SPECIAL NOTE #2: In case you missed it, this past week, #670 listed some national and international stories for prayer; #672 talked about growing hostilities to Christians in AMERICA!, and #673 about how Christians can deal with public school hostility. Just scroll down this page!
"Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
"Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
Continue to Pray for EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
Oct. 14 -"Kenneth Bae, Mom Meet; Release Not Guaranteed" - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Mother-Visits-Missionary-Jailed-in-North-Korea/Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
Oct. 14 -"Kenneth Bae, Mom Meet; Release Not Guaranteed" - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Mother-Visits-Missionary-Jailed-in-North-Korea/Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
Vigils Mark One Year Imprisonment of Pastor Saeed - CBNNews.com, Thursday, September 26, 2013 - Today marks one-year that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been held in an Iranian prison. He is serving an eight-year sentence because of his Christian faith. It has been a year of torment as he has suffered beatings, physical pain from untreated medical conditions, and separation from his wife and two children... The suffering has not dampened his passion for Jesus. Pastor Abedini has led more than 30 prisoners to Christ during his time in prison. This afternoon, thousands of Americans from coast to coast will pray for his release. Events will be held in 40 states at capitols, city halls, parks and churches. Thousands more will join from 15 nations around the world
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
- GO TO SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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"Generation Y, Entitlement, and Grace - Calling Over Passion," - By: John Stonestreet|Breakpoint.org; October 11, 2013; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/23555?spMailingID=7147089&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=92587731&spReportId=OTI1ODc3MzES1
Some of the most thought-provoking people in recent times weren’t real. Remember the Obama campaign’s “Julia”? Now there’s Lucy, a creation of the Huffington Post’s “Wait But Why” blog. Lucy is today’s emerging adult, an encapsulation of what the article calls Generation Y Protagonists and Special Yuppies, or GYPSYs for short.
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
- GO TO SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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"Generation Y, Entitlement, and Grace - Calling Over Passion," - By: John Stonestreet|Breakpoint.org; October 11, 2013; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/23555?spMailingID=7147089&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=92587731&spReportId=OTI1ODc3MzES1
"Generation Y, Entitlement, and Grace - Calling Over Passion," - By: John Stonestreet|Breakpoint.org; October 11, 2013; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/23555?spMailingID=7147089&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=92587731&spReportId=OTI1ODc3MzES1
From their earliest years, GYPSYs like Lucy, born between the late 70s and the mid-90s, have been told that they’re special, they can be whatever they want to be, and they should just “follow their passions” when choosing a career. Well, not surprisingly, some have noted that many GYPSYs struggle with a sense of entitlement. According to the article, “The GYPSY needs a lot more from a career than… prosperity and security . . . Where the Baby Boomers wanted to live The American Dream, GYPSYs want to live Their Own Personal Dream.”
This, as the HuffPo’s blogger points out, is a recipe for unhappiness for Lucy—or anyone else. When reality exceeds our expectations, we’re happy. But when reality falls short, we’re unhappy, even depressed. And reality just can’t match the dreams GYPSYs have learned to expect.
And there’s a lesson in here for the Church, too. We often tell young Christians that God wants them to “follow their passions”—a phrase that’s only been around for a couple of generations—so that we can all discover our special “calling.” In fact, I used to tell people that the key to discovering God’s will is just discovering your passions.
Now, there’s certainly truth to the idea that the Lord has gifted us in unique ways to serve Him, and we can discover these gifts through our passions and use them for His glory. Remember how Olympian Eric Liddell “felt God’s pleasure” when he ran? But there’s more to the biblical picture of calling and vocation than just this.Jesus also said we must pick up our cross and follow Him. Paul said that anyone who wishes to follow Christ will be persecuted. Remember, Eric Liddell died in a Japanese prison camp.
It’s really only Christians in the West, especially America, who have the luxury of dwelling on the question, “What has God made me to be and what is my calling?” Unfortunately, in the process of this dwelling, we may miss other lessons about calling that our brothers and sisters around the world are forced to learn.
The Protestant Reformers understood calling to be not primarily about passion, but as a commitment to glorify God in whatever station we find ourselves. It may be your calling right now to be a student, or a mom or a dad, or a minimum wage employee simply just having to make a living. Whether directly connected with our passions or not, God calls us first and foremost to do the next thing well, to His glory, with all of our might.
So instead of asking, “What does God want me to do one day,” we should be asking “What does God want me to do next?”
It’s possible that we’ve “Christianized” a sense of entitlement, and therefore a misunderstanding of calling. In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul says that God determines the exact times that people live and the boundaries of their dwelling place.Thus, whether we inherit a culture of economic downturn in which many people can’t find a job, or if jobs are plentiful and we can really “follow our passions,” we accept either as from God’s hand. Our calling—whatever culture we find ourselves in—is to live fully engaged in this world, regardless of the particular circumstances.
As Bonhoeffer wrote, “Bravely take hold of the real, not dallying now with what might be. Not in the flight of ideas but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of the living.” These are good words for every generation.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION - Generation Y, Entitlement, and Grace: Calling over Passion - Next Steps
Christians should be the first to rethink our notion of calling. As John pointed out, our primary calling is to live for Christ, wherever we are. A great way to combat the modern problem of ennui, depression, and narcissism is to be utterly grateful to God in every job we do and in every life situation. After all, God calls us to be faithful, not successful. To better help you understand this subject, check out Os Guinness’s book The Call. We have a copy for your at the Colson Center Store. [NOTE: If you are not familiar with Mr. Guinness's style of writing, it is a rather unique style that I found a great challenge to follow. It IS great stuff, but it is definitely reading you will not be able to rush. - Stan]
RESOURCES:
"Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy" - Huffington Post | waitbutwhy.com | September 15, 2013; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/generation-y-unhappy_b_3930620.html
"I'm Not as Special as I Used to Think" - Stan Guthrie | Crosswalk.com | November 12, 2012; http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/i-m-not-as-special-as-i-used-to-think.html
"The Tempest of the Living" - John Stonestreet | Re Series, ColsonCenter.org | May 30, 2013; http://www.colsoncenter.org/issues/themeoftheweek/entry/42/22383?spMailingID=7147089&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=92587731&spReportId=OTI1ODc3MzES1
" ... what matters most when Christians confront a culture or government hostile to our worldview and values is not how confident we feel, how much is at stake, whether we stand alone or even whether we have a chance of success. All that matters is obedience, and the willingness to set aside conjecture when the time comes, thrust ourselves into the storm of reality and take the action God has called us to take. In the words of Chuck Colson, we must do the right thing, no matter what it costs us.
"Who stands fast?" asked Bonhoeffer shortly before the end of his life. "Only the man whose final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom or his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all this when he is called to obedience and responsible action in faith and an exclusive allegiance to God. Who tries to make his whole life an answer to the question and call of God. Where are these responsible people?"
That's a question which for Christians in the West, is becoming increasingly urgent."
The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life - Os Guinness | W Publishing Group | October 2003
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