Just a little talk with Jesus

There is an older hymn called “Just A Little Talk With Jesus.” As we finish our summer series on prayer, I wanted to share the lyrics of this hymn…

Just A Little Talk With Jesus



Verse 1:

I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in

And then a little light from heaven filled my soul

It bathed my heart in love and wrote my name above

And just a little talk with Jesus made me whole



Chorus:

Now let us have a little talk with Jesus

Let us tell Him all about our troubles

He will hear our faintest cry

He will answer by and by

Now when you feel a little prayer wheel turning

And you know a little fire is burning

You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right



Verse 2:

Sometimes my path seems dreary without a ray of cheer

And then the cloud about me hides the light of day

The mists in me rise and hide the stormy skies

But just a little talk with Jesus clears the way



Verse 3:

I may have doubts and fears, my eyes be filled with tears

But Jesus is a friend who watches day and and night

I go to Him in prayer, He knows my every care

And just a little talk with Jesus makes it right



Chorus

 

At first glace this song might seem a little simplistic. You might think, “Whatever!” Just a little talk with Jesus doesn’t make everything right for me. When I am struggling, it doesn’t help. When life stinks, it doesn’t help.

While I agree that just saying one little prayer may not make it right, I believe that a life lived in conversation with Jesus will.

Prayer is not like a saying “Abracadabra.” It is not like the case on the wall that says “Break Glass in Case of Emergency.” It is an ongoing conversation with God.

Think about if the only time you talked to your parents or a friend was when you were in trouble. Do you think that would be much of a relationship?

Sometimes we pray in emergencies. There will be moments we ask God for help. But it should be in the larger context of a way of life that is marked by prayer.

If our life is filled with moments of having little talks with Jesus, God will begin to transform us. We will be shaped into the people we should be. And in the process, prayer will lead us through life, both the good times and the bad.

Does just a little talk with Jesus make it right? When talking with Jesus is how we live, then our lives will be right. And when we strive to live like that, our lives may not be perfect, but they will be filled with the peace that surpasses understanding that Paul writes about in Philippians.

 

shine!
Jason

 

To know and be known

This past Sunday in class, we wrestled with the idea of unanswered prayers. There were some questions that were raised and we had a great discussion. However, it seemed like at the end we had surfaced more questions than answers.

That might make some people uneasy, but for me it is simply a part of the journey. While God is near and accessible, God is also beyond comprehension. We are seeking to develop a relationship with a God who desires intimacy, but also requires awe.

In his letter to the churches around Ephesus, Paul penned the following prayer…

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Paul realized that God is both within reach and beyond our understanding. In the same prayer, Paul asks for God to live within us while calling us to seek a love that surpasses our ability to comprehend it.

This journey can be frustrating and discouraging at times. There are moments in life when we fail to understand why something happens or where God might be in the midst of the mess.

In those moments, I don’t believe that God wants us to blindly accept reality and just “deal with it.” At that same time, I don’t believe that God wants us to walk away. God weeps when we weep, smiles when we smile, and stands beside us when we can no longer stand. That is where prayer comes in.

Prayer is a way for us to connect with a God that loves us more than we can imagine. God wants us to cry when we need to shed tears and laugh when we rejoice. God wants to walk this journey of life with us so that when our life here ends, we can continue the journey with God into eternity. In the meantime, God wants nothing more than to know his people and for God’s people to know him.

 

shine!
Jason

 

Meeting Jesus in Cincinnati

This past week, many of us have been in Cincinnati for our sixth annual mission trip to the Millvale community. It has once again been a very challenging, exciting, and encouraging week with the children in the community.

One of the things I am always reminded of on this trip is that when you serve you are blessed as much – if not more – than those you serve. The smiles on the faces of the children here at Millvale are contagious. You can't help but love them!

This week I have had a glimpse of the world that Jesus imagines and describes in the Sermon on the Mount. It is not a world where power, prestige, and possessions have much worth. Rather, it is a world where the most important things are heart, humility, and hunger for God. It is a place where no one is too good for anyone else and we all live together as a community of people created in the image of Almighty God. Jesus describes the people in this kingdom in the following way...

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Imagine a world with these kind of people. Would it look different than the world we live in today? Absolutely!

But here is the secret. You and I are invited to participate in this kind of kingdom today. God is asking us to become a part of a movement whose aim is to turn the world upside down. It's a world where peace overcomes violence and mercy upends judgement. A place where we seek the best interests of others before we pursue our own desires. It's a kingdom where love and grace replace hate and aggression.

I had a glimpse of that world this week. I saw it embodied by a group of students who sacrificed a week of summer to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a group of people who are often overlooked, ignored, or labelled by much of the world. And that is exactly what the Kingdom of God is all about.

 

shine!
Jason