Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love

God has made it abundantly clear in Scripture that he wants to bless our children and descendants. He’s given us many promises to give us faith to hope and pray for their salvation and well-being. Here are 16 passages of Scripture followed by brief prayers for children in your family:



16 Powerful Prayers For Children To Lift Up In 2019

4 Life Changing Ways To Wait On The Lord (and 3 Huge Blessings)

God is close to the brokenhearted, and my story is proof. Here's what happened.



I'm Living Proof That The Lord Is Close To The Brokenhearted

Have you ever wondered what it means to be a stumbling block to someone? It can be confusing, right? Does it mean you shouldn't do something if it will offend other people? Not exactly. Here's what it means.



What Does It Really Mean To Be A Stumbling Block?

The heart of Christ became like a reservoir in the midst of the mountains. All the tributary streams of iniquity, and every drop of the sins of his people, ran down and gathered into one vast lake, deep as hell and shoreless as eternity. All these met, as it were, in Christ’s heart, and he endured them all.



104 Profound, Encouraging Charles Spurgeon Quotes

If you need hope. If you need encouragement. If you need to have your soul strengthened. Read these 35 Bible verses about hope.



35 MIGHTY Bible Verses About Hope To Encourage You

The Perilous Practice Of Platform Building

In the past years, I've seen numerous prominent Christians come tumbling down, their platforms crumbling like a poorly constructed Tower of Babel. Mark Driscoll. Tullian Tchividjian. Bill Hybels. Perry Noble.

I've seen friends who were supposed to have great promise as pastors - important assets for the kingdom of God - self-destruct.

The list goes on and on.

Whether though infidelity or sexual abuse or spiritual abuse, many pastors have seen their platforms crumble under the crushing load of their sins.

Spiritual/pastoral "platforms" (or whatever you want to call them) are not really a new thing. Charles Spurgeon had an enormous platform that allowed him to speak to millions of people through his sermons and writings. Whitfield and Wesley gathered massive crowds. Billy Graham steam rolled across America with his revival meetings.

But in recent years, there's been an increased emphasis on Christian influencers intentionally crafting big platforms. Gathering thousands of social media followers. Building epic megachurches with multiple services. Blogging and YouTubing and Instagramming their way to fame. Of course, all this is framed as a way of bringing more glory to God, but it's pretty easy to see the man behind the curtain.

A number of years ago, I started a Twitter account called @celebritypastor to make fun of this trend. And while I still get enjoyment out of poking fun at the smoke machines and overly coiffed hair and playing "Come As You Are" (the Nirvana version) at the altar call, I'm increasingly sobered at the thought of creating any sort of platform.

See, there was a time when I thought it would be cool to have a big platform. To have all the social media followers and speak at the conferences and have people think that I was important. The prospect was really attractive.

And I did have a limited amount of success in the early stages of constructing my platform. I was a pastor and had a couple books published when I was way too young. The books were endorsed by people you probably have heard of. In my extremely tiny Christian circle, a lot of people knew me. Granted, this was like being popular at a Christian school of 15 students, but still, it felt pretty good. I was a medium-sized fish in a really small pond filled with really small fish.

Then, in God's mercy, everything I built fell apart. Thankfully, it wasn't because of infidelity or spiritual abuse or embezzlement or anything like that. I simply ended up in a really unhealthy church situation that I absolutely had to leave.

And when I left...

...I had nothing left.

It was the absolute worst and best thing that could have happened to me. Everything I was and thought I knew was stripped away from me. I was suddenly a "nobody", in that I didn't have any sort of position of influence.

For a while, I felt completely undone and disoriented, like I didn't know who I was. I was like Jason Bourne in Bourne Identity, minus being brainwashed by a blackops CIA program and the ability to kill people with a single punch and run a mile without breathing hard.

But as time has passed, clarity has come. I realize that I care about most things a lot less and a few things a lot more.

