IOWA CITY - Here I Come!
Hey Hey Ya'll. I'm off to the thriving metropolis of Iowa City for the weekend! Joanna, I will faithfully give hello's and kisses to all your peeps you left behind there. I may even show off this fabulous picture of you - just to find out how many people you've impacted in that city! :)And - I just wanted to share this picture of my favorite friend with the rest of my blog family. Cause you just look so dang cool. And Hawkeyes Rule.
Adios Amigos! Adios Amigas! Hasta el Lunes! Buenos Noches! Les veo a Lunes. Muwah! (beso)
posted by Kelli B @ 3/31/2006 03:57:00 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Don't know if you saw my reply to your comment on my blog--if not, here it is:
Those guys are right, prayer does only work for certain people. Prayer is a Christian's way of speaking to and being spiritually in the presence of Our Lord. Athiests and a non-christians do not have a way to connect with God. It's like they have a cellphone but no provider of service. They cannot just pick up their phone and give God a call when they are in need and expect a hasty prayer to be answered in the way they want it to be. Non-christians often think that prayer is like filling out a list of wants and needs and turning it into God to fill their order. Not so. Even the person who says, "I don't believe in God" will cry out in a crisis, "God help me" and then wonders why they don't get an answer or help.
There is an excellent little book written by Chuck Smith called: "Effective Prayer Life". Prayer is defined as 1. Worship, 2. Petition and 3. Intercession. Prayer is a serious matter because it is how we find out God's will for our lives. It's our road map for navigating in this world; staying on the narrow path.
The Lord always answers my prayers. He doesn't always say, "Yes, dear Cathee, anything you want." He teaches me patience as I wait on Him, He shows me how to be humble as my prayers become more about His Will for my life instead of my desires.
You need to put on the full armor of God before taking on these guys. We are in a war on this earth, the battle of the forces of good and the forces of evil. See Ephesians 6:13-18. Pray and I will pray with you that you will know what to say the next time. You need to know what they think Christianity is firstly. Then you can tell them what it is to you. But be in prayer each morning before work to be prepared to answer.
You said you are fearful. I understand, as I was a people-pleaser for a long time in my life and would not speak up about my faith in Jesus(in case I would offend anyone or be judged as "one of those Jesus-freaks"). There finally comes a time when you have to decide what is more important: Jesus or the world. But be prepared--we cannot speak about the Lord if we have not studied and learned. Pray for wisdom and then read your bible.
I want to tell you, though, speaking out about Jesus at lunch or on your own time when someone has asked you what you believe, is a good thing. Using company time, when you should be working, to proselytize your faith, is not something God wants us to do. I will add you to my prayer list and pray that you will be able to do this. Cathee
Cathee-
I have read your words and would like to process a few things. Thanks for the encouragement. HOnestly, Ephesians 6 sits in my head and heart daily while I'm here...and I just told a friend recently about a specific prayer request I've been petitioning God for. Read on...
Two weeks ago I went to a retreat. While there, God prompted my heart to begin praying "that I would see in greater ways the reality of spiritual warefar and the battle that exists around me". It's been evident to me that God answers prayers! That weekend He displayed an answer as I watched a young woman right in front of me humbly accept Jesus as her savior while her husband looked on. What a battle! Then what happened with these guys at work --- God is just revealing the spiritual battle to me! And it's overwhelming. Because I simply dont know what to do! In the moment, it's like I just have to sit and process things they're saying. And I have so many "truths" and things I'd like to say that are on my mind, but in order to express them, I need a gentler, more simple way of doing so. These guys "know" who I am and think that every christian has an "agenda". This is the greatest way I am feeling challenged right now:
I dont want to be another christian that has an "agenda" and God is impressing on my heart that there is a new, more fresh way for me to share my faith with these men - and it might be very unique to me and to my situation. It's caused me to (in my heart) fall on my knees and open my hands to the Lord. I cant use all that I've learned in the past - all the illustrations, all the stories, all the words I've been taught, what I know in my head and heart from the Bible, verses I could spout out - you know? It's like in order to reach these guys, JESUS is going to be the one to do it, and hopefully through my tiny hands. I'm just keeping them open b/c I dont know what it looks like yet! :)
Thanks for giving me words to spur me on. I feel like I'm already doing everything you've said to do...it just goes to show that no matter how we encourage or try to help each other - it's gonna be GOD who helps us and gives us what we need in the end. But I'm appreciative of you as a vessel of truth.
Thanks for praying - I'm right along with you in prayer.
PS-
I'd like to further discuss your last statement about it being "wrong" to talk about our faith during work hours. I completely disagree actually, but wonder your side and wehre you are coming from. Im interested in a friendly discussion!
Thanks!
I didn't mean that we should never speak about Jesus at work. We should definitely share our faith with our co-workers. Talking about our faith during the hours that you are supposed to be working for your employer, is like stealing. When we work for someone or for a company, we are paid to work for a certain number of hours per day. We usually get 2 breaks and a lunch period. When we use our working hours for personal things like making calls or writing emails to friends, we are stealing from our employer. We are taking the employer's money and not performing the work we are paid to do.
Using company time to have discussion about our faith will not further the cause of God. Jesus said in Matthew 22:21 "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's". When we work for an employer, we are exchanging work for money, in Caesar's realm, so to speak.
Talking to co-workers on our breaks and lunch time is what we should do. Here's what Billy Graham says on the subject: "The workplace offers great opportunities to encourage those who know Christ and to witness to those who don’t. I have heard many arguments about why God does not belong in the workplace. There is the legal argument. The “it might offend someone” argument. The “what gives you the right?” argument. Jesus said, “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.” (Luke 12:8-9, NIV). If I claim Christ, if I accept His offer of grace, I cannot leave Him in the car and spend the bulk of the day pretending I don’t know Him. Think of how Peter denied Jesus-—is that any different from our daily failure to claim Him in the workplace?"
Make sense? What do you think?
Let me know.....Cathee
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