Peoria Prayer Center

In Luke 20 leaders are wondering "by what authority" Jesus was doing what He was doing.  Today we do this too.  We wonder about our lives and what right God has to withhold, to require, to judge or to love.  We often believe that the events of our lives should be based on our faith, our labor or our status.  When God acts is ways different than our intentions, we wonder by what authority He is working. Luke 20:1-8 ESV One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up  (2)  and said to him, "Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority."  (3)  He answered them, "I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, (4)  was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?" (5)  And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'  (6)  But if...

To be like Jesus you must not try and copy Jesus.  We are not called by God to steal the idenity of Jesus. It seems many look at the life of Jesus and say, "he did that so I'm gonna do that too".  God calls us to follow Him and not just "copy" His Son.  If you were to copy Jesus, copy His heart, not His outward deeds,  To copy outward deeds would be a striving to live according to the flesh.  You would be seeking to emulate good flesh, but flesh none the least.  Like our words, our deeds are to be a manifestation of our heart.  To produce miracles, drive out evil spirits or raise the dead does not come from external conformity but inward transformation.   God made Adam to be a being that was not God, yet in relationship with God.  If God wanted more Angles or more Sons (of the Jesus sort) He would make some.  God created sons of the human sort and calls us in our humanity to be Christ like, not Christ himself.  We have limite...

Life is hard at times.  Some of the time, life seems unbearable.  What do we do? Turning to the Lord is more than a coping tool.  Abiding in Christ is more than a way to control your thoughts or suppress pain through meditation.  There is a  reality that is beyond natural and we can enter into that reality.  This entering into Christ Jesus is not escapism.  It is not about avoiding the pain, suffering and difficulty that life may bring to us.  It is going through, not around. Our thoughts are a way that we connect with God, with ideas, with emotions. When we are called to control our though life we are called to avoid some connections, like fear, lust, greed; and enhance others, like love, peace, God and joy.  Our bodies and minds are one and when we put one in a situation the other is effected.  When the foot touches bath water that is to hot, the mind lets you know.  When the mind is inflicted with pain it lets the body know. ...

Praying for help is a common prayer.  But when we do this, what are we asking for?  What is help? When we pray for help, one thing we are doing is crying out for freedom.  We are asking God to intervene in the things that rule over us, that are seeking to control us.  We are also asking for power to do our part in that freedom.  "Our part" is "what God calls us to do".  We are not asking for a free ride, easy pathway or a blessing that we do not give effort into.   Today, if you are crying out for "help" you are asking God for deliverance from your bondage so that you are free to do His will.  This is not all that the prayer for help means, but it is foundational.  Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.  Not freedom from the rule of God but freedom from all false rules, rulers and controlling forces.  "Help me Lord" is a plea to God for both assistance and empowerment. Here is how I got to that view. I checked ou...