There is great truth in Psalm 119:18. "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law." This verse combines prayer and the Word, and we need to see how, so that we can combine them this way in our lives and in our church. There are three things that we learn from this verse.
One is that there are wonderful things in the Word of God. "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law." The word "law" is "Torah" and means "instruction" or "teaching" in this psalm. There are wonderful things in God's teaching to us. In fact, they are so wonderful that when you really see them, they change you profoundly and empower holiness and love and missions (2 Corinthians 3:18). Which is why reading and knowing and meditating on and memorizing the Word of God is so crucial.
The second thing we learn from this verse is that no one can see these wonderful things for what they really are without God's supernatural help. "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law." If God does not open our eyes, we will not see the wonder of the Word. We are not naturally able to see spiritual beauty. When we read the Bible without the help of God, the glory of God in the teachings and events of the Bible is like the sun shining in the face of a blind man. Not that you can't construe its surface meaning, but you can't see the wonder, the beauty, the glory of it such that it wins your heart. The Holy Spirit does that for us. He gives us spiritual contact lenses, so to speak.
Which leads to the third thing we learn from this verse, namely, that we must pray to God for supernatural illumination when we read the Bible. "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law." Since we are helpless in ourselves to see spiritual beauty and the wonder of God in the teachings and events of the Bible without God's gracious illumination, we should ask him for it. "Open my eyes."
And God just needs to open our eyes so that we can see that He is with us and we can live lives as children of the Living God, as ambassadors of Christ, as Chrsitian soldiers, not afraid, but bold in our love of God and the things of God.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Open Our Eyes, Lord, Part Two
In Ephesians Chapter One, Paul wanted our eyes to be opened so we can see our hope. But he also wanted our eyes opened so we see …18 “… what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”
Paul wanted us to see the riches bestowed upon us in Christ! Some people may get carried away with the idea that God wants all of us to become wealthy with money in this life, but I think if God had wanted us to be rich He would have seen to it that Christians of all time would have been wealthy. But history reveals that God chooses to call both the rich and the poor, yet he bestows HIS RICHES on them all!
The richness of the glory of God’s inheritance is so much more than money!
Paul began describing the riches of our inheritance in verse seven of Ephesians chapter one.
Eph 1:7 In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
Our riches are found in knowing that a King, the God of all Creation, took our punishment in order that we could be forgiven of our sins! That is rich! We were guilty and He was innocent! Peter exclaimed that we were not redeemed with silver or gold, but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. We are loved that much by God! How can you put a price on that? Then again--
10 … in the of the fullness of time He will gather together in one all things in Christ,
God’s plan is to gather us together in His love. Our sins forgiven, our wounds healed, and He would draw us all together as His Family in a way that is pure and lovely where we will all be able to walk together in harmony! Being rich is to be cherished by God and by your fellowman!
Lord, open our eyes to your calling, to your riches, and to your power! Paul included one more item which we need to see with spiritual eyes:
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe,
There is a power from God that is working in His Church which destroys the power of sin and brings deliverance to the captives! We may see ourselves as being helplessly caught in the situations of life and having no hope of deliverance. That is not true! Through faith in Christ, you and I have “exceeding great power from God to overcome! Does that mean that we are in charge of the universe? No. God is. But as we follow the dream He has given to us … obey the calling … we can meet the challenges of life with a voice of victory! We have been made rich in the love of God and we can be loving and kind and powerful in prayer!
Paul describes this power as being … Eohesians 1:19 ….. according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Talk about power! When Christ was raised from the dead it was an act of creation similar to the one of creating the world! God the Father gave Him the authority to be seated as God in heaven and have authority over everything in the spirit realm and in the realm of the natural! That is the mighty power that is at work in us as we follow the calling which God has given to us!
Paul wanted us to see the riches bestowed upon us in Christ! Some people may get carried away with the idea that God wants all of us to become wealthy with money in this life, but I think if God had wanted us to be rich He would have seen to it that Christians of all time would have been wealthy. But history reveals that God chooses to call both the rich and the poor, yet he bestows HIS RICHES on them all!
The richness of the glory of God’s inheritance is so much more than money!
Paul began describing the riches of our inheritance in verse seven of Ephesians chapter one.
Eph 1:7 In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
Our riches are found in knowing that a King, the God of all Creation, took our punishment in order that we could be forgiven of our sins! That is rich! We were guilty and He was innocent! Peter exclaimed that we were not redeemed with silver or gold, but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. We are loved that much by God! How can you put a price on that? Then again--
10 … in the of the fullness of time He will gather together in one all things in Christ,
God’s plan is to gather us together in His love. Our sins forgiven, our wounds healed, and He would draw us all together as His Family in a way that is pure and lovely where we will all be able to walk together in harmony! Being rich is to be cherished by God and by your fellowman!
Lord, open our eyes to your calling, to your riches, and to your power! Paul included one more item which we need to see with spiritual eyes:
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe,
There is a power from God that is working in His Church which destroys the power of sin and brings deliverance to the captives! We may see ourselves as being helplessly caught in the situations of life and having no hope of deliverance. That is not true! Through faith in Christ, you and I have “exceeding great power from God to overcome! Does that mean that we are in charge of the universe? No. God is. But as we follow the dream He has given to us … obey the calling … we can meet the challenges of life with a voice of victory! We have been made rich in the love of God and we can be loving and kind and powerful in prayer!
Paul describes this power as being … Eohesians 1:19 ….. according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Talk about power! When Christ was raised from the dead it was an act of creation similar to the one of creating the world! God the Father gave Him the authority to be seated as God in heaven and have authority over everything in the spirit realm and in the realm of the natural! That is the mighty power that is at work in us as we follow the calling which God has given to us!
Open Our Eyes Lord, That We May See! How Good is Your Spiritual Vision? Part One
Did you ever play pin the tail on the donkey? It is a children’s game that gives us an idea of how difficult it is to not have the physical sense of sight. The Bible shows us that it is sometimes even more difficult if we lose our spiritual way, if we are spiritual blind.
