Whatever is Pure Archives
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The Hope of a Homecoming: Entrusting Your Prodigal to a Sovereign God By Brendan O'Rourke, Ph.D. & DeEtte Sauer Fight for the life of your prodigal child by using the most powerful weapon of all - prayer. If your son or daughter has headed down the prodigal path, you've probably experienced many episodes of anger, fear, and despair. But there is reason for hope, even during the worst of times. In The Hope of a Homecoming, authors O'Rourke and Sauer share their personal experiences about dealing with their own prodigals. They also offer empowering and professional advice on going deep beneath the surface to enlist and direct God's sovereign power toward the children of our hearts. You'll find key Scriptures, written prayers, coping strategies, and practical advice on such topics as:
Tune out Satan's lies of hopelessness. Learn to look at life and your prodigal's situation through God's eyes and respond to it with calm confidence. The Hope of a Homecoming gives insightful help and encourages parents to pray their prodigals home. It's a time filled with heartache, but there are ways to make it easier. |
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Prodigals and Those Who Love Them |
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Christlife: Embracing Your True and Deepest Identity By Ruth Myers / Multnomah Ever asked yourself, "Who am I?" In this interactive guide, Myers shares her personal search to discover her deepest identity in Christ. More than 30 readings feature her teachings and prayers, with Scripture passages, application questions, and space to record your own reflections. You'll be encouraged to find your true self in God! 176 pages, hardcover from Multnomah. |
Whatever is Pure, November 2009
What A Friend I've found
Closer than a brother
I have felt your touch
More intimate than lovers
Jesus, Jesus
Jesus, friend forever
Written by Martin Smith
1996 Curious? Music UK
Friendship -- what a delightful word! We desire close friends, those who know us inside and out and who love us despite all our quirks and failings. However, to have such friendships in our lives, we must be willing to sacrifice our time and our resources as such friendships are bought with a great price. We must be willing to let down our walls and open the doors to our hearts. We must be willing to learn to trust and be vulnerable. To open one's heart to the risk of rejection requires remarkable amounts of courage.
We, as believers, have the awesome privilege of being called 'friend' by the creator of the universe. He paid the ultimate price in order to gain our friendship, giving his life in order that we could be in fellowship with Him. It would be foolish and presumptuous of us to forget that the one who calls us friend is also also our Saviour, our Master, the eternal God. He who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteous of God in Him (2 Cor 5:21 NASB) and thus be able to enter into his home, the holies of holies, entering into fellowship in the process. It would be just as foolish, however, not to take him up on his offer and take our place as his friend.
John 15:13-16a (NLT)
"There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you."
In view of the great price Jesus made as our friend, wouldn't it only be fair for us to enter into this relationship with the same commitment shown us?
Until next week,
© 2009 Katherine Walden
Thanksgiving Everyday
Being thankful is an easy thing to do,
When wonderful occurrences happen to you.
Being thankful when rocky times roll around,
Doesn't come easy when your face is to the ground.
Daily our attitude must be one of new hope,
Keep expectations high while we struggle and cope.
It's all in our attitude and the choices we make.
There's a lot to be thankful for. There's a lot at stake.
Our very well-being hinges on how well we perceive,
The notions, commotions, hurts and pain we receive.
When someone slaps you on the cheek,
Words of forgiveness you must speak.
Don't hold bitterness and resentment in your heart.
Wake each morning prepared to make a brand new start.
If you approach each situation and people in this light,
Your conscience will be clean and your heart will be right.
You can be thankful
© 2008 Ellen Marie Parker
ellen.parker@start.ca
You must contact the author for permission before using this poem or forwarding this poem on to your friends and family via blog, email, message board or via any other printed or electronic format.
“I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far -- I will find you.”
-- Nathaniel to Cora in The Last of the Mohicans.
My oldest son, Daniel, was missing for five of the longest days of my life. Trying to escape ballooning pressures at school and with friends, my eleventh grader bolted to hang out at a friend’s house.
We reported Daniel missing to the local law enforcement when he didn’t come home last Thursday night. We called friends, the school, coach, youth pastor, other parents. No one had seen him. We checked some of his usual hang-outs - the library, soccer field, and the YMCA. We drove up and down every street in town and the two adjacent burghs. My husband took the north part of town and I took the south. We walked every street. We activated every prayer chain we could, on four continents. We didn’t sleep for five days. I journaled: “This feels like a bad nightmare. I keep waiting to wake up and then realize I am awake.”
Unimpressed with police efforts to find Daniel, we contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, something no parent ever wants to do. But we were desperate. That’s one crackerjack organization. Within an hour we had a case number, a case manager, a branch office on board, forms emailed to us for media alerts and access to an emotional support team. One teary phone call and the gears of a massive, nationwide search-and-find machine swung into action, even while every horrible scenario imaginable kept shoving itself into my head. Choking down panic, manning the phone and concealing my red, puffy eyes became a full-time job:
“I feel like I’m losing my mind. No. That’s not it. I’ve lost it. Every mom-ism in the world has been summoned from every corner of my mind, every fiber of my being. I will throw myself from a moving vehicle, step in front of a truck, move heaven and earth with my teeth to find my son. If I have to call out the National Guard or lead a Marine battalion with fixed bayonets, I will find you. I don’t care what paper blizzards I have to plow through. I don’t care how much it costs. Or how long it takes. I will find you.”
The parables of Luke 15 leapt into a focus. In this chapter Jesus includes three “losts” in just 32 verses – sheep, a coin, and a son. Just think of the massive search-and-rescue effort launched by the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep in open country and goes after the lost sheep “until he finds it.” Or the woman with ten silver coins, who loses one. She sweeps “the entire house” and “search(es) carefully” until when? Until she finds the lost coin. Same with the father of the thankless son who squandered his inheritance and returned home repentant.
Notice what happens next. Once the lost item is found, there’s joy, rejoicing, a party, celebrating, and more rejoicing. Think party hats and noisemakers at Mach 3 with your hair on fire. Think beating a kettle drum the size of Alaska, a dancing-like-there’s-no-tomorrow, jumping-up-and-down celebration with all the trimmings. Think cartwheel-turning, crowing-with-glee-till-the-cows-come-home elation.
I know the feeling.
Turns out Daniel was hanging out at a friend’s house a couple miles away – without phone access or any other contact info. Someone who heard we were looking for Daniel showed up at our front door. It was a God thing: “I don’t know the address, but I can take you there.” He did. We knocked on that door and there was Daniel, safe and sound and a little dazed by the commotion.
Angels rejoicing over found sheep, coins and a son has a whole new ring to it.
Have you ever thought about it? About what the Lord Jesus did – and does for us? He didn’t leave us in our lostness. He’s a search-and-rescue Savior, a never-give-up God. He invaded a fallen world to find us. He gave his life to redeem *lost* humanity. You and me. And my son. Think of it this way:
“I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far -- I will find you.”
-- Jesus
© Kristine Lowder
You must email the author to gain permission to use this article before using or copying it in any media format including email, blog, print or electronic form.
God, My Friend
Though I have never seen Him
I know that he is there
His presence is felt around me
Every day and everywhere
When I am lonely He is my friend
Always there at my beckoning call
Making sure that I am safe and never give up
And to evil’s temptation I do not fall
Life without Him would be so empty
I could never imagine it being so
For death would have no purpose
If back to His Kingdom I could not go
So do not turn your back on Him
As the devil would have you do
For without His love and mercy
Life would be even harder to get through
You must email the author to gain permission to use this article before using or copying it in any media format including email, blog, print or electronic form.
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