Deus Misereatur

Grasping for Power in and through Ministry (The following is from Sunday evening's sermon on Mark 10:35-52 . You can listen to the sermon here, Grasping for Power in and through Ministry , while you follow the notes below). Lord Jesus, you came not to be served, but to serve and give your life as a ransom for many. May we, like Bartimaeus, cry out to you for mercy, hear your voice, and run to meet you. Amen! Warren Wiersbe wrote a little book for ministers way back in 1991. I love it for numerous reasons, but the title catches the aim of the book well and why I like it so much: “In Praise of Plodders.” In that book he makes this observation, “One day our Lord gave a sermon on the Bread of Life and lost his whole congregation: and yet false prophets always seem to have a crowd” (Warren Wiersbe, “In Praise of Plodders,” pg. 111). Now, decades later, crowd gathering through social media is much easier. This thought actually jabs into the ribs of many of us in ministry, because we are ...

Praise the LORD! Thank you that you have made us a crown of beauty and a royal diadem in your hand, O LORD. Thank you that we shall no more be termed Forsaken or Desolate but shall be called My Delight Is in Her and Married. Thank you, LORD, that you delight in us and that as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride you rejoice over us (Isaiah 62:3-5)! We pray, Lord, that you would have mercy on all of the nations of this earth. O God, you reign over the nations; you sit on your holy throne. May all of the princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to you, O God; you are highly exalted (Psalm 47:8-9)! We pray, Lord, that you would have mercy on these United States of America. We pray, God, bless America, but not her sin and immorality. God, bless America, but not where she is unjust and prejudiced. God, bless America, but not where she opposes and resists you. God, bless America, where she seeks to fairly and rightly establish l...