Sandy Newman, DeeAnn Ward, Jay Swallow, Dutch Sheets and Robert Henderson are coming to Gateway Fellowship July 30-31 and Robert will be ministering Sunday August 1 at 10:15 AM.
Join us!
You can click on the blog title for more information.
PrairieParson
Friday, July 16, 2010
Historic Workshop Inside MO Prison
We know a participant in this historic workshop. Click on the Blog tile to read the article in the Kansas City Star.
PrairieParson
PrairieParson
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Justice Cry - Heard
The cry for justice has been supernaturally heard! Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus.
The Joseph story is being acted out in real time. Unjustly accused, sent to the "hole", but not forgotten by God. In a day he was thrown in. In a day delivered.
A supernatural sign of things to come.
Amen! and Hallelujah!
PrairieParson
The Joseph story is being acted out in real time. Unjustly accused, sent to the "hole", but not forgotten by God. In a day he was thrown in. In a day delivered.
A supernatural sign of things to come.
Amen! and Hallelujah!
PrairieParson
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Cry for Justice
For the past two weeks injustice has been engraved upon my mind. The injustice has not happened to me, but to someone I love.
Society in general has become so accustomed to injustice that it has become normal and therefore, we do not protest it, work against it, or regard it as evil.
The world is full of injustice; the ultimate injustice being a man executed for a crime he did not commit. And so I muse, "Is the death penalty is ever just?" Yes, I know Moses said, "Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death" and "If there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for an eye, tooth for tooth." (Exodus 21:12,23-24) But why is it we do not promote the death penalty for children who dishonor their parents, for Moses too says, "Whoever dishonors his father or mother shall be put to death. (Exodus 21:15) And then I seem to remember the words of another prophet, "You have heard it said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth', but I say to you..." Jesus is calling us to a higher standard. And so, I am re-thinking my stand about being for the death penalty. Question: Can one be pro-life and pro-death penalty at the same time? Selah
And one of those standards is justice. God's throne is established on justice. He loves justice and hates injustice. The oppression of the weak, the poor, the infirm, the imprisoned, the immigrant, and the vulnerable is detestable to the Lord. He warns, "Do not pervert justice" again and again the Scriptures.
When the justice system is unjust, it is a double injustice. When the letter of the law lords over the spirit of the law, an injustice has occurred. Prisons have rules, lots of rules - and most are necessary - but when rules become more important than the inmates, that is unjust. Jesus said, "They (Pharisee's) [and some who make prison rules - my personal commentary] tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's [inmates] shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger." (Matthew 23:4) And so, who is the greater "sinner", the inmate whose deeds were unjust, or the creator of heavy burdens that cannot be carried or a system designed, not for restorative justice or for the success of the inmate, but for failure?
I close my rant, or more nicely put, my cry for justice, with a few Scriptures on justice.
Deuteronomy 16:19 - "You shall not pervert justice."
Deuteronomy 32:4 - "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice."
Psalm 89:14 - "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne."
Isaiah 42:1 - "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations."
Jeremiah 9:24 - "but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."
Amos 5:15, 24 - "Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."
Mic 6:8 - "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Heb 11:33 - "[Faith's heroes] through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice."
Proverbs 29:26 - "Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice."
"Father, grant justice" Amen.
Prairie Parson
Society in general has become so accustomed to injustice that it has become normal and therefore, we do not protest it, work against it, or regard it as evil.
The world is full of injustice; the ultimate injustice being a man executed for a crime he did not commit. And so I muse, "Is the death penalty is ever just?" Yes, I know Moses said, "Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death" and "If there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for an eye, tooth for tooth." (Exodus 21:12,23-24) But why is it we do not promote the death penalty for children who dishonor their parents, for Moses too says, "Whoever dishonors his father or mother shall be put to death. (Exodus 21:15) And then I seem to remember the words of another prophet, "You have heard it said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth', but I say to you..." Jesus is calling us to a higher standard. And so, I am re-thinking my stand about being for the death penalty. Question: Can one be pro-life and pro-death penalty at the same time? Selah
And one of those standards is justice. God's throne is established on justice. He loves justice and hates injustice. The oppression of the weak, the poor, the infirm, the imprisoned, the immigrant, and the vulnerable is detestable to the Lord. He warns, "Do not pervert justice" again and again the Scriptures.
When the justice system is unjust, it is a double injustice. When the letter of the law lords over the spirit of the law, an injustice has occurred. Prisons have rules, lots of rules - and most are necessary - but when rules become more important than the inmates, that is unjust. Jesus said, "They (Pharisee's) [and some who make prison rules - my personal commentary] tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's [inmates] shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger." (Matthew 23:4) And so, who is the greater "sinner", the inmate whose deeds were unjust, or the creator of heavy burdens that cannot be carried or a system designed, not for restorative justice or for the success of the inmate, but for failure?
I close my rant, or more nicely put, my cry for justice, with a few Scriptures on justice.
Deuteronomy 16:19 - "You shall not pervert justice."
Deuteronomy 32:4 - "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice."
Psalm 89:14 - "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne."
Isaiah 42:1 - "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations."
Jeremiah 9:24 - "but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."
Amos 5:15, 24 - "Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."
Mic 6:8 - "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Heb 11:33 - "[Faith's heroes] through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice."
Proverbs 29:26 - "Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice."
"Father, grant justice" Amen.
Prairie Parson
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Election Night Musings
Election night. Food for thought: I wonder, if a modern politician would run on the platform of Micah 6:8, Mt. 5-7, and the Golden Rule, would they win? That is the policy of the kingdom of God.
Of course that would be radical. But then, so is Jesus, who is Senator of senators. He did not win an election, but he was crucified. Maybe that is why few, if any, modern politicians would run on such a political agenda.
Now, the larger question is: Will you and I live by the platform of the kingdom of God - do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God, love neighbors, forgive enemies, promote peace, and do to others as as you want to be treated?
Food for thought, indeed.
PrairieParson
Of course that would be radical. But then, so is Jesus, who is Senator of senators. He did not win an election, but he was crucified. Maybe that is why few, if any, modern politicians would run on such a political agenda.
Now, the larger question is: Will you and I live by the platform of the kingdom of God - do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God, love neighbors, forgive enemies, promote peace, and do to others as as you want to be treated?
Food for thought, indeed.
PrairieParson
Friday, January 1, 2010
The gods Have Failed
I find the following quote from David Brooks' column in the NY Times dated Dec. 31, 2009 entitled "The God That Fails" interesting and insightful as we enter the new decade. (It's hard to believe that 10 years have passed since the Y2K apocalypse predictions failed to come to pass.)
"Many people seem to be in the middle of a religious crisis of faith. All the gods they believe in — technology, technocracy, centralized government control — have failed them in this instance."
The gods of technology, technocracy, and centralized government control not only fail in keeping terrorists with explosives in their underwear off airplanes, they will never save anyone. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, including the above mentioned gods, and that is a good thing. Our hope must be in the King and His Kingdom, which will never end and will never fail.
"Lord Jesus Christ, let your Kingdom come; let it grow in influence and might, on earth - including the prairie of western Kansas - and let your will be done in 2010."
PraireParson
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