Cry The Blood

Cry The Blood, by Jack Baumgartner, 

photo from The School of the Transfer of Energy

My friend Jack Baumgartner recently released his album “Cry The Blood”, from i am earth, Jack Baumgartner. This is a heartfelt and sacrificial work of pilgrimage. The blood sweat and tears in this music cries out in beautiful heart felt harmony. This work is organic in sound and is simply beautiful. I am moved. This is music for the soul. If you are going to buy an album this year, well, this one has breath and life in it. It cries the blood.

Visit Jack Baumgartner at The School of the Transfer of Energy here:

http://theschoolofthetransferofenergy.com

You may also purchase your copy of “Cry The Blood” from i-tunes here.

You may also purchase your copy of “Cry The Blood” from Amazon here.

Visit the webpage for “Cry The Blood” here:

http://theschoolofthetransferofenergy.com/i-am-erth/

Finishing Discipleship and Small Groups Well

Finish Line Ahead, photo from Donna Reidland.com 

As our school year comes to a close, how are we finishing our discipleship groups or small groups well?

As our discipleship group comes to a close, we are blessing and encouraging each of our students. We are also leaving them with a challenge and celebrating our year together with a meal.

What will you do to finish the year well with your discopleship group or small group?

Blessings:

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." -Numbers 6:24-26 | NIV

"For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess." -Deuteronomy 30:16 | NIV

Prayer: For Young Persons:

God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 829)

Prayer: A Prayer of Self-Dedication:

Almighty and eternal God, draw our hearts to You, guide our minds, fill our imaginations, control our wills, that we may be wholly Yours, completely dedicated to You; and then use us, we pray, as You will, and always to Your glory and to the welfare of Your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 832)

National Poetry Month 2015

National Poetry Month 2015 Poster, from Poets.org

National Poetry Month 2015

April is National Poetry Month and I will be participating/celebrating by reading and recording a poem a day all month long.

Recorded poems will be posted on Sondcloud.com here: https://soundcloud.com/robbiepruitt

I will also be posting the recordings with the text of the poem and photos each day on my poetry website here: http://www.robbiepruitt.com

Shorter poems with illustrative photos will be posted each week on Tumblr here: http://robbiepruitt.tumblr.com

There are many wonderful poetry resources out there for poetry lovers and educators alike.

Here are a few of my favorite poetry websites and resources:

National Poetry Month, Poets.org:

http://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/home

Poets.org: http://www.poets.org

Poetry Foundation: http://www.poetryfoundation.org

Poetry Magazine: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/

The Poetry Archive: http://www.poetryarchive.org

Tweetspeak Poetry: http://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com

Poetry Resources and Tools from Tweetspeak:

http://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/2015/03/05/top-ten-national-poetry-month-books-tools/

Tweetspeak Poetry Teaching Tools:

http://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/english-teaching-resources/

PoetryTeachers.com: http://www.poetryteachers.com

Poetry Out Loud: http://www.poetryoutloud.org

Poetry.net: http://www.poetry.net

Famous Poets and Poems: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com

Poetry Flash: http://poetryflash.org

21 Martyrs

Since the first century, Christians have endured persecution. Yet in the midst of death, the Church remained alive and hopeful remembering Jesus’ promise, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)

“Persecution of Christians wakes a slumbering church. This call to remembrance and prayer reminds us that the blood of the martyrs has always been the seed for a revived church. May we remain sober-minded and fall to our knees in prayer for God to stir our hearts to obedience.” 

(Gabe Lyons, World Magazine, Christian leaders unite in call to prayer for persecuted church: http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/christian_leaders_unite_in_call_to_prayer_for_persecuted_church, 21 Martyrs: http://21martyrs.com)


21 Martyrs

Twenty-one lives

Kneeling on sand

Twenty-one fell 

At his command

Twenty-one prayers

On Rock, they land

Twenty-one souls 

They kneel; they stand

Twenty-one call, “Jesus!”

His blood cries from the sand

Twenty-one take His hand

© February 21, 2015, Robbie Pruitt

“We give thanks to you, O Lord our God, for all your servants
 and witnesses of time past: for Abraham, the father of believers, and Sarah his wife; for Moses, the lawgiver, and Aaron, the
 priest; for Miriam and Joshua, Deborah and Gideon, and
 Samuel with Hannah his mother; for Isaiah and all the prophets; for Mary, the mother of our Lord; for Peter and Paul and all
 the apostles; for Mary and Martha, and Mary Magdalene; for
 Stephen, the first martyr, and all the martyrs and saints in
 every age and in every land. In your mercy, O Lord our God, give us, as you gave to them, the hope of salvation and the 
promise of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the 
first-born of many from the dead. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 838)

New Year Goals and Resolutions

Happy New Year!

"Ask yourself: What would your life look like if you directed it, instead of drifted through it?" —Michael Hyatt

We should be looking forward to embracing good and healthy growth and change in the New Year. As Donald Miller puts it, "Things that stay the same aren’t healthy."

We should begin our New Year reflecting on God's grace and goodness in governing the outcomes in our lives. As it says in Proverbs 16:9, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps." (Proverbs 16:9, NIV) Established steps, change, growth and movement in our lives are good.

We should also acknowledge that it is God who begins and finishes His work in us. As Paul stated in Philippians 1:6, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6, ESV)

What's your plan for the New Year? What will God do in your life in 2015? Do you have any goals or resolutions? What are they?