Jesus is in the business of opening blind eyes, both physically and spiritually. We all know how he healed the blind – remember the story of the healing of blind Bartimeus in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10? In Luke 4:18 Jesus says in his famous “mission Statement”, quoting Isaiah 62:1, that he is in his earthly mission to “preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set free the oppressed and the imprisoned.”
Sometimes we pray for Jesus to open people’s eyes so that they can see the great offer of salvation that He died on the cross so that they might be free. There are a lot of people who walk around in darkness and do not see His lights. Sometimes we pray for Jesus to help people to open their eyes and see the blessings God has for them, but they are not receiving them, because their eyes are closed – blessings right in front of them – just like a good meal but someone is too lazy to lift their fork or to smell the aroma of the feast. Paul prays in Ephesians 1 for spiritual eyes to be opened. It is a prayer we can also pray.
In his great prayer of Ephesians 1 – A wonderful prayer for us to learn from and to imitate in praying for each other, for our families and friends, for our Christian brothers and sisters, Paul prays for the eyes of the minds of the believers to be enlightened. Paul prayed for the Spirit of God to enlighten the Christians in in that they would know the hope of God's calling ; and what are the riches of His inheritance among the saints; and that they would know the exceeding greatness of His power that works in them. Those are great prayers for us today. All of us need the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes that we may see.
John Calvin wrote – “It is true that our eyes are instruments of God’s power and goodness by which he makes us enjoy the light, but that is something common to all. But here St. Paul shows us that we are blind and that we understand nothing of God’s spiritual grace, unless he opens our eyes and takes away the veil that is before them, and even gives us a new sight which we do not have. For our eyes are worse than put out until he enlightens them by his Holy Spirit.”
The apostle Paul wants us to have a spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may be able see how great the things are which God has provided for us! Faith arises in us when God enlightens our minds with His Holy Spirit. We pray and we read the Word and it becomes a living instrument in our hands as God speaks to us through it!
When we have the revelation provided by the Holy Spirit … we begin to see with eyes of faith!
But what did Paul want us to see? 18 “… that you may know what is the hope of His calling,”
He wanted us to know the Hope which is ours because of God’s calling. Our hope lies in Him alone and without Christ we are without Hope!
Much of the world lives without hope. They have nothing good to anticipate. There is not expectation of change or fulfillment. But Jesus did not intend for any of us to live without hope! Hope declares that we have a future … we have a destiny!
Satan does all that he can to destroy hope! In his world he creates dreams, expectation and possibilities and then does his best to pull them out from under you! All of Satan’s expectations are like the euphoria of a hallucinogenic drug. You feel things that are not real, you see things that are not real, your senses are heightened … and then you come down to withdrawals, pain, and emptiness! The pleasures of sin are delightful for a season … but then reality sets in and the pain begins!
The hope in Christ is not like that at all! The hope that Christ provided for us comes from His calling. Jesus is the real Dream Giver! His has given you a calling … a dream! You have a specific reason for living which God has given to you and you alone! You have been chosen by Him from before time began to fulfill your destiny! No one else will ever do the same things which you do! In His calling there is fulfillment and joy!
You have been blessed with a calling, God’s dream. He has chosen you for His purposes, having predestined you before time to be adopted into God’s family, and you have been accepted by Him! When we lose hope it is because we have lost sight of this calling of God! Our dream dies! It therefore becomes necessary that we return to the Lord time and time again and ask for our eyes to be opened again! We must carry a vision in us of the calling which God has given to us! That is where hope lies!
Jesus is in the business of opening blind eyes, both physically and spiritually. We all know how he healed the blind – remember the story of the healing of blind Bartimeus in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10? In Luke 4:18 Jesus says in his famous “mission Statement”, quoting Isaiah 62:1, that he is in his earthly mission to “preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set free the oppressed and the imprisoned.”
Sometimes we pray for Jesus to open people’s eyes so that they can see the great offer of salvation that He died on the cross so that they might be free. There are a lot of people who walk around in darkness and do not see His lights. Sometimes we pray for Jesus to help people to open their eyes and see the blessings God has for them, but they are not receiving them, because their eyes are closed – blessings right in front of them – just like a good meal but someone is too lazy to lift their fork or to smell the aroma of the feast. Paul prays in Ephesians 1 for spiritual eyes to be opened. It is a prayer we can also pray.
In his great prayer of Ephesians 1 – A wonderful prayer for us to learn from and to imitate in praying for each other, for our families and friends, for our Christian brothers and sisters, Paul prays for the eyes of the minds of the believers to be enlightened. Paul prayed for the Spirit of God to enlighten the Christians in in that they would know the hope of God's calling ; and what are the riches of His inheritance among the saints; and that they would know the exceeding greatness of His power that works in them. Those are great prayers for us today. All of us need the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes that we may see.
John Calvin wrote – “It is true that our eyes are instruments of God’s power and goodness by which he makes us enjoy the light, but that is something common to all. But here St. Paul shows us that we are blind and that we understand nothing of God’s spiritual grace, unless he opens our eyes and takes away the veil that is before them, and even gives us a new sight which we do not have. For our eyes are worse than put out until he enlightens them by his Holy Spirit.”
The apostle Paul wants us to have a spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may be able see how great the things are which God has provided for us! Faith arises in us when God enlightens our minds with His Holy Spirit. We pray and we read the Word and it becomes a living instrument in our hands as God speaks to us through it!
When we have the revelation provided by the Holy Spirit … we begin to see with eyes of faith!
But what did Paul want us to see? 18 “… that you may know what is the hope of His calling,”
He wanted us to know the Hope which is ours because of God’s calling. Our hope lies in Him alone and without Christ we are without Hope!
Much of the world lives without hope. They have nothing good to anticipate. There is not expectation of change or fulfillment. But Jesus did not intend for any of us to live without hope! Hope declares that we have a future … we have a destiny!
Satan does all that he can to destroy hope! In his world he creates dreams, expectation and possibilities and then does his best to pull them out from under you! All of Satan’s expectations are like the euphoria of a hallucinogenic drug. You feel things that are not real, you see things that are not real, your senses are heightened … and then you come down to withdrawals, pain, and emptiness! The pleasures of sin are delightful for a season … but then reality sets in and the pain begins!
