This is the story of a collection of people who follow Jesus. We live in Littleton. We encounter people in the name of Jesus, we allow Jesus to turn us into disciples, we gather often, and we equip people to love and serve other people better.

Sunday, June 06, 2010

Please pray

please pray for the Erbaugh family, worship leader at the Rock of SW. Their youngest child, lincoln just died. Please don't call them just pray.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Posted via email from Mark's posterous

Friday, June 04, 2010

30 Days of Prayer for The EDGE Colorado, Day Nineteen

Day 19

We have added a few more people to our prayer list.  Welcome.  You can find the archives of these prayer days at http://markkraakevik.posterous.com/

For our prayer time today, I want us to consider a story from the book of Daniel, chapter 3.

13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14  and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." 

This is what I find inspirational about this story.  Here are three teenage boys who say, "We will not serve your idol.  God can save us from your furnace, and EVEN IF HE DOES NOT, we still will not worship your idol.  

As I pray about what I want God to do in my life, I have very specific goals.  And it is easy to say, I will worship God and not turn to the idols of this world, because my God is a big God and he will do big things for me.  It is much harder to say, and even if he does not do big things, I will still not turn from God to this worlds idols.  

For me this boils down to allowing God to be God.  He will do what he will do, and I will commit to worshiping him regardless of the circumstances I face.  

Remember Paul and Silas singing in the jail cell.  

 Acts 16: 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

That is just plain crazy, but they committed to praise God regardless of their circumstance.  

Please pray with me that The EDGE becomes that kind of a church.  We know God can save us (from furnaces and jail cells), and even if he does not, we will sing praises all the louder!!  

Specifically today would you pray for:

1) We have planned a graduation party for the neighborhood youth tomorrow.  We are hoping for 100 teens.
2) Please continue to pray for Kim Kopp, and others we know who are battling against cancer.
3) Pray for Grant Chinn, who is looking at an expensive car bill right now
4) Pray for those in our congregation looking for jobs. 
5) Pray for Lois Kraakevik, as she waits for a hip replacement surgery.  
6) Pray for those traveling this week
7) Pray that our services this weekend would be well received.  We are focusing on I John 1:5-10.

Thanks for praying,

Mark

Posted via email from Mark's posterous

Thursday, June 03, 2010

30 Days of Prayer for The EDGE Colorado, Day Eighteen

Day 18

This is one of my favorite Psalms.  Today let's pray it over each other:

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
       and make his face shine upon us,
       Selah

 2 that your ways may be known on earth,
       your salvation among all nations.

 3 May the peoples praise you, O God;
       may all the peoples praise you.

 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
       for you rule the peoples justly
       and guide the nations of the earth.
       Selah

 5 May the peoples praise you, O God;
       may all the peoples praise you.

 6 Then the land will yield its harvest,
       and God, our God, will bless us.

 7 God will bless us,
       and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

_______________

I find three things in this passage that really excite me.  

First there is a connection between God being good to us, and all the people praising Him.  
Clearly God is given the credit for the blessings He pours out.

Second, the evangelist heart of this Psalm.  He is praying that nations sing for joy to God.

Third, there is a "harvest" that happens at just the right time.  God's timing is perfect.  

Finally, the earth 'fears" God.  God is acknowledged as God.  He is our creator, and LORD.

May this Psalm be proclaimed over our cities.

Thank for your prayer,

Mark

Mark Kraakevik
The EDGE Colorado - live the message
720-308-4051

We all have demons, don't face your alone***
"Faith is our relationship to and with God. And it is given life and meaning in our relationship to and with each other."
 

Posted via email from Mark's posterous

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

30 Days of Prayer for The EDGE Colorado, Day Seventeen

Day 17

Today was the last day of school for our daughters, and thus our schedules change gear.  Summer is here.  

This is a great time to make some goals.  Give some thought to what you want to accomplish by the end of the summer.  

What books do you want to read?     http://www.librarything.com/catalog/kraakerjack
What local attractions do you want to visit?    http://guide.denverpost.com/daytrips/
Where will you spend those quiet moments (in between the frantic moments) this summer?    http://www.cariboucoffee.com/page/1/home.jsp

Today I would suggest that you make some plans, and then take these plans before the Lord.  

I have two favorite verses on this subject:

Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

and

Ps 37:4: Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

We are making plans at the EDGE for our summer.  
Will you pray with us that we will be able to fully commit our plans to God.  

Specifically you can pray for our graduation party this Sat. Night, our participation in the Annual meetings at the end of June, and our missions trip to Brazil in July.  We are also spending our summer in I John.  Pray that our Sunday mornings are worshipful and that we hear and apply what God is trying to teach us.  

Thanks 

Mark

Mark Kraakevik
The EDGE Colorado - live the message
720-308-4051

We all have demons, don't face your alone***
"Faith is our relationship to and with God. And it is given life and meaning in our relationship to and with each other."
 

Posted via email from Mark's posterous

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Thirty Days of Prayer for The EDGE Colorado, Day Sixteen

Day 16

Once again gentle reader, I thank you for taking the time to pray for us.

Psalm 98
A psalm.
 1 Sing to the LORD a new song,
       for he has done marvelous things;
       his right hand and his holy arm
       have worked salvation for him.

 2 The LORD has made his salvation known
       and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

 3 He has remembered his love
       and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
       all the ends of the earth have seen
       the salvation of our God. 

Today I was thinking about joy.  I was remembering that last Sunday we looked at 1 John 1:4, where John says that sharing the gospel makes his joy complete.  

I know what joy looks like.  I hear it as my kids make up songs, and sing them.  As they laugh and play around a pool.  Their laughter is contagious.  

What does our joy look like?  Is it in calling a friend we have not talked to in a while, just to say hi.  Is it in helping a neighbor with a chore?  Is it found in taking a meal to someone who needs encouragement?  

And what steals our joy?  Despair, anger, jealousy, laziness, and well...to be honest...just about any sin robs us of joy.  

Will pray with me that The EDGE would be filled with joy.  That we would find our lives filled to overflowing with joy.  

Action step:

1) As part of your prayer time today consider singing a song.  You can make it up if you like, but sing a song of joy.
2) Please lift up those at The EDGE who are facing difficult life situations, and pray specifically that they would experience joy.  
3) Pray against those sins that still our joy.
4) Praise God with us for the many opportunities we have had recently to celebrate his faithfulness.

Thanks,

Mark

Posted via email from Mark's posterous