RonParrs.com: Notes from My Desk...

Prayer 101: Prayer & God's Plan

I don't know about you, but I sometimes think about being part of something bigger or greater than me.

It's not that I'm arrogant or have a huge ego that needs to be constantly stroked (okay, I have a small ego that's needs to be stroked every once in a while), but sometimes, life is pretty mundane. And when it gets really mundane, all of us - including me - rhetorically ask, "isn't there more to life than this?"

The answer to that question - whether we believe it or not - is, "yes! There is more to this life." Each one of us, in our own unique way is a part of the magnificent puzzle or mosaic of God' Eternal Plan. The problem is that we - I - only see a very small part of that plan. Sometimes we're oblivious to it. Other times, we may not believe we are "worthy" of participating in God's Plan.

The fact of the matter is that God - since man's creation - has continually used men and women as an integral part of His Plan of Redemption. After all, God's Plan of Redemption is for MAN and no other created being. The only other rebellious created beings are angels (now demons) who were created with a will , but not in God's likeness and image, and are already condemned without hope of redemption. Hell was created for their - and anyone who would choose to follow their example - rebellion and disobedience. These are facts that we have to not only understand but contend with.

Why the Secular Left Despises the Christian Right

I don't know about you, but do you as a believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ feel sometimes hated by the world in general?

Is that feeling heightened when you attempt to share Christ with a person who is not only "secular" and unchurched, but also liberal in their views (worldview)?

The fact of the matter is that some of these people despise us just because of Who we represent: God. They want nothing to do with Him or His Word or His saving grace. Unfortunately and sadly, they are doing exactly what the apostle Paul spoke of in Romans 1:18 - 31. They deny God and furthermore suppress His Truth in their lives.

A good, although short article by Jason Carlson and Ron Carlson. Click on the link below.

via www.christianministriesintl.org

Prayer 101: Trust

Trust is something, especially in human terms, that can be gained or lost.

Wives trust their husbands, explicitly and implicitly, that they will be loved and cared for. They trust that their husbands will protect them or support them not only financially, but physically and emotionally. Our wives trust us to be a good father and role model for our children. By the same token, we husbands trust that our wives will respect us for who we are and that, particularly within the context of a Christian marriage relationship, that our wives will trust us when we are working at what we believe is best for the entire family. Sometimes it may not look that way, but... we just wanted to be trusted.

Typically we men can go along pretty well until we slip the first time if we allow some necessary home repairs to go undone - because we don't "feel" like doing them. Or maybe, we didn't stand up for mom when she was being sassed by one of the teen children. Or maybe we got caught watching some porn or carrying on an inappropriate chat online with an unknown person of the opposite sex (blatant reasons to loose trust). All of those can lead to a breakdown of that initial trust.

Melinda Emerson: 12 Bible Verses Every Small Business Owner Needs

Melinda Emerson in the Huffington Post shares 12 verses for us business owners. Thanks Melinda for this post.

All Christian business owners should have these on their office wall. Being a believer can be tough enough in 21st century America, but being a Christian and in business for yourself poses additional challenges.

Challenges yes, but opportunities to share what being a Christian is all about abound. We live in a lost and dying world. To many, there is no hope. We business owners have a unique place - and mission - in life. God calls us to this ministry to share and live Christ to His glory as His stewards.

What does that all mean? We minister to our employees. We love them for who they are and help them become what God would have them be. We minister to our customers and clients. We show them a special love, attention and compassion that they can't and don't find in many other businesses. Whether you own a gas or service station, are a plumber, lawyer or other service professional, or maybe you own an e-commerce business like me, we are to reach out and share Jesus in all that we do and say. Is it hard? Yes, it is. But God asks us to do the impossible! And by His Holy Spirit, that's exactly what we can do.

“I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.” Psalm 119:104 - 106

Click on the link below for a good and practical read from Melinda Emerson and the Huffington Post.