The hope in Christ is not like that at all! The hope that Christ provided for us comes from His calling. Jesus is the real Dream Giver! His has given you a calling … a dream! You have a specific reason for living which God has given to you and you alone! You have been chosen by Him from before time began to fulfill your destiny! No one else will ever do the same things which you do! In His calling there is fulfillment and joy!
You have been blessed with a calling, God’s dream. He has chosen you for His purposes, having predestined you before time to be adopted into God’s family, and you have been accepted by Him! When we lose hope it is because we have lost sight of this calling of God! Our dream dies! It therefore becomes necessary that we return to the Lord time and time again and ask for our eyes to be opened again! We must carry a vision in us of the calling which God has given to us! That is where hope lies!
Friends Are Gifts of Our Loving God, Part Two
The Bible shows us pictures of friendship. In the story of David and Jonathan we get a good vision of a strong earthly friendship with God as a part of the trust between the two of them. We also see friendship exampled in the stories of Jesus and the disciples. Friendship pervades the Bible, most obviously but not only in the gospels where Jesus called his disciples friends. But true friendship was not all one way: he was influenced and changed, challenged and comforted by his friends, by Peter and John, by Joanna and the many Marys we hear of, by Joseph and Lazarus, Judas and Nathaniel.
"Love one another,"says Jesus in the Book of John, and "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's lifefor one's friends."ii These statements are part of Jesus' final commandments to his disciples on the night he was to be arrested and taken away to be crucified. So clearly we need to read into this passage Jesus' own sacrifice -- his own love for his disciples, and indeed for all of humanity, for which he was willing to lay down his own life. Yet, he also makes clear that these words are meant for his followers, and by extension for us here today: "I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
Who are your friends? Do you appreciate them? Have you told them so?
What is a friend? Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself.
One example of friendship remains with me as vividly as the moment I first heard of it as a boy. In his first seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play Major League baseball, faced venom nearly everywhere he traveled--fastballs at his head, spikings on the bases, brutal epithets from the opposing dugouts and from the crowds.
During one game in Boston, the taunts and racial slurs seemed to reach a peak. In the midst of this, another Dodger, a Southern white named Pee Wee Reese, called timeout. He walked from his position at shortstop toward Robinson at second base, put his arm around Robinson's shoulder, and stood there with him for what seemed like a long time. The gesture spoke more eloquently than the words: This man is my friend. Robinson said that Reese saved his career on that day. He was a true friend.
A small boy defined a friend as "Someone who knows all about you and likes you just the same."
Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing friends.. B. Franklin.
In a survey of more than 40,000 Americans said these qualities were most valued in a friend: 1. The ability to keep confidences 2. Loyalty 3. Warmth and affection.
I would add another key attribute – someone who prays for you!
Here is a question – what kind of friend are you? Are you loyal, do you keep confidences, are you warm and affectionate, do you pray earnestly for your friends?
Of course, when we think of friends we have the great model in Jesus, and He says He is our friend. “what a friend we have in Jesus." He is our best friend and if our relationship with him is what it ought to be, then our relationship with others is going to be growing strong each day. In fact, if your relationship with Jesus Christ is a deep, beautiful, personal, intimate relationship, you are going to want to bring your family and friends to the Lord Jesus Christ. He will provide a wonderful new dimension for their lives and He will be a friend who will never leave them nor forsake them.
Have you ever thought about what it means to be a friend in Jesus? You know, when we talk about something like friendship with Jesus it is absolutely thrilled to realize that the Son of God who is responsible for the creation and the upholding of the universe is literally a personal, intimate friend of those who are His own. It is an overwhelming thing when you really grasp that truth. This morning I want you to see what it really means to be a friend of Jesus.
We know what He did for us – He laid down His life for you. What have you done for Him? What are you doing for Him? What do you plan to do for Jesus? What kind of friend are you to Him?
Many times, we imagine the church as the family of God. And we are the family of God. But we are also a a community of friends. Into this community of friends, Jesus invites you, invites you to love the other friends of Jesus with a love that accepts, that cherishes, that challenges, that supports.
We are not all called to give our lives for one another as Jesus did for us. Yet we are all called to that difficult task of loving one another with that same passionate love that carried Jesus through the cross to the transformation of the resurrection.
Jesus opens his arms to you in friendship. Jesus opens his arms to you in sacrifice. Will you follow and do the same? Let me close with just a couple of questions.
1. Are you the friend of Jesus? 2. Are you a friend like Jesus?3. Are you willing to become His friend and a friend like Him?
"Love one another,"says Jesus in the Book of John, and "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's lifefor one's friends."ii These statements are part of Jesus' final commandments to his disciples on the night he was to be arrested and taken away to be crucified. So clearly we need to read into this passage Jesus' own sacrifice -- his own love for his disciples, and indeed for all of humanity, for which he was willing to lay down his own life. Yet, he also makes clear that these words are meant for his followers, and by extension for us here today: "I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
Who are your friends? Do you appreciate them? Have you told them so?
What is a friend? Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself.
One example of friendship remains with me as vividly as the moment I first heard of it as a boy. In his first seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play Major League baseball, faced venom nearly everywhere he traveled--fastballs at his head, spikings on the bases, brutal epithets from the opposing dugouts and from the crowds.
During one game in Boston, the taunts and racial slurs seemed to reach a peak. In the midst of this, another Dodger, a Southern white named Pee Wee Reese, called timeout. He walked from his position at shortstop toward Robinson at second base, put his arm around Robinson's shoulder, and stood there with him for what seemed like a long time. The gesture spoke more eloquently than the words: This man is my friend. Robinson said that Reese saved his career on that day. He was a true friend.
A small boy defined a friend as "Someone who knows all about you and likes you just the same."
Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing friends.. B. Franklin.
In a survey of more than 40,000 Americans said these qualities were most valued in a friend: 1. The ability to keep confidences 2. Loyalty 3. Warmth and affection.
I would add another key attribute – someone who prays for you!
Here is a question – what kind of friend are you? Are you loyal, do you keep confidences, are you warm and affectionate, do you pray earnestly for your friends?