Consider these three questions that Bill Hybles suggests:

1. What should you stop doing this year?

2. What should you start doing this year?  

3. What should you continue doing this year?

The Face of God

It was a pleasure reading this poem, "The Face of God", at Quisqueya Christian School's annual Staff Christmas Party. Tara Thorn signed the poem along with the reading. This is a later recording of the poem, along with Hebrews 1:1-4, which was recorded at home the following weekend.


The Face of God

Once we walked in the loving gaze
Of the face of God
In Eden’s beauty paradise
On heavenly earth; on heavenly sod
Our transgressions made us outcasts
And dark winds blew us,
To the East, it threw us
The wind withered the land
The fallen outnumbered the sand
None could rest, not kings in their riches
Nor the poor with outstretched hand . . .
And the prophets cried out
The priests offered sacrifice and praise with shout,
And the kings waged war and decreed
Until it was clear, all people bleed
And silence deafened the people in need
Then the starry night came. . .
Wise men were called from the East
Back to their Prince of Peace
His star led them there
With gifts of worship so fine and fair
The Light had entered darkness
After four hundred years of silence
Broken in a babies cry
For all to live, who once had died
The Shepherds came with staff and rod,
And these wise men, to see the face of God
In former days, and in many ways
God spoke and now by His Son,
In these latter days
He walks again with His people
In Eden made anew
His face and their face; seen through and through
To once again walk in that loving gaze
In the Glory of the face of God
In Eden’s paradise
On heavenly sod
To be right again with our God
Heaven came down and intimacy restored
Both rich and poor have seen their Lord


© December 2011, Robbie Pruitt


Hebrews 1:1-4

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

Jesus Christ Heals You

The Johari Window, photo from StoneWritten

Scripture:

“Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.’ Immediately he got up.” –Acts 9:34

In Acts 9:34; a man named Aeneas was in obvious need of healing, he had been bedridden for eight years. His need was evident to himself, as well as to those around him. Peter addressed this need and said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.” God worked. Aeneas got up. He was made well.

Areas of our lives where we need healing can be obvious to us, and to those around us. However, there are times where it may not be so obvious to us where we need healing. Sometimes we can be blind to our needs, they can be hidden, or less obvious, to us, and to those around us. Sometimes our needs are unknown.

The Johari Window is an engaging tool of self-exploration where we can begin to explore areas of our lives that are 1. Open, known to self and known to others, 2. Blind, known to others, but not known to self, 3. Hidden, known to self, but not known to others, and 4. Unknown, not known to self and not known to others.

Questions for Reflection:

Look deeply at all the ways in which you need to hear “Jesus Christ heals you.”

How and where do you need healing?

Are there obvious, open, needs? What are they?

How can you explore the blind spots in your life? Who can you entrust to help shine some light into your life?

Are there hidden areas where you need healing? How can you get these things into the open? Who can you share your needs with?

Ask God to show you your blind spots and to show you the unknown areas of denial and defensiveness.

Pray for God to help you “‘get up’ and ‘make your bed’”. Ask God for the healing and restoration that you need to continue on in every area of your life where you need healing and restoration.

Prayer:

“Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, by your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer, p. 830)

Gratitude for God's Faithfulness

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” –1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV

"Without worship, we go about miserable." –A.W. Tozer

“The surest index of your spiritual and emotional well-being is the degree of gratitude in your life.” –John Maxwell

As Quisqueya Christian School's High School Bible Teacher, I often have the opportunity to speak at our chapel services. This was last week's talk on "Gratitude for God's Faithfulness". Here I talk from Luke 7:36-50 and Luke 17: 11-19, a sinful woman anoints Jesus' feet and Jesus' cleansing the ten with leprosy. This talk explores the importance of, and the essential nature of, gratitude, thanksgiving and worship. Gratitude is God's will for our life.

For the Power Point for this talk, click this link here:

drive.google.com/file/d/0B2730FU8…view?usp=sharing

For the prayers from this talk, and the study questions for this talk, click this link:

drive.google.com/file/d/0B2730FU8…view?usp=sharing

Prayer of Thanksgiving

“Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.”(Book of Common Prayer, p. 101)

Following Jesus to the End

Our following Jesus is going somewhere. It has been said, “Begin with the end in mind”. So what is the end? Where is following Jesus leading us when we follow Jesus to the end?

John describes where following Jesus is leading in 1 John 3:2 when he says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” Following Jesus leads us to a beginning in Jesus, being in Jesus, beholding Jesus and being like Jesus.

We begin in Jesus. When calling His disciples, Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it” (Luke 9:23-25). We live in a broken and sinful world and we need salvation. It is in following Jesus that we find both our salvation and our very lives.

Paul addresses having our lives found and held together in Christ in Colossians 1:17 when he says, “He [Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together”. C.S. Lewis also talked about our lives being in Christ alone in The Weight of Glory when he said, “He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only.” When we follow Jesus to the end, we end up with everything—Jesus.

We continue our being in Jesus. Paul says in Colossians 2:6 that we should continue following Jesus as we began in Him. He says, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him.”

Following Jesus to the end is taking us somewhere. God’s ultimate intention for us is total redemption and restoration in Him. The disciple John captures this well in Revelation 21:5 when he records Jesus proclaiming, “Behold, I make all things new.” As mentioned, John’s words capture this idea in 1 John 3:2, “But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” In the end, we will be with Jesus and everything will be as it should be—redeemed and restored.

In following Jesus to the end, it is essential for us to recognize that it is Jesus who will see us through to completion. Paul could not have stated this more clearly in Philippians 1:6, “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.” God is making us new in Him. We are being conformed into the very likeness of Christ, if indeed we follow Jesus to the end.