I don't want to build a platform, and I'm not impressed by flashy churches or pastors. Very few people have the character necessary to support a big platform, and I'm pretty sure I don't. I can't help be reminded of what the people said as they planned to build the Tower of Babel:

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

Trying to make a name for yourself is dangerous business, and there's a really good chance you'll end up with God opposing you.

Now, I no longer want to do "big things" for God (in the way they're often discussed). I want to do faithful things for God (yeah, I realize that sounds like a Jesus juke).

I want to...

• Be a faithful husband and dad.
• Faithfully pursue the spiritual disciplines.
• Serve in a normal, non-flashy church.
• Use my limited gifts in whatever ways God makes available, whether that's through full-time ministry or as a regular church member.

I want to be an "ordinary" guy serving in an "ordinary" place. As Zach Eswine says in his amazing book The Imperfect Pastor:

If I am bored with ordinary people in ordinary places, then am I not bored with what God delights in? If I think that local limits of body and place are too small a thing for a person as gifted as I am, then don’t I want to escape what God himself gladly and daily inhabits? If I stare at a face, a flower, a child, or a congregation and say, “But God, not this. I want to do something great for you!” Am I not profoundly misunderstanding what God says a great thing is?

If I had one thing to say to young men and women who are burning with ambition for God, it would be this: be content to let God build your platform.

Most of us will never have a "platform" (not the right word here, but you get the point) that extends beyond our families, church, and jobs. We'll faithfully teach our kids about Jesus, maybe lead a Bible study or serve on the worship team, and diligently do our jobs. And that is a glorious, beautiful thing.

If God does happen to give you a bigger audience, tread prayerfully and cautiously. Don't always be striving to build a tower that reaches the heavens. Be rooted and held accountable within a local church. And don't believe your own press.

And trust me when I say that you'll be much happier without all the striving and hustling and grinding.

I certainly am.

I love Charles Spurgeon. Here are 104 of my favorite Charles Spurgeon quotes.



104 Profound, Encouraging Charles Spurgeon Quotes

The ONLY Possible Way To Be Anxious For Nothing

There are certain commands in scripture which, to my shame, I treat more as suggestions than commands. Sort of like Good Housekeeping-esque tips for better living, which fit right in next to articles like, "45 Tips To Lose That Stubborn Belly Fat," and, "How To Keep Those Pesky Avocados Fresh."

(Side note: Is it just me or do avocados have a shelf life of approximately six seconds?)

One of those commands is Paul's exhortation to, "Be anxious for nothing."

The surrounding verses, which are both staggeringly comforting and incredibly challenging, say:

Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

On the surface, this seems like one of those, "Surely, you can't be serious," kind of commands. I mean, anxious for nothing? For NOTHING? In many ways, life is a giant, mottled gray tapestry of worries, anxieties, struggles, and fears.

Will I have enough to pay the bills?

Will my child recover from this sickness?

Will I have enough time to get all my work done and still spend time with the family?

Will I need to take care of my parents?

You get the point.

To say that there are lot of opportunities to be anxious is like saying Michael Bay likes the occasional explosion or people on the Keto diet like telling you that they're on the diet.

And yet, Paul (and the Lord) is very serious when he says, "Be anxious for nothing."

Of course, this leads to the obvious question: given how many anxieties we face, how can we possibly be anxious for nothing?

Be Anxious For Nothing Through Prayer and Supplication

Paul doesn't call us to some sort of stoic, what will be will be, approach to anxiety. It's not about keeping calm and carrying on, all the while munching on biscuits slathered in marmite (or whatever it is Brits like to eat).

Instead, Paul presents two solutions that enable us to be anxious for nothing: prayer and supplication.

I have to admit that, at least on the surface, this solution seems a tad...I don't know...simple.

I mean, we all know that prayer is important and that we're supposed to constantly present our requests to God.

But, come on.

Be anxious for nothing? Isn't something more needed than simple prayer and supplication? To quote the brilliant theologian Taylor Swift, "Bandaids won't fix bullet holes."