Of course, when we think of friends we have the great model in Jesus, and He says He is our friend. “what a friend we have in Jesus." He is our best friend and if our relationship with him is what it ought to be, then our relationship with others is going to be growing strong each day. In fact, if your relationship with Jesus Christ is a deep, beautiful, personal, intimate relationship, you are going to want to bring your family and friends to the Lord Jesus Christ. He will provide a wonderful new dimension for their lives and He will be a friend who will never leave them nor forsake them.
Have you ever thought about what it means to be a friend in Jesus? You know, when we talk about something like friendship with Jesus it is absolutely thrilled to realize that the Son of God who is responsible for the creation and the upholding of the universe is literally a personal, intimate friend of those who are His own. It is an overwhelming thing when you really grasp that truth. This morning I want you to see what it really means to be a friend of Jesus.
We know what He did for us – He laid down His life for you. What have you done for Him? What are you doing for Him? What do you plan to do for Jesus? What kind of friend are you to Him?
Many times, we imagine the church as the family of God. And we are the family of God. But we are also a a community of friends. Into this community of friends, Jesus invites you, invites you to love the other friends of Jesus with a love that accepts, that cherishes, that challenges, that supports.
We are not all called to give our lives for one another as Jesus did for us. Yet we are all called to that difficult task of loving one another with that same passionate love that carried Jesus through the cross to the transformation of the resurrection.
Jesus opens his arms to you in friendship. Jesus opens his arms to you in sacrifice. Will you follow and do the same? Let me close with just a couple of questions.
1. Are you the friend of Jesus? 2. Are you a friend like Jesus?3. Are you willing to become His friend and a friend like Him?
Friends Are Gifts of Our Loving God -- Are You a Friend Others? Are You a Friend to Jesus? Part One
Friends are never earned they're a gift from the loving God
And they're precious beyond human evaluation
But you dare not take them for granted or they'll lift away like a smoke
And the warmth of their caring will vanish into the chill of the endless nights
Who is your friend he's someone who warms you with a nod
Or with an unspoken word in hard times when you're hurting beyond words
Who is your friend he's someone who holds you hand And sighs softly and prays with you when no other medicine could possibly stop the pain
A friend is someone who listens when you are hurting
Or answers the phone at three in the morning when you're lost
And with a few words of encouragement and concern
Makes you realize that you're not really lost at all
Friends come in both sexes in all shapes and sizes
The most imprtant thing they have in common is their ability
To share with you your most sky splitting joys
Or your deepest most awesome sorrows, for they are your friends.
Friendship – real friendship – is a gift from God. Be thankful for your friends. The Book of Proverbs tells us in Proverbs 17:17 that “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” A good friend is with your through thick and thin.
Think on that fact from the Good Book -- :a friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity.” One of the basic needs and longings of life is for a friend, a real friend, a true friend. I want to talk to you about friends, what they're like, how to have a friend, how to be a friend, and then I want to talk to you about the friend of all friends, what a friend we have in Jesus and, and you know, many people have given definitions of friends.
A friend is one who strengthens you with his prayers, blesses you with his love and encourages you with his hope or somebody else said a friend is one whom distance is no barrier to communication or to concern or to caring. A friend is someone who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself. A friend is somebody who is on the scene when you need him and quietly leaves when you want to be left alone. Somebody else said a friend is someone who is there when you call and sometimes even before you call.
Now, all of these are nice and some of them are very good thoughts, some of them are frivolous, but what does the bible say, what does the bible say about a friend, a real friend, a true friend, what is the friendship factor that we find in the word of God? You will be pleased, perhaps amazed to see that the bible places a great emphasis upon friends. And so, first of all, I want you to think with me on what I'm going to call the value, the value of friendship. The bible says “A friend loveth at all times.”Now, friend, if you have a friend, a real friend, a true friend, you indeed have something of great, great value
But the Bible also tells to beware the company we keep – Because untrue “friends” can be a problem. Bad people can bring you down. Proverbs 20:19 urges us to avoid gossiping people. It plainly states that “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.” And Proverbs 22:24 says to avoid a person who is angry all the time, less you learn his or her ways!” And Proverbs also says not to hang around winebibbers – those who drink too much, or in our time, those who drug it up. And the Bible says to stay away from liars and the untrustworthy.
You want your friends to have wisdom, and if you want them to have the right kind of wisdom, you need to seek out Christian friends, like friends from your church family. Christian friends are the ones who will stick closer than a brother or a sister, because friends are friends forever, when the Lord is the Lord of them.
And they're precious beyond human evaluation
But you dare not take them for granted or they'll lift away like a smoke
And the warmth of their caring will vanish into the chill of the endless nights
Who is your friend he's someone who warms you with a nod
Or with an unspoken word in hard times when you're hurting beyond words
Who is your friend he's someone who holds you hand And sighs softly and prays with you when no other medicine could possibly stop the pain
A friend is someone who listens when you are hurting
Or answers the phone at three in the morning when you're lost
And with a few words of encouragement and concern
Makes you realize that you're not really lost at all
Friends come in both sexes in all shapes and sizes
The most imprtant thing they have in common is their ability
To share with you your most sky splitting joys
Or your deepest most awesome sorrows, for they are your friends.
Friendship – real friendship – is a gift from God. Be thankful for your friends. The Book of Proverbs tells us in Proverbs 17:17 that “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” A good friend is with your through thick and thin.
Think on that fact from the Good Book -- :a friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity.” One of the basic needs and longings of life is for a friend, a real friend, a true friend. I want to talk to you about friends, what they're like, how to have a friend, how to be a friend, and then I want to talk to you about the friend of all friends, what a friend we have in Jesus and, and you know, many people have given definitions of friends.
A friend is one who strengthens you with his prayers, blesses you with his love and encourages you with his hope or somebody else said a friend is one whom distance is no barrier to communication or to concern or to caring. A friend is someone who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself. A friend is somebody who is on the scene when you need him and quietly leaves when you want to be left alone. Somebody else said a friend is someone who is there when you call and sometimes even before you call.