"I normally do this post at the top of the year, but I was inspired to wait until now. With Easter having just past, I though this post would be particularly meaningful at this time of year. My relig..."

via www.huffingtonpost.com

Prayer 101: Grandeur & Simplicity

Our God is a God of indescribable grandeur and magnificence. Look around and notice the immensity of the universe and the complexity of His Creation.

Yet at the same time as we live in and experience God's awesome grandeur, there is a certain simplicity. We may be awestruck at the grandeur, but it's the simple things of life that cause us to smile and reflect on God's goodness.

As we pray, as we immerse ourselves in God's Word, we need, I need, to better notice the grandeur as well as the simplicity of what we are praying and how we are praying, but also how simply God wants us to be with Him.

The grand prayer of an eloquent orator or preacher or teacher using "thees" and "thous" does not impress the ears of God any more than the simple words of a child praying for their mom or dad, or a drunkard who's had enough of their lifestyle and wants liberation and freedom from their addiction. Our God works equally awesomely in the grand things as well as in the simple things. He is God over all.

In Daniel's prayer of chapter nine, the prophet speaks of the "great and awesome God" (verse 4), which is His nature, he later describes some of His Works to mankind "who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made a name for yourself that endures to this day" (verse 15), those are indeed grand aspects of God.

My Take on "Contemplative Prayer"

"Contemplative Prayer" - a so-called method or structure of personal prayer is being bandied about and to a major degree is getting a bad rap.

Possibly rightly so.

Notice that I said "possibly". The bad rap is essentially coming from evangelical Christians (my brothers and sisters in Christ) who are, in my personal opinion, throwing the baby out with the bath water. Allow me to completely explain my views and positions. I do not believe this is a completely black and white or cut and dry argument.

Are there "bad" points to this methodology? Yes. Are there "good" points to this methodology? Yes. I do not want to appear as if I'm straddling a barbed wire fence. I may, in your opinion, be a little too broad minded (although my wife and kids would really disagree on that point).  But over my life, God has given me the opportunities to travel to South America, Europe and Asia. Our family has decades-old friends from as far away as Australia and New Zealand. On top of that, He's also provided me the opportunity to be a small business owner who has to deal with customers from almost every walk of life and income level. I have learned to appreciate differences in culture, income, lifestyle and gender. All of these are gifts. And I cherish what God has provided.

Emerging vs. Emergent Church

Undefined or ill-defined words and terms get us into a ton of trouble.

From these un- and ill-defined words and terms, we fall into erroneous perceptions and beliefs of Biblical and, I would go far as to say, ecclesiastical truth. We think that when we hear or read something coming from people whom we trust is true, but then a friend or other person that we trust comes along side and tells us something different we get muddled. I don't know about you, but I get confused and then don't know who to trust.

And when it comes to the Bible and God's undeniable and eternal Truths, I, as not only a born again believer in Christ, but also as a lay teacher of this precious Word, am solely responsible to dig for and expose the truth. It is incumbent upon me to understand and be able to effectively communicate, and then properly present my findings.

God has given each one of us this responsibility. He has given us good minds to ask proper questions. He has given us reason. We are to use our minds, guided by the Holy Spirit, to discern His Truth. Period. Sometimes we need to take a step back and properly examine the evidence and come to a rational and reasonable conclusion. We cannot go off half-cocked. We have to be truthful. We can't go in with our own agenda. We need to be as the Bereans and examine the Scriptures daily to prove what is being preached from our respective pulpits (Acts 17:11 - 12).

Divine Obedience

Prayer is typically viewed as being a time of silent "talking" to God. Sometimes we're not too silent.

We praise and adore God in prayer. We recognize Who He is and what He does. We seek His guidance and provision in our lives. We ask Him to intercede in the lives of friends, relatives and loved ones. In prayer we confess our sins. Those are what I would call the "quiet" part of prayer. We may even sing and worship but that is still relatively silent.

But then there's the "active" part of prayer. Throughout this study, we have sought to transform or reform our lives into lives of prayer. A life of prayer is when we are "being" with God throughout the entire day. We are thinking about Him and speaking to Him. We may sing to our Father during the day, but He's looking for more from us.