Pray the words of this Lazaroo aloud, with deepening understanding:

“In his right hand he held seven stars…”
(Revelation 1:16)

Anyone reading that statement for the first time would be baffled, Jesus.

How could You hold even one star in Your hand
let alone seven?

Then You explain: This is a vision.

The seven stars
are seven angels
of seven churches.

It’s possible, of course, that You might literally hold seven angels in Your hand.

You’re God.
You can do anything.

But based on how You use the phrase, “right hand” elsewhere in Scripture, I’m guessing You’re telling me these angels hold a place of honor with You

and are very powerful.

The fact that You’re holding them
tells me they’re very close to You.

So here’s my question: Since each of these churches has an angel to watch over it and help fight its battles

does this mean every church has an angel?

Including mine?

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Exodus 15:6; Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 18:10; Mark 14:62; Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:14; Hebrews 8:1-2; 1 Peter 3:21-22; Revelation 1:20; Revelation 9:17…

Pray the words of this Lazaroo aloud, shaking your head in wonder:

“‘So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.’ The astrologers answered the king, ‘There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks!’”
(Daniel 2:9-10)

What a setup, Jesus.

You’ve done it in my life
more times than I can count.

You let me do whatever I wish

until I paint myself into a corner.

Suddenly, I have nowhere to go.

Can’t climb the walls behind me
can’t leap over the wet paint in front of me.

My back to the wall

I slowly slide down

to my knees.

Only then do I realize what happens to be true all the time:

You’re my only hope.

Unless you intervene

I’m stuck.

If You don’t perform a miracle

it’s all over.

I hate being in that position!

But it’s when You –

and I –

are at our best.

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Genesis 22:2-10; Exodus 14:10-14; 2 Kings 18:23-27; 2 Kings 20:1-2; Psalms 140:5-6; John 19:28-30; Acts 12:12-4; Acts 16:22-24; Acts 27:18-20…

Pray the words of this Lazaroo aloud, in deep reverence for the thrilling, freedom-giving guidance of God:

“Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion.”
(Jude 1:7)

They’re not exactly the same, are they, Jesus? –

“Sexual immorality” is experiencing Your amazing gift of sex –
or fantasizing having sex –

with someone of the opposite sex
to whom I am not married.

“Perversion” goes one step farther.

It twists Your miracle of sex into something ugly

plunging the people You’ve created in Your image

into depravity:

sex with an animal
sex with someone of the same sex
sex worship.

You don’t forbid these practices to rob me of pleasure

but to protect me from their hidden consequences
to ensure my highest pleasure.

Why would I ever sin sexually?

My opposite sex spouse and I can do anything we wish

so long as it harms neither of us
and involves no one else.

A world of limitless possibilities.

Wow.

Clean zing.

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Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 1:31; Genesis 2:7; Genesis 2:24-25; Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 27:21; Psalms 37:4; Proverbs 5:1-19; Song of Songs 1:2; Song of Songs 2:5; Song of Songs 2:16-17; Song of Songs 7:7-10; Matthew 5:28; Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 19:9; John 10:10; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; 1 Corinthians 7:1-9; Galatians 5:1; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-4; Ephesians 5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5; Titus 3:3; James 1:16-17…

Draw courage from God, as you pray aloud the words of this Lazaroo:

“Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day.”
(Ezekiel 2:3)

What if this was my assignment, Jesus?

Would I be up to the challenge?

You didn’t send Ezekiel to one person.

You sent him to an entire nation.

The message You gave him to deliver wasn’t going to be a popular one.

It was so unwelcome that it could have gotten him killed.

These people weren’t on the verge of turning it around, either.

They were passionately set in their evil ways.
Their rebellion had been going on for generations.

What were the odds of Ezekiel’s success?

That’s an irrelevant question, isn’t it?

You wanted only one thing from Ezekiel:

Be faithful to deliver Your message.

Which is exactly what You expect of me.

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Exodus 3:10-12; Exodus 4:10-12; Judges 6:14-16; 1 Samuel 16:1-3; Ezekiel 2:5; Matthew 10:11-16; John 20:21-22; Acts 26:15-18; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9…

Pray the words of this Lazaroo aloud, in humble faith:

“Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil…”
(3 John 1:11)

Seems like a no-brainer, Jesus.

Why would John have to remind his friend not to do that?

Actually…I don’t have to ask that question.

I know why.
So do You.

There’s a powerful compulsion to follow the crowd

even when the crowd is wrong.

It happens to me when I’m standing at a street light, waiting for the walk sign

until a half-dozen people suddenly brush past me
ignoring the light, crossing the street.

The compulsion to join them is so strong it’s almost physical.
What is there in my sinful human nature that makes me feel that?

It takes courage to stand alone
to stick out

to risk being ostracized
to endure scornful looks.

All of which You did when You went to the cross for me.

Forget the crowd.

I choose to follow You.

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2 Samuel 20:1-2; Isaiah 53:2-12; Jeremiah 1:17-19; Matthew 16:24-27; Matthew 26:55-56; John 6:66-68; 2 Timothy 1:15; 2 Timothy 4:9-12; 2 Timothy 4:16-18…

Pray the words of this Lazaroo aloud, with a listening heart:

“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?”
(Lamentations 1:12)

Jeremiah was in agony, Jesus.

Your people had sinned so greatly
that their enemies had overrun them.

Evil people had carried off their children.
Most of Jerusalem’s population had fled.

Those who were left had been turned into slaves.

But as Jeremiah wept, mourned and wailed, he looked around – and to his shock –

his neighbors were going about their business
as if nothing had happened

as if this was normal
something to be adjusted to and shrugged off.

Is anything like this going on today?

Is my own sleeping country in danger of being overrun by our many sins?

Anyone who stands up and says so
is labeled an alarmist.

Just like Jeremiah
who accurately predicted Jerusalem’s fall.

In our smugness we forget, don’t we?

That a nation can also be overrun by Your enemies

from within.

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2 Samuel 19:6; 1 Kings 8:33-40; Psalms 103:8-14; Lamentations 1:1-11;Ezekiel 33:1-9; Zechariah 1:2-6; Luke 7:44-50; 1 John 1:9; Revelation 14:8…

Pray the words of this Lazaroo aloud, with renewed dedication:

“Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”
(2 John 1:9)

It’s all about continuing, isn’t it, Jesus?

Not just starting.

Hey – starting is important!

I can’t continue
unless I start.

So starting is huge.

It takes enormous faith.
Courage.

To start, I have to throw caution to the winds.

I have to be willing to endure ridicule from my family and closest friends who were part of my old life.

When they see me declaring myself for You
they smirk knowingly and say,

“Yeah, right.”

They think they know the “real” me.

Of course, there’s a reason they’re betting against me:

They know how hard it will be for me to

“continue.”

So that’s my battle now.
One day at a time.

O God!

Help me continue.

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Exodus 33:12-13; 1 Kings 8:22-23; Daniel 4:27; John 17:26; Acts 13:43; Romans 11:22-23; 2 Corinthians 1:10-11; 2 Corinthians 11:9; Galatians 2:10; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:21-23; Colossians 2:6-7; 2 Thessalonians 3:4; 2 Timothy 3:14; James 1:22-25; 1 Peter 4:19; 1 John 2:28; 1 John 3:9; 1 John 5:18…