Now, all of these are nice and some of them are very good thoughts, some of them are frivolous, but what does the bible say, what does the bible say about a friend, a real friend, a true friend, what is the friendship factor that we find in the word of God? You will be pleased, perhaps amazed to see that the bible places a great emphasis upon friends. And so, first of all, I want you to think with me on what I'm going to call the value, the value of friendship. The bible says “A friend loveth at all times.”Now, friend, if you have a friend, a real friend, a true friend, you indeed have something of great, great value
But the Bible also tells to beware the company we keep – Because untrue “friends” can be a problem. Bad people can bring you down. Proverbs 20:19 urges us to avoid gossiping people. It plainly states that “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.” And Proverbs 22:24 says to avoid a person who is angry all the time, less you learn his or her ways!” And Proverbs also says not to hang around winebibbers – those who drink too much, or in our time, those who drug it up. And the Bible says to stay away from liars and the untrustworthy.
You want your friends to have wisdom, and if you want them to have the right kind of wisdom, you need to seek out Christian friends, like friends from your church family. Christian friends are the ones who will stick closer than a brother or a sister, because friends are friends forever, when the Lord is the Lord of them.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
God Has Plans for You to Succeed, to Have Abundant Life in Christ
God showed Joshua the way of success. Joshua 1:7-9 states: “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. (8) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (9) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
First, Joshua was to know God’s Word. Although not spelled out in so many words, every thing depended on Joshua knowing and studying the word of God. If law to be his guide in everything he did, and it was, then Joshua would have to know what the law said. If you feel that God may be calling you into some sphere of service, the best thing that you can do is to prepare yourself by studying and seeking to know more about the word of God.
Secondly, Joshua was to talk about God’s Word. The text says in verse 8, “this Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, …” Clearly, Joshua is called upon to include the word of God in his daily conversation and to speak the truth according to the Word. he was to speak to his mountains in God's name (Mark 11:22-26).
Third, Joshua was to mediate on God’s Word. Not just read it, but soak it into himself. He is told “…. but you shall meditate in it day and night.” Mediation is the next step beyond just knowing about and talking about the word of God. Mediation means to think about or contemplate how to apply the word in your life. Mediation has application as a goal. It is only when the word of God gets into our minds and affects our normal day to day decision making that we begin to act differently.
Finally, Joshua was to Obey God’s Word In Its Entirety. This is the last element and is the most important. Joshua is told that not only is he to know, speak about, and mediate on the word, he was to obey it.
Yes, God plans for us to succeed. We see this in the lives of many men and women in the Bible. For example, do you remember the story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37-50? By the world’s standards, he was doomed from the start. The young Hebrew had been beaten and sold into slavery by his own brothers, and for years he lived a life of servitude and imprisonment. However, in everything Joseph did, God made him thrive. God had planned for the faithful servant’s good fortune, even during those years when all seemed hopeless.
We see similar accounts throughout biblical history. Moses, David, Nehemiah, and Joshua all demonstrate this same kind of greater divine plan for distinction. And, of course, let’s not forget the apostles—they thrived in the first century and spread the good news of salvation around the world. No doubt, their mission must be considered a success, or we would have no churches or record of Jesus Christ at all.
In each of these examples, people discovered what the Lord wanted them to do, committed their lives to it, followed godly principles, and achieved their goals. In the eyes of God, they were all successful.
Second, God provides for our success. I have shelves of books on this topic, and I’ve yet to find an overriding principle of achievement that is not also found in God’s Word. The Bible contains every fundamental concept on success that I’ve ever read in any other book. Different authors may pluck an idea out of the Scriptures and write a book about it, but they didn’t create the principle.
Remember, the source of our strength: almighty God, who cares for us. You see, God alone is the author of lasting success. Without Him, a person will ultimately know only failure—and in the meantime, perishable wealth at best.
Third, God equips us for success. Because He calls us to be shining lights in a dark world, He has provided what we need in order to be successful men and women. For example, every believer has been given certain abilities, or spiritual gifts. These are amazing endowments that enable us to do the things that God calls us to do.
The Lord has also equipped us by giving every believer the presence of His indwelling Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings us into intimate contact with the heavenly Father, empowers our daily lives, teaches us the things of God, and gives us His discernment.
In the power of the Holy Spirit, we have access to supernatural decision-making processes. You see, the Lord doesn’t set people up to fail. He would get no glory from that. Instead, He gives us what we need to be successful in what He has called us to do.
Fourth, God promises us success. You may argue, “Well, if God has promised me success, then somewhere along the way, He messed up.” No, He hasn’t. However, if we’re struggling to find any areas of accomplishment in our lives, it may be that we ourselves have gotten off course.
Remember again what the Lord told Joshua? He told him to be strong and courageous, to obey His Word, and to be careful to keep His commandments. And the result? “For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Josh. 1:7-8). Do you see? The formula for success is right there in black and white in the pages of Scripture.
We must rely fully upon the Holy Spirit as we practice godly principles of success. We cannot go about the Christian life as though we were acting in a one-man show. We can be successful in Christ when we submit completely to the leading, direction, and empowerment of God’s Spirit.
The Lord is intimately concerned with our success. He offers abundant life in Christ (John 10:10).
Reach your full potential in God by walking God's way, with the Word as your guide and strength!
First, Joshua was to know God’s Word. Although not spelled out in so many words, every thing depended on Joshua knowing and studying the word of God. If law to be his guide in everything he did, and it was, then Joshua would have to know what the law said. If you feel that God may be calling you into some sphere of service, the best thing that you can do is to prepare yourself by studying and seeking to know more about the word of God.
Secondly, Joshua was to talk about God’s Word. The text says in verse 8, “this Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, …” Clearly, Joshua is called upon to include the word of God in his daily conversation and to speak the truth according to the Word. he was to speak to his mountains in God's name (Mark 11:22-26).
Third, Joshua was to mediate on God’s Word. Not just read it, but soak it into himself. He is told “…. but you shall meditate in it day and night.” Mediation is the next step beyond just knowing about and talking about the word of God. Mediation means to think about or contemplate how to apply the word in your life. Mediation has application as a goal. It is only when the word of God gets into our minds and affects our normal day to day decision making that we begin to act differently.
Finally, Joshua was to Obey God’s Word In Its Entirety. This is the last element and is the most important. Joshua is told that not only is he to know, speak about, and mediate on the word, he was to obey it.
