Standing in the Gap for Oregon

Image by  272447  from  Pixabay   I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  I Timothy 2: 1-2 What is on your prayer list for Oregon? We are instructed in I Timothy to pray for our leaders. Many are praying for the 2020 election, our economy, and an end to the covid-19 virus - all vital concerns.   One way to organize a prayer list is to pray over the state county by county. If I do the easy thing and just start where I am, I begin with Clackamas county. Actually, this might be a good choice since Clackamas is one of the original four counties established by the Provisional Legislature on July 5, 1843. We are going deep here and touching the foundation of Oregon as a territory and state. At that time Clackamas county was huge and covered...

Image by  Manfred Richter  from  Pixabay   ‘ Not   by   might   nor   by   power , but  by  my Spirit,’ says the  Lord  Almighty .  Zechariah 4:6 Don’t tell anyone, but I love the movie  Labyrinth . It might be because of David Bowie. Alright, it’s David Bowie. However, my other favorite characters in this favorite movie are Sir Didymus and his cowardly sheep-dog steed, Ambrosius.  When Sarah and company reach the Goblin City, Sir Didymus utters several of my favorite lines, all while surrounded by the Goblin army: “Don’t worry Ambrosius, I think we’ve got them surrounded.”  “I have you right where I want you!” And, famously, to a hoard of goblins pointing spears at him, “So, had enough, eh? All right then, throw down your weapons, and I’ll see that you’re well treated.” If I were to take one of those online quizzes to reveal which  Labyrinth  character I was, I hope ...

Image by  Gerd Altmann  from  Pixabay   Love your enemies. Sounds very noble, but the reality can be gut-wrenching, especially when the “enemy” is someone who has been a close friend or loved one. To forgive, to extend grace to someone close who has betrayed you is one of the toughest challenges of the Christian life. And the most powerful. In  The Hunger Games  (books and movies) there are creatures called muttations or “mutts,” created from the DNA of wolves but with the appearance of friends and comrades of the heroes. The main characters have to fight and kill those who look like their friends. There have been situations in my life when it seemed like I was being attacked by an enemy who had taken on the form of my friend or family member.  The Bible reminds us of the spiritual reality behind what we see with our physical eyes: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the ruler...

Image by  sipa  from  Pixabay   The news is hard to watch. I would say “like watching a train wreck,” but I’ve never seen a train wreck, so I can’t attest to that. There is a rather horrid fascination, though, with many of the dark secrets being revealed. It seems that evil is being exposed, sometimes in unexpected places. Light is being shone in dark places, and uncomfortable or shocking as it may be, I think the Lord is in it, opening the cellar door to expose hidden things.   Image by  WikiImages  from  Pixabay How do we pray for our state at this time? Since we are trying to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, let’s pray for evil to be exposed – no matter where it may be. The Bible has much to say about this:  For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. Mark 4:22 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets,  Daniel 2:28. One of ...

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Image by  Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto  from  Pixabay holds.  II Corinthians 10:4 In spite of the catchy title, I’m not sure “praying in opposites” is really a thing. So what do I mean by it? What I'm going for is to pray in something holy in place of something unholy – an exchange of light for darkness.  When I was in college - many moons ago - I had the following prayer taped inside my notebook. It is known as the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13 th century Italian friar. Other sources dispute the authorship, suggesting it is of more recent origin. No matter; I was drawn to the sentiment, not the author. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace Where there is hatred, let me sow love Where there is injury, pardon Where there is doubt, faith Where there is despair, hope Where there is darkness, light And where there is sadness, joy O ...

Image by  Free-Photos  from  Pixabay   Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows . (Isaiah 53:4) Today’s post is somewhat personal, perhaps a bit of a tangent, but please indulge me… We lost a member of my church yesterday, a woman my age whom I had known for over twenty-five years. She taught several of my kids in Sunday School. I often sat in the pew just behind her and her husband, and we had a “special” connection in that we had each battled cancer.  It was in late March. Church services had just been cancelled due to the coronavirus. I had gone to the church on an errand and she also happened to be there. Known for her industry and faithfulness, she was often there, cleaning, working on something for church. We talked for several minutes in the parking lot. Good conversation. God is good, as she had a doctor’s visit just a couple days later and learned the cancer was back. They moved swiftly into treatment, but things did not...