The Knots Prayer

A friend sent this to me. I found this prayer so profound that I want to share it with you.

The Patience of God

One of the greatest promises in the Bible is the promise of Christ’s return. Someday, Jesus will come back and gather his followers to spend eternity with him in Heaven. He will also, we are told, come to judge the world. The natural question is, “What is he waiting for?”

The Bible gives us the answer: The Lord isn't slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn't want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act. 2 Peter 3:9

In other words, there’s still room in Heaven. God wants every seat filled. God wants your neighbor, your coworker, your family member to experience the love of Jesus, accept his forgiveness, find new life in Christ, and live forever with him in Heaven. Yes – even that neighbor!

And, God has a plan for getting them there…  YOU! Why hasn’t Jesus returned yet? He’s waiting for you! What can we do to hasten his return? Share our faith in Jesus Christ with our lost and hurting world. And the world we’re talking about starts right at our doorstep.

Isn’t it amazing that God has entrusted us with such an important task? So, let’s get to it!

To be perfectly honest...

I just finished reading To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man’s Year of (almost) Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie. by Phil Callaway. If you're looking for something nice to put under the tree for a book love in your life (especially a guy), this one might be just the thing.

Of course, you have to believe that Phil Callaway is telling the truth to really enjoy this memoir about the year he accepted a challenge to go twelve months without telling any lies. Really. None. Not even little white ones! Imagine how it would affect your job if you were brutally honest – all the time. How about your marriage? Your friendships? Your church?

You’ll have to read the book to find out how successful Callaway was in his quest. Let me assure you, you’ll be glad you did. Callaway is a gifted humorist, and almost every page will bring a grin, a chuckle, or even an outright guffaw. But he’s also a very human man who is trying to figure out how to be a husband, writer, entertainer, and even a golfer, while living out his Christian faith.

At times the book is brutally honest, most remarkably when he shares his deeply personal struggle to avoid having an extramarital affair. His isn’t a simple statement that “I was tempted, but I triumphed because…” No, Callaway shines the light of honesty into some of the darkest parts of his soul as he shares his very real struggle to remain faithful to his wife. His candor, publishing all of this in a book that his wife and friends will read, is humbling. It’s also a good model of how Christians should deal with temptation – sharing the struggle with trusted friends, rather than trying to overcome it by our own strength of will.

And are there times when it’s better to stretch the truth? Callaway writes, “How honest should a person be when in church? Do I tell the pastor that the sermon was great, but it was like a pie it needed some shortening? Do I shake his hand and say, ‘Pastor, that sermon was… uh… timely’? Certainly I should stop telling Jerry Root, ‘I love your tie!’”

Phil Callaway is not a perfect guy. What’s cool is that he doesn’t pretend to be. He lays it all out there for us to see, but always with a wink and a nudge so that we don’t pity him, admire him, or despise him. We just like him, because he’s a regular guy, doing the best he can. Just like us – but a lot funnier!

To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man’s Year of (almost) Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie.” by Phil Callaway. The title says it all.

The publisher, Multnomah Books, provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

To Serve our Neighbors

In ancient Israel, the people asked what they had to do to please God. The prophet Micah answers: 

“O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (NLT)

To put it quite simply, service to others puts legs on our faith. 

Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, got right down in the dirt  and served the poor, outcasts, and sinners. It only stands to reason that if we are truly “Christ-followers,” we will follow his example by serving our neighbors in practical ways.

Wouldn't it be great if the first thing people think of when they think of First Presbyterian is “That’s the church that’s always helping people”? Who can you serve in the name of Jesus today?