stockbridge boiler room

grace

Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"? And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.  (Romans 11:  2-6)

After forty six friends joined us last Monday, I wasn't sure what to expect for the closing session of 247.  Certainly this much closer to Christmas might dwindle our numbers between last minute shoppers and college students departed for home.  We felt like we wanted to provide a choice for folks caught up in the hectic pace of what celebrating the Christmas holiday has become.  We wanted to provide folks a chance to choose joy.  

So we celebrated this with the seven friends who closed out 247 in a quiet sort of joy.  

It was a time of answered prayer for me.  As we began we soon heard a car spinning it's wheels in the unplowed streets of the westside.  We're not a high priority plowing zone, so we've often heard that sound these past four days of heavy snow.  This time I prayed that they would get unstuck.  Minutes later Danmike and Chelsea showed up.  At the end of prayer, we realized that the spinning car was them returning.  And we also realized that a number of us were praying silently for that car.

The snow has also taxed a number of our friends who have to put in extra work hours.  Joel had been on call for the past four days and had missed (much to his disappointment) a number of early morning prayer slots.  And he was down about that, feeling out of his usual prayer rhythm.  So I prayed for his arrival as Michael quietly strummed the guitar.  And fifteen minutes later God brings Joel to the closing session.  

Thank you Father for all the ways you answered prayer this week.  Thank you for your provision for the Boiler Room through the Spirit-inspired generosity of friends.

And as we moved into the last forty minutes of prayer, the Spirit put it upon my heart to invite us to share needs for prayer.  And we shared prayer needs for fathers and trusting and wisdom.  And we prayed for each other in beautiful Spirit-filled ways.  And I was struck that this room of eight folks is a faithful remnant.  And it was evidence of God's grace that I (yes me) could be praying with seven wonderful friends, seeking to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  And I was struck by this beautiful gift in this Christmas season.  

And in the New Year, my prayer is for God to call forth faithful remnants all over Grand Rapids and Michigan and the Midwest and the US and the globe.  Chosen by grace.  For His Glory.  

::tony::

Merry Christmas, friends and a Happy New Year.  We'll be back praying and blogging on Sunday January 4. Please note that in the dark of winter, we will be starting morning community prayer at 7a, though individuals are free to pray at 6a or before.  

the ultimate dreamer

...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

(Phil 1:6)

Pete Grieg called Jesus, "the ultimate dreamer and winner."  And we couldn't agree more.  God the great artist is unfolding His masterpiece.  And we have these glimpes of the corners of His canvas.  Tonight we have the opportunity to see how His dream has been unfolding, His good work that He is carrying to completion. 

Come tonight from 7-9p to testify about what God has done this week.  Come to thank him.  Come to call upon Him to complete His masterpiece.  For His Glory.

::tony::

How do we pray during economic crises?

Just before I left for the prayer room, I went to the 24-7 website to see if there were particular prayer requests on their on-line Wailing Wall.  I found my way to this article which helped shape some of my time in the prayer room.  It may help you if the current economic climate is heavy on your heart.  

::tony:: 

declare

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Listen to His people declare His praises from the prayer room.  

God showed me I had given up ground to the enemy;  and He set me free.

Every one of us prayed-kids 12, 9, 8, 2.  That made me feel blessed.  What a great way to show our kids how lucky we are.  Can't wait to come back.  

Walked around the room and prayed in the Spirit for an hour.  Experienced an awesome heavy annointing here. Prayed Proverbs 8.9,10, Ephesians 3, Hebrews 10,11 and Colossians 1 and 2.  Praying against the effect of hope deferred. 

God, 

I am reading your Word and in Romans 8:9 you say that we no longer live according to the sinful nature if your Spirit lives in us.  also that we don't belong to Christ if we don't have the Spirit."  I have never asked for this Spirit or tried to notice whether or not I have it.  I now notice this because I want to live by the Spirit, in the Spirit, by the power of the Spirit, filled with the Spirit.  I don't see the fruit of me doing this.  It's like I am constantly fighting to simply be myself.  All I want to do is truly be myself, the man you created me to be me to the fullest, passionate and wild!  I read to verse 13 where Paul writes, ". . . .if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.  "  I think he means live both in the present and future tense.  We find life now, that will continue for eternity.  Now I must track back to my question, where is the Spirit in my life because I haven't been seeing the fruit.  More accurately, I have been seeing the misdeeds of the body, alive, rampant and powerful.  Bring me your Spirit Lord.  Give me Living Water and I will drink.  This dry and parched land is killing me Lord.  But you Oh God, can save me!  Come!