Surely, the bullet holes of anxiety require a bit more than simple prayer.

Nope.

Again and again through scripture, the cure for worry and anxiety is going to God in prayer. Peter says, "...[cast] all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." How do we cast our crushing cares and fears and anxieties upon the Lord?

Through prayer.

Jesus puts it this way:

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33).

Jesus commands us not to be anxious, and instead tells us to direct our attention and action to seeking God's kingdom. One of the primary ways that we seek God's kingdom is through prayer and supplication.

Prayer isn't a last ditch resort for when the pressure cooker (or Instapot) is cranked up to 11.

Prayer is a divine invitation from the omnipotent God - the one who sustains all things, the one who keeps the planets from careening into each other, the one who keeps our hearts from blundering into cardiac arrest - to unburden ourselves.

To bring all our cares and anxieties and fears to the King of Kings and lay them at his feet.

Prayer is saying to God, "Lord, I am to weak and fragile and scared and unsophisticated to figure everything out. I simply can't handle all this. I can't sustain myself, bear my burdens, or be the problem solver. I. Need. You."

In his outstanding book A Praying Life, Paul Miller puts it this way:

I love that little phrase, "...the eternal God scrubs floors."

There is no request or anxiety or need to small (or large) to present to the Lord. He is a good, gracious Father who delights to take care of his children.

My daughter, Ella, is in the somewhat-obnoxious habit of constantly asking for things, even if we just gave her something. If she had cake for dessert, she wants cookies for second dessert. If we just bought her new shoes, she asks for new boots too. And I'm not always patient or gracious with her. Sometimes I just get plain annoyed.

But I would NEVER want her to stop asking me for things. I'm her dad, and few things make me happier than blessing her. Few things give me more pleasure than meeting her little, 8-year old needs. And if that's my sinful, grumpy, knock-it-off attitude, imagine what God's attitude is.

How do we be anxious for nothing? We bring every need and worry and anxiety to our Father and lay it at his feet.

But there's one more thing.

Be Anxious For Nothing Through Faith

There is one more thing required in order to be anxious for nothing. One more ingredient to throw in the "peace that passes understanding" recipe.

That ingredient is faith.

It's not enough to simply pray to God. If we're truly going to be anxious for nothing, our prayers must be intertwined with faith.

Faith in God's promises to always provide.

Faith in God's good, generous character.

Faith in God's steadfast love, which will never leave or forsake us.

Faith in God's ability to answer every prayer.

Prayer without faith is like a car without gasoline. It won't get you anywhere. Frankly, praying without faith is insulting to God.

It's like when my kids preface a request with, "You're probably going to say no." It makes me sad when they say that (unless they're asking for something truly outlandish, like being able to draw on my car with permanent marker). I love blessing my kids, and when they're assumption is that I'll say, "No," it hurts.

In James 5:15, when describing the elders of a church praying for a sick person, he says, "And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up."

It's the prayer of faith that prompts God to heal a person. It's the prayer of faith that moves God to meet every need. It's the prayer of faith that...

...restores a wayward child.

...opens the door for a new job.

...enables you to serve in ways that you don't like.

When prayer and faith are knit together, God moves and we are able to be anxious for nothing.

Yes, the command to not be anxious or fearful seems overwhelming. Impossible. Unrealistic.

But if God commands it, he also empowers us to obey.

Life is to complicated and frustrating and confusing to navigate on our own. The burdens are too heavy for us to bear.

The command to be anxious for nothing is really a sweet invitation wrapped in a command. It's God saying, "Don't be silly and try to handle all this on your own. Let me take care of the details. I've got this."

Hey Everyone,

If you're having problems with your feed (such as not updating) make sure you're subscribed to the correct feed.

Subscribe to the feed by clicking here.

The Blazing Center is now officially located at:

www.TheBlazingCenter.com

Thanks!

Hey Friends,

We're going to be performing some site updates this weekend so the site could be down for a bit.