Yes, God plans for us to succeed. We see this in the lives of many men and women in the Bible. For example, do you remember the story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37-50? By the world’s standards, he was doomed from the start. The young Hebrew had been beaten and sold into slavery by his own brothers, and for years he lived a life of servitude and imprisonment. However, in everything Joseph did, God made him thrive. God had planned for the faithful servant’s good fortune, even during those years when all seemed hopeless.
We see similar accounts throughout biblical history. Moses, David, Nehemiah, and Joshua all demonstrate this same kind of greater divine plan for distinction. And, of course, let’s not forget the apostles—they thrived in the first century and spread the good news of salvation around the world. No doubt, their mission must be considered a success, or we would have no churches or record of Jesus Christ at all.
In each of these examples, people discovered what the Lord wanted them to do, committed their lives to it, followed godly principles, and achieved their goals. In the eyes of God, they were all successful.
Second, God provides for our success. I have shelves of books on this topic, and I’ve yet to find an overriding principle of achievement that is not also found in God’s Word. The Bible contains every fundamental concept on success that I’ve ever read in any other book. Different authors may pluck an idea out of the Scriptures and write a book about it, but they didn’t create the principle.
Remember, the source of our strength: almighty God, who cares for us. You see, God alone is the author of lasting success. Without Him, a person will ultimately know only failure—and in the meantime, perishable wealth at best.
Third, God equips us for success. Because He calls us to be shining lights in a dark world, He has provided what we need in order to be successful men and women. For example, every believer has been given certain abilities, or spiritual gifts. These are amazing endowments that enable us to do the things that God calls us to do.
The Lord has also equipped us by giving every believer the presence of His indwelling Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings us into intimate contact with the heavenly Father, empowers our daily lives, teaches us the things of God, and gives us His discernment.
In the power of the Holy Spirit, we have access to supernatural decision-making processes. You see, the Lord doesn’t set people up to fail. He would get no glory from that. Instead, He gives us what we need to be successful in what He has called us to do.
Fourth, God promises us success. You may argue, “Well, if God has promised me success, then somewhere along the way, He messed up.” No, He hasn’t. However, if we’re struggling to find any areas of accomplishment in our lives, it may be that we ourselves have gotten off course.
Remember again what the Lord told Joshua? He told him to be strong and courageous, to obey His Word, and to be careful to keep His commandments. And the result? “For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Josh. 1:7-8). Do you see? The formula for success is right there in black and white in the pages of Scripture.
We must rely fully upon the Holy Spirit as we practice godly principles of success. We cannot go about the Christian life as though we were acting in a one-man show. We can be successful in Christ when we submit completely to the leading, direction, and empowerment of God’s Spirit.
The Lord is intimately concerned with our success. He offers abundant life in Christ (John 10:10).
Reach your full potential in God by walking God's way, with the Word as your guide and strength!
Friday, February 26, 2010
God's School of Prayer, Second Semester, No.5: The Prayer of Surrender to God: Jonah in the Belly of the Big Fish
The story of Jonah and the big fish (we don't know that it was a whale from the actual words of the Old Testament) has always been tremendously popular reading, especially with children. That's easy to understand because it has all the elements of great drama. Rebellion, storms at sea, swallowed alive inside an enormous fish, survival, risky business in an alien land--it sure works like a modern day comic book adventure. Couple that with the fact that the whole story is packed into four brief chapters and you can see why it has always had universal appeal.
Because it is so action packed it would be easy to overlook the fact that within Jonah is one of the great prayers of the Bible. Tucked into Chapter 2 is a profound prayer that Jonah prayed from inside the fish's belly. This was a prayer of acknowledgement of God's sovereignty, a final surrender to God's plan and a prayer of faith for deliverance. Let's do a quick review on why Jonah was in this predicament in the first place.
Jonah was a prophet living in a time when Israel was severely harassed by the pagan Assyrians, Israel's long standing enemy. God told Jonah to go to the Assyrian's chief city, Nineveh, and preach against their wickedness and call them to repentance. The fact that God would offer the Ninevites an opportunity to repent made Jonah mad. He did not want any mercy doled out to this hated enemy. So he got on a ship going in the absolute opposite direction in order to get out of God's presence and hopefully away from being used in God's plan. But it didn't work.
Jonah in the deep
While at sea, God caused such a severe storm to arise that the ship's crew cast lots to see who was responsible for what they assumed correctly was a divine calamity. The lot fell to Jonah and he admitted that he was the culprit and he told them to throw him overboard so that the sea would become calm again. It probably seems strange that Jonah would suggest such a thing. One way you could look at it is that he didn't want to follow God's plan for him so badly that he would rather die than do it. Now that's rebellion. Or maybe he felt drowning was all he deserved after his direct disobedience. Jonah was a melancholy sort of guy. Whatever the reason; "they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging." (Jonah 1:15)
The Bible says; "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." (1:17) It is in this predicament that Jonah prayed his great prayer. Notice that God is the one who prepared the fish and in this act he demonstrated his sovereignty - and also his mercy. He did not allow Jonah to be drowned because he still had a plan for his life and he still had a plan for Nineveh.
Here is what the prayer says: "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; all Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.' The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; the deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple." (Jonah 2:2-7)
Part description about what happened to him and part prayer to God, we sense an emotional tangle as dense as the sea bottom. I think when Jonah was thrown overboard he fully expected to die. He seemed resigned to it and at the same time a hope was rising from within him because he says; "Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple." Something from inside him still trusted even though he also felt that he had been cast outside of God's sight - outside of God's favor.
He must have come awfully close to death because he says that "the earth with its bars closed behind me forever" and then in the next moment he acknowledges that God brought his life back from the pit. His best moment is when he says that when his soul fainted within him, he remembered the Lord. It is the moment of the surrender of his will. He would no longer turn and run the other way; he would no longer fight the plan of God; he would no longer rebel.
Surrender, finally
Jonah is now ready to cooperate with God as he states in verse 9; "But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord." After some 72 hours in the belly of the fish he vowed that he would now do whatever God wanted him to do. That's what God was waiting for. The next verse tells us that "the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." When the Lord said a second time to go to Nineveh, Jonah went and preached God's message to the great city.