I forget sometimes how God is my best friend–there's never any running out of things to say, but even stillness between two friends is restful and full.  

I was filled and overwhelmed with His deep love for me and encouraged by others' prayers and desires that are similar to mine . . . we are an army, the body of Christ.  

We brought our 2 young children.  It was full of music and painting.  We thanked God for the good things in our lives.  

I see the horror and the glory of the cross.  Your perfect Son came to live a perfect life and to die for my sins.  As He cried out "Abba, Father" Daddy, you turned, for You could not look at Him.  As a Holy, Perfect, Righteous God, you cannot look at or behold sin.  So you turned away from your perfect Son, the Perfect Lamb, Final Sacrifice and Atonement, Savior for me.  For the people I love, those I've met, and those I've still to meet  and yet am hesitant to speak.  Fear of rejection, awkwardness, insufficient words.  LEt m know in my heart, what my lips are quick to speak:  that your Spirit does the work and gives the Word, that the Gospel is worth any pain or rejection this temporary world can throw at me.  You paid it all and I am enough in you to be used as a fragrant offering and poured out in sacrifice.  

God continues to amaze me.  His mercy and patient endurance with me is so indescribable.  Today it was made clear that we are in a war.  And our God always wins!!  Seek Him and you will find a life you could not imagine.  Thank you for being obedient to His Spirit's leading.

What a blessing to come to this room and pray as part of something BIGGER than myself.

May we come to know our real selves, our priestly calling.

::tony::

read this

Even as we pray here, the Kingdom of God is breaking out on the other side of the world.

Praise God with us.

::tony::

closing and opening

We've been blessed by this opportunity to seek the joy of the Lord with friends.  We look forward to what these last three days of 247 will bring in terms of wisdom, revelation and celebration.  Please join us for a closing celebration of joy from 7-9p on Monday December 22.  

After that the Boiler Room will be closing it's doors for a chance to open ourselves to pondering the Christ child with our families.  We will resume prayer again on Sunday night January 4 at 8p.

May God's glory be revealed to us all in these coming days.  

::tony::

long to see you

I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.  (2 Tim 1:4)

This 24-7 week, I've gotten it.  I get why Paul was so psyched to see friends from the new communities.

God provided some friends from Traverse City, Max and Holly, to come down and spend a day with us praying and sharing stories.  You may remember that a Traverse City crew came down in November to dream a little with us about a prayer community in Traverse City.  

In practical terms they arrived late on Wednesday and took over for Danmike in the prayer room because he had been run down by waking up early multiple days to shovel with Jamin and Chip.  

In spiritual terms, this provision put a little wind in our sails as we had the joy of sharing what God has done in our midst while dreaming with Max and Holly about what God might be putting in their hearts in Traverse City.  

And as we celebrated simple church together, we talked for a while about light.  We talked about the wisdom and acheivement of Solomon convincing the Queen of Sheba about who God is.  We talked about the proclamation of Jonah convincing the Ninevehites about who God is.  And we talked about what this might mean for our communities.  

Friends in the Lord, seeking His face and guidance.  To start to see these communities bubble up all over our region is one of the most exciting provisions of the year—even as God blesses us in the mail today with financial support that will enable us to pay outstanding bills as well as pay salary through the end of the year.  It is discovering and discipling more and more friends in this journey of following Jesus, proclaiming that the Kingdom of God is near, and praying for our world.  

This is our joy. 

May this longing grow for each of us.

::tony:: 

anyone who trusts in Him

"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:8-13)

Two weeks ago Matthew was very drunk.

He came to the Love Feast and sat on the floor talking with Danmike.  Then he came to evening prayer and incoherently disrupted the first fifteen minutes.  I got him to sit in the kitchen with me and he talked about the Bible that he knows, including Romans 10:9.  In talking about that, I told him that God knows your heart Matthew. I was prompted to say, "Do you trust Him?" 

At that point, Matthew changed the subject to Genesis 1:1.  He left soon after.

This Wednesday, he came to the Love Feast early and helped to set up.  He was sober and polite.  And he asked at the end of the Love Feast if he and Paulie his uncle could come to evening prayer.

"If you're sober."

"I'm sober.  We're going to stay here until prayer so we won't go to Family Pantry."

"Okay."

He and Paulie showed up at 7:55.  

It was a somber gathering that night as some were struggling with illness and others with anxieties.  I prayed that Matthew would work the truth of Romans 10 into his whole life.  

