I originally was going to write a post about sarcasm. The more that I have thought about it, the broader the implications. We are suppose to be intentional in our prayer. We are suppose to be intentional in our Bible study. what about our fellowship? How intentional are we in our daily fellowship with each other?

The church service ends, people mingle out to the lobby and we get a chance to fellowship for a few minutes before we all leave, back to our busy separate lives.

What about in those few minutes each day that you see your husband, wife, kids or other loved ones?

What do you say in those precious few minutes?

I know that more times than not I have some sarcastic witty (maybe), sly dig to zing my friend or brother/sister in Christ. How often has those fallen flat and maybe even caused damage?

I have been thinking a lot lately about the way people use sarcasm and what role does it play in our ability to communicate with each other.

The world seems to love sarcasm. Most media, especially talk radio and television is based upon sarcasm. If the world is in love with sarcasm, should we as Christians love it too?

We are told we are to encourage and stir each others faith! We also told to bear each other’s burden and to restore those who have fallen in sin.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.  (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)

In order for us to do this, it means we need to swallow the sarcasm, take down the facades, put away our defenses, throw away the heart of stone and take hold of the heart of flesh that God promised us. We need to put ourselves out there, willing to be vulnerable. We need to stop looking at our relationships as though they are part of a tv sitcom and start looking at them as the Christ-filled, love-filled relationships they are suppose to be.

A couple thoughts on how we can be more intentional in our fellowship:

1. Look to see if people are hurting or not?
2. Tell people how you geniuinely you feel about them?
3. Dare to reach out and ask for prayer and help when you are in need?  

How else can we make our fellowship more intentional and more Christlike?

Technorati Tags: Fellowship, Life, Love

It is prayer week at Bethlehem Baptist, and Desiring God has a few articles on it. Prayer is one of those things that seem so simple and yet so powerful. For some people they struggle to do it, because they don’t have time, they don’t see a point in doing it or just don’t believe the promises that God gave us for when we pray.

As the new year comes, it is a time to reflect and to remember the year past. A time to remember the fulfillment of God’s promises to us this last year to sustain us into the new year.

A Good Start on Prayer in 2009

December 28, 2008  |  By: John Piper
Category: Commentary

At Bethlehem Baptist Church this is the beginning of prayer week. This is our way of encouraging each other to pray more consistently, more earnestly, more hopefully, and more biblically in 2009.

The best way to strengthen our faith and our resolve is to read what God has promised to those who pray. Here is a sampling:

Promises of Answered Prayer to Encourage Us to Pray with Hope

Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart,

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Matthew 7:7-11

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Romans 8:26

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Isaiah 64:4

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.

Isaiah 65:24

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Jeremiah 33:3

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Lamentations 3:25

The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Psalm 145:18-19

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.

Psalm 10:17

O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

Psalm 34:15-17

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. . . 17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Matthew 18:19-20

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

James 4:8

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

John 16:24

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Psalm 37:4-5

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

Psalm 38:15

But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

Psalm 102:17

He regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.

John 14:13-14

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:7

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 15:16

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Matthew 21:22

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Psalm 55:16-17

But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. 17 Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.

Psalm 56:9

Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.

Psalm 50:15

Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

Psalm 81:10

I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

1 John 5:14-15

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Zechariah 13:9

And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

I am doing some testing on how to deal with spam on my blog. Either my spam filter has been letting a lot of spam in, or not allowing any comments whatsoever. The last plug in that I tried blocked my only two readers and commenters on my blog. I am hoping that the change that I made will continue to prevent spam and allow people to comment again.

If you have commented before and have a chance please do a test to this post so I can see if you are able to respond or not? Thanks

The devil, things and people being what they are, it is necessary for God to use the hammer, the file and the furnace in His holy work of preparing a saint for true sainthood. It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.