There is one crucial thing you must know:

You won't be able to get to the blog anymore from http://blazingcenter.blogspot.com

The only address that will work is www.theblazingcenter.com

Thanks for your patience!

I’m not a big fan of Christian bumper stickers. I do have a sticker on my car that says PrayforIan.com, and I’d encourage you to check out that website. But often I think Christian bumper stickers may do more harm than good.

For example, what is the law-abiding unbeliever to think when you pass him at 90 miles an hour in a school zone and he reads on the back of your car, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven”? Or what would he think if you had this – honest, I’m not kidding, real bumper sticker – “Get behind me Satan”. Wow, I didn’t know I was the devil!

Maybe this would encourage a non-Christian to get saved: “What section of the afterlife will you be in: smoking or nonsmoking?” (Again, actual bumper sticker). That reminds me of a sticker I saw on the car of a man happily puffing his cigarette: “At least I can still smoke in my car.”

And if the driver behind you doesn’t get saved from reading the following, what hope does she have?

“Go to Church. Don’t wait for the hearse to take you”
“Without the Bread of Life you’re toast”

I don’t know about you, but just reading them makes me want to get saved all over again.

Then there are Rapture stickers. These genius slogans are designed to strike terror into the heart of the unbeliever, especially when the rapture occurs and millions of Christians on earth mysteriously disappear, leaving cars without drivers, electric razors dangling and running, and whole sets of clothes mysteriously lying all over the earth.

“In case of rapture, car will be driverless.” “After the rapture, give this car to my mother-in-law” (I guess your mother-in-law's a pagan, since she’ll be left behind to take your car).

Whole generations of skateboarders will probably saved by this one: “Dude, Make the Change” - What change? Do I need a new kind of board? Have Vans come out with a new shoe?

And let’s not forget the whole bumper sticker evolution debate. It began with the “fish” symbol, with the word “Jesus” inside it. Then some irate evolutionist puts all the Christians down with the clever fish with feet with the word “Darwin” inside it. Then the even-more-clever creationists smack down the pesky evolutionists with an even bigger fish with the word “Truth” inside it eating the Darwin fish. If that’s not irrefutable proof of Christianity, I don’t know what is. A more subtle creationist bumper sticker reads: "King Kong is not my grandpa”. You might have to think about that one for a while. Try not to veer off the road as you’re musing on it.

Years ago, I saw a car in a church parking lot with both these stickers on the same bumper:

Abortion Kills
Rush is Right

Just what I thought, says the unbeliever - Christians are all a bunch of right-wing conservatives.

A few years ago, someone asked me to put a campaign sign in my front yard for a conservative political candidate. A friend of mine wisely said that though it’s not wrong to put a sign in one’s yard, he didn’t want his neighbors to identify him as a conservative or a liberal but as a Christian. I declined the sign. I want my neighbors to know I’m a believer in Jesus Christ, not a Republican or Democrat.

The problem with so many bumper stickers and political signs is that they can distract us from “The Main Thing” as CJ Mahaney says. The Main Thing is not the rapture or evolution or politics, but the good news of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself as a substitute for sinners to bring them to God. Let’s focus on the gospel. And in case of the rapture, please unplug my razor.

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. - Mark 10:44-45

Yesterday my dad told you about two men, Heath Ledger and Jim Elliot. Today I'm going to tell you about two more men.

John Lennon was born on October 9, 1940. As one of the founding members of The Beatles, Lennon wrote songs that became anthems for an entire generation. Any event featuring The Beatles was a guaranteed to be a smash hit, and crowds filled stadiums to overflowing just to hear The Beatles in concert. He was adored by the masses, respected by millions, and considered to be an edgy, peace-loving activist. Shortly after Lennon was killed, approximately 100,000 people gathered in Central Park to mourn the death of their beloved singer. In 2002 he was voted number 8 on the "100 Greatest Britons" list, and Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him at number 38 on its list of "The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time". The Beatles were ranked number one on that list. John Lennon was great in the eyes of the world.