Later, Ben prayed that we would gain greater insight and wisdom into who God is.  "Show yourself to us Lord.  Open our eyes."

We waited in silence upon that word.  

Then Matthew spoke to God about His word and thanked Him for the opportunity to talk to Him.  

Finally Lily suggested that we sing "Open the Eyes of My Heart."  We did.  A Capella.  

And as I walked out into the winter evening, welcoming the Roersma's Community Group, I realized that God simply wants me to trust Him.  

And He wants Matthew to trust Him.  

And He will show Himself to us.  He will open the eyes of our hearts.  

And we will never be put to shame.

May we call on Him this day.

::tony::

on the couch

"pray continually . . ."  1 Thessalonians 5:17

So I tried to take my own advice last night during my prayer slot.  Remembering that praying continually was heschyia in the Greek which means to rest.  I consciously tried to rest in the love of the Father.  And I planted myself on the couch. 

It was a sweet time.  

One simple church that I gather with is reading Romans for this week.  We try and read five chapters a day over the course of the week—I was way behind.  So I made my way slowly through Romans. Pausing and praying after a chunk.  And God spoke to me through His word about prayer, about discipleship, about my sin, about His provision, and about His undeniable love.

After finishing, I thanked Him for His word and how He spoke to me.  I then examined my conscience for the week—another practice we're doing in our simple churches.  God showed me my heart and the grip that ambition has on me.  And I sat with that on the couch.  And I confessed it.

Finally, I thought about one person to pray for this week—our final practice that we usually do.  I try to pray specifically for the love of the Father to rest upon that person.  As I thought of my work colleague, I prayed for him and I was led to pray for his whole family.  Then I felt this tug on my heart for the multiplication of simple churches in our Westside neighborhood.  And I prayed for each of the potential church planters in our Boiler Room community (that would include um let's see . . . everyone).  

And then I heard the door open and Brian walked in for his hour of prayer.  I got up from the couch and I prayed for a Spirit of sonship to be upon Him and the love of the Father to be made evident to him in the next hour.  

Praying continually.  Resting.  On the couch.  Worthy is the Lamb.  

May we all rest richly in Him.  

::tony::

by him we cry

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. 

And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15)

God provided us with so many friends to pray with last night during vespers.  46, to be specific.  And as they kept coming in—gently stomping—it became increasingly clear that our friends, in this Spirit of sonship, were hungry to spend time with their Father.    

We tried something new.  The opening three hours dedicated to time as a family.  

In praying about the week, it became clear that thankfulness was intimately connected to our theme of joy.  So we opened with a time of thanksgiving.  For salvation.  For the blood of Christ.  For grace shown to us despite our wicked hearts.  And I sensed the Lord smiling at his grateful sons and daughters.

Then we testified.  We testified about what God has taught the Boiler Room about prayer.  We showed "Breath" as a way of testimony.  Phil spoke about the Holy Spirit guiding him in the editing room.  He shared how tears came to his eyes as Danmike led us in singing, "But I will boast in Jesus Christ . . . " and Phil boasted of the Jesus who guided his storytelling.     

Friends responded to the testimony.  

Judy said, "I appreciated the honesty of not being experts.  Of simply being real."  

John said, "Amateurs are ones who do things simply because they're passionate about it.  May we all be amateurs at prayer."

And as responses like these launched us, we simply prayed out of our honesty.

We prayed about losing perspective in the midst of shopping malls and double-booked parties.  We prayed for dying friends.  We prayed for seeing beauty and finding joy in the midst of sacrificial times.  By Him, we cried.  

Toward the end, we remembered what God's word says about this kind of 247 praying without ceasing.  We remembered the watchmen on the walls in Isaiah 62, never giving God any rest.  We remembered Jesus' parable of the persistent widow who wears out the judge.  And we vowed to lift up our neighborhood and our city to the Lord, until He restores them in splendor—until they know in their hearts that they are sons and daughters, not slaves.  

And we remembered the Thessalonian church whom Paul exhorted to pray without ceasing.  And we remembered that in the Greek, "praying without ceasing" means hesychia.  Translated, this means "rest."  

As we pray this week, we seek rest, in the lap of our Father.  And we seek to work the love of the Father deep into our lives.  

We want to see the baby Jesus and we want to know the joy of this unbelievably costly gift from Abba.  

Papa loves us.  Oh how He loves us.  See how He loves us.  See how He loves us.

May we see.  May we hear.  May we rejoice this week as we wait.

::tony::