The book of Jonah is the story of the sovereignty of God. Sovereignty means that God is ultimately in control of, well-everything. History, kings and rulers, the seas and the land, weather, the destiny of great cities, the path of a man. It also is the story of God's compassion. Maybe Jonah didn't want Nineveh to repent but God did. He wanted to show them his mercy in spite of the fact that they were heathens who did not worship him or follow his ways.
Okay, you might say, but what makes Jonah's prayer so great? Jonah's prayer is great because he finally surrendered. The story starts with a hard hearted and rebellious man who ultimately bowed his will before a sovereign God and obeyed. Jesus tells a similar story in Matthew 21:28-32 of the New Testament. A father had two sons and he told each of them to go work in his vineyard. The first son said "I will not". But then he regretted his decision and went out into the field to work. The second son said he would go but then did not. Jesus asks which of the two did the will of his father. The answer, of course, is the first son who initially refused.
God did not reject Jonah because he disobeyed; in fact, he patiently kept pursuing him and protecting him until he had a change of heart. This is good news for you if you have been in rebellion or disobedience. God will give you another chance. Maybe you are in a mess right now because of your own choices; maybe you are reaping what you have sown. Because of that you may have felt that you couldn't expect much help from God or that there was no way back to God's plan for your life. It should comfort you to know that God is still sovereign and he is still in the forgiving and restoration business.
If this is you, surrender is your key. Finally, once and for all, surrender your whole self to God's will and be determined that you will obey from now on no matter what he tells you to do. Then see what happens. You may have your own "Big Fish" story to tell someday. We all need to surrender to God. It is never too late to surrender. If you have one foot in the church and one foot in the world, give in to God, give up the playing around and get both feet in God's house. Now is the time to surrender! Pray the prayer of surrender to God.
Because it is so action packed it would be easy to overlook the fact that within Jonah is one of the great prayers of the Bible. Tucked into Chapter 2 is a profound prayer that Jonah prayed from inside the fish's belly. This was a prayer of acknowledgement of God's sovereignty, a final surrender to God's plan and a prayer of faith for deliverance. Let's do a quick review on why Jonah was in this predicament in the first place.
Jonah was a prophet living in a time when Israel was severely harassed by the pagan Assyrians, Israel's long standing enemy. God told Jonah to go to the Assyrian's chief city, Nineveh, and preach against their wickedness and call them to repentance. The fact that God would offer the Ninevites an opportunity to repent made Jonah mad. He did not want any mercy doled out to this hated enemy. So he got on a ship going in the absolute opposite direction in order to get out of God's presence and hopefully away from being used in God's plan. But it didn't work.
Jonah in the deep
While at sea, God caused such a severe storm to arise that the ship's crew cast lots to see who was responsible for what they assumed correctly was a divine calamity. The lot fell to Jonah and he admitted that he was the culprit and he told them to throw him overboard so that the sea would become calm again. It probably seems strange that Jonah would suggest such a thing. One way you could look at it is that he didn't want to follow God's plan for him so badly that he would rather die than do it. Now that's rebellion. Or maybe he felt drowning was all he deserved after his direct disobedience. Jonah was a melancholy sort of guy. Whatever the reason; "they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging." (Jonah 1:15)
The Bible says; "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." (1:17) It is in this predicament that Jonah prayed his great prayer. Notice that God is the one who prepared the fish and in this act he demonstrated his sovereignty - and also his mercy. He did not allow Jonah to be drowned because he still had a plan for his life and he still had a plan for Nineveh.
Here is what the prayer says: "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; all Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.' The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; the deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple." (Jonah 2:2-7)
Part description about what happened to him and part prayer to God, we sense an emotional tangle as dense as the sea bottom. I think when Jonah was thrown overboard he fully expected to die. He seemed resigned to it and at the same time a hope was rising from within him because he says; "Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple." Something from inside him still trusted even though he also felt that he had been cast outside of God's sight - outside of God's favor.
He must have come awfully close to death because he says that "the earth with its bars closed behind me forever" and then in the next moment he acknowledges that God brought his life back from the pit. His best moment is when he says that when his soul fainted within him, he remembered the Lord. It is the moment of the surrender of his will. He would no longer turn and run the other way; he would no longer fight the plan of God; he would no longer rebel.
Surrender, finally
Jonah is now ready to cooperate with God as he states in verse 9; "But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord." After some 72 hours in the belly of the fish he vowed that he would now do whatever God wanted him to do. That's what God was waiting for. The next verse tells us that "the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." When the Lord said a second time to go to Nineveh, Jonah went and preached God's message to the great city.
The book of Jonah is the story of the sovereignty of God. Sovereignty means that God is ultimately in control of, well-everything. History, kings and rulers, the seas and the land, weather, the destiny of great cities, the path of a man. It also is the story of God's compassion. Maybe Jonah didn't want Nineveh to repent but God did. He wanted to show them his mercy in spite of the fact that they were heathens who did not worship him or follow his ways.
Okay, you might say, but what makes Jonah's prayer so great? Jonah's prayer is great because he finally surrendered. The story starts with a hard hearted and rebellious man who ultimately bowed his will before a sovereign God and obeyed. Jesus tells a similar story in Matthew 21:28-32 of the New Testament. A father had two sons and he told each of them to go work in his vineyard. The first son said "I will not". But then he regretted his decision and went out into the field to work. The second son said he would go but then did not. Jesus asks which of the two did the will of his father. The answer, of course, is the first son who initially refused.
God did not reject Jonah because he disobeyed; in fact, he patiently kept pursuing him and protecting him until he had a change of heart. This is good news for you if you have been in rebellion or disobedience. God will give you another chance. Maybe you are in a mess right now because of your own choices; maybe you are reaping what you have sown. Because of that you may have felt that you couldn't expect much help from God or that there was no way back to God's plan for your life. It should comfort you to know that God is still sovereign and he is still in the forgiving and restoration business.