Julian Altrogge was born on November 11, 1918. He never wrote a hit song, never appeared on national television, and never gave any famous speeches. His claim to fame is that he wrote a small pamphlet on the subject of baseball that was given to several thousand Little Leaguers in the state of Oklahoma. Approximately ten years ago, my grandma, Jonalee, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is a wicked disease that slowly destroys both the brain and the body, sucking the life and personality from its victim. Over the next five years my grandpa faithfully cared for my grandma as she descended into dementia. He took her on walks at the mall when she got antzy from her medication. He patiently had the same conversations with her over and over. When things got really bad he fed her, clothed her, and helped her stay clean. Finally, after five years of agonizing decline, my grandma went to be with Jesus.

But that didn't stop my grandpa from serving. For many years he visited a blind man every week, spending time with him and helping him take care of things around the house. Every year he paints hundreds (literally) of birthday cards by hand for members of our church. Many folks in our church have the cards mounted throughout their houses. He leads Bible studies at nursing homes and comes to church every single Sunday.

Everybody knows John Lennon, very few people know Julian Altrogge. Which one of these men is great in God's eyes?

Heath Andrew Ledger (April 4, 1979 – January 22, 2008) was an Academy Award-nominated Australian film actor. …He appeared in nearly twenty films, including 10 Things I Hate About You, The Patriot, Monster's Ball, A Knight's Tale, and Brokeback Mountain. For his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, Ledger was nominated for a 2005 Oscar for "Best Actor in a Leading Role" and won awards from the British Academy and the Australian Film Institute, as well as two MTV Movie Awards. He had completed filming on the role of the Joker in the forthcoming movie The Dark Knight shortly before dying from an accidental prescription drug overdose at age 28 (Wikipedia).

Philip James Elliot (October 8, 1927 – January 8, 1956) professed faith in Jesus Christ at age 6. His acting ability led some of his high school teachers to suggest that he pursue acting as a career. But instead of acting, he pursued missionary work. He and four other missionaries, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming and their pilot, Nate Saint, went to Ecuador to evangelize the Huaorani Indians. Initially they made contact from an airplane using a loudspeaker and dropping gifts down to the Indians with a basket. After a few months they established a base a short distance from the Indians’ village. They were approached by a small group of the Indians who were initially friendly. But on January 8, 1956 a group of 10 men killed Jim and his four friends, piercing them with spears and mutilating them with machetes. Like Heath Ledger, Jim Elliot was 28 years old when he died.

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (Mk 8:34-36)

Both Heath Ledger and Jim Elliot were 28 when they died. It would seem that Heath Ledger had gained the world. I know nothing about his spiritual life. If he did not know Jesus Christ, I hope he cried out to him for salvation in his final moments.

From a worldly viewpoint, Jim Elliot’s life would be a tragic loss. He certainly didn’t gain the world. And he lost his life trying to reach an obscure tribe of violent Indians.

Jim Elliot’s journal entry for October 28, 1949, contains his now famous quotation, expressing his belief that serving Jesus was more important than his life:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

What would Heath Ledger say to us today? Would he say that all his accolades, success and wealth were worth it?

What would Jim Elliot say? I think I know. He’d say, “Follow Jesus Christ with all your heart. Give yourself to serving him, even if it costs you everything you have, even your life. Believe me, it’s worth it.”

Maybe your calling is to serve your family as a wife and mother of small children. You’re not pierced by spears, but your sleep is pierced by the cries of your baby at 3 a.m. You’re not hacked by machetes, but you’ve never been so physically and mentally drained as you are now in seeking to glorify Jesus as a mom. Maybe you’re a high school student. You’re not murdered by Indians, just looked down on by others for sitting with the odd student no one else will sit with.

Wherever Jesus Christ has placed you, lose your life in serving him with all your heart. Jim Elliot would say you are no fool.