the past 12 years, and the strongest times are those that are helplessly immersed in prayer.  Sometimes the prayers were vain, and I praise you Lord for not letting me have my way, but I was in constant prayer for strength no matter the situation. I feasted on communication with you Lord so that I may survive emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically. “Only he who is helpless can truly pray”. I’m to prideful to admit helplessness! It’s not a “mans” character to admit that he’s weak and unable…… I’m completely helpless because nothing I can do, under my strength can save me from the toll that sin has brought on my life! I am unable to save myself from eternal separation from you Lord! I am a totally helpless man!! So that being the base of all my helplessness I have nothing to stand on but the love and resurrection of you Lord!! I pray because I am helpless without you Lord! “absorb your life with Christ, then ask anything you want”… and it will be given to you!”

 

 

Finally! This “song” has a resolved ending, and it just doesn’t end! The chords have progressed and brought an ending that makes sense to the musician!….(music frame of though)