If this is you, surrender is your key. Finally, once and for all, surrender your whole self to God's will and be determined that you will obey from now on no matter what he tells you to do. Then see what happens. You may have your own "Big Fish" story to tell someday. We all need to surrender to God. It is never too late to surrender. If you have one foot in the church and one foot in the world, give in to God, give up the playing around and get both feet in God's house. Now is the time to surrender! Pray the prayer of surrender to God.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
God's School of Prayer, Number 5: The Prayer of Faith: To Receive You Must Believe
To receive from God we must have faith. To receive healing you must beleive God heals. You must have faith in God. It is the foundation of all prayer. Have faith in God. He rewards those who seek Him! "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly, diligently seek Him." -- Hebrews ll:6
As Jesus promised us, when we ask we will receive, as long as we do our part and ask in faith, believing that God will answer. Look at verse 6 here,and note James is using a command again. “But when he asks, he MUST believe and not doubt.” It is a two part command. First, note the parallel of this verse to a statement of Jesus’ in Matthew 21:21-22: Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Sound familiar? The book of James tells us similar truths. James was an excellent student of his brother’s teachings wasn’t he? The first command we find is we must believe or have faith. It doesn’t read we should have faith. The word here is pisteou which means “belief and conviction and assurance in,” and it refers to something more than just believing God will give us what we ask for, but also includes a confident, unwavering, and complete trust in God and submission to His will. Notice the connection here with the unwavering nature of God in His desire to give, and the nwavering trust we should have in Him in order to receive.
The true Christian prays with this kind of faith, not just lip service. Merely invoking God’s name doesn’t cut it, there must be faith. God will answer the prayers of Christians who have faith in Him. . Do you want access to all the great gifts God can give, including joy in the midst of trials? Then believe and have complete faith in God. If you don’t want to do that, then don’t waste your breath.
A big key to the prayer of faith is, “You must not doubt.” Not only do you have to be a believing Christian, but you must also not doubt. The word “doubt” or diakrino literally means “a divided calling or judgment.” Yes, you may be a Christian, but don’t expect to receive from God if you doubt. James wants us to have that absolute confidence and absolute faith in God. We cannot be half-mast Christians. Half way leads to nowhere.
James 5"16 states firmly that “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” God listens to His people and answers their prayers, if they are offered with the kind of faith James has mentioned. As an example, James gives us Elijah who, under the direction of God, prayed for no rain, and it didn’t rain. Then he prayed for rain, and the rains came. Prayers offered in faith by God’s children can do wonderful things! Without them we are like the dry land of the desert, parched and dry, thirsting for God.
Be diligent in your prayer life. Keep on praying. In your trouble, pray. In your happiness offer praises and prayers of thanks. In your illness, have others pray with you. Whatever your circumstances, be in prayer for those around you, whether they be your brothers and sisters in Christ, or family and friends who need the Lord. Pray.
Paul’s exhortation from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 serves as a nice summary of James’ exhortations: "Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in things."
Are you a man or woman of prater and faith? Such a man was Edward McKendree Bounds was born in northeastern Missouri on August 15, 1835, served as a confederate chaplain in the civil war and experienced something of the mighty work of God in the ranks of that army. He became a minister and retired at 60 to spend the last nineteen years of his life praying and writing about prayer. He arose at 4 a.m. each day. He completed eight books but only two were published during his lifetime, his most famous, "Power through Prayer" was one of those, published in 1907. Bounds' great insistence is upon the place of man or woman in prayer.
He famously wrote these words, "The trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of man or sink the man in the plan or organisation. God's plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God's method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. 'There was a man sent from God whose name was John'...What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organisations, or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Spirit can use - men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men - men of prayer"
Those words are as true today as the day E.M. Bounds wrote them over a century ago. We need men and women of prayer, now, more than ever.
As Jesus promised us, when we ask we will receive, as long as we do our part and ask in faith, believing that God will answer. Look at verse 6 here,and note James is using a command again. “But when he asks, he MUST believe and not doubt.” It is a two part command. First, note the parallel of this verse to a statement of Jesus’ in Matthew 21:21-22: Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Sound familiar? The book of James tells us similar truths. James was an excellent student of his brother’s teachings wasn’t he? The first command we find is we must believe or have faith. It doesn’t read we should have faith. The word here is pisteou which means “belief and conviction and assurance in,” and it refers to something more than just believing God will give us what we ask for, but also includes a confident, unwavering, and complete trust in God and submission to His will. Notice the connection here with the unwavering nature of God in His desire to give, and the nwavering trust we should have in Him in order to receive.
The true Christian prays with this kind of faith, not just lip service. Merely invoking God’s name doesn’t cut it, there must be faith. God will answer the prayers of Christians who have faith in Him. . Do you want access to all the great gifts God can give, including joy in the midst of trials? Then believe and have complete faith in God. If you don’t want to do that, then don’t waste your breath.
A big key to the prayer of faith is, “You must not doubt.” Not only do you have to be a believing Christian, but you must also not doubt. The word “doubt” or diakrino literally means “a divided calling or judgment.” Yes, you may be a Christian, but don’t expect to receive from God if you doubt. James wants us to have that absolute confidence and absolute faith in God. We cannot be half-mast Christians. Half way leads to nowhere.
James 5"16 states firmly that “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” God listens to His people and answers their prayers, if they are offered with the kind of faith James has mentioned. As an example, James gives us Elijah who, under the direction of God, prayed for no rain, and it didn’t rain. Then he prayed for rain, and the rains came. Prayers offered in faith by God’s children can do wonderful things! Without them we are like the dry land of the desert, parched and dry, thirsting for God.
Be diligent in your prayer life. Keep on praying. In your trouble, pray. In your happiness offer praises and prayers of thanks. In your illness, have others pray with you. Whatever your circumstances, be in prayer for those around you, whether they be your brothers and sisters in Christ, or family and friends who need the Lord. Pray.
Paul’s exhortation from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 serves as a nice summary of James’ exhortations: "Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in things."
Are you a man or woman of prater and faith? Such a man was Edward McKendree Bounds was born in northeastern Missouri on August 15, 1835, served as a confederate chaplain in the civil war and experienced something of the mighty work of God in the ranks of that army. He became a minister and retired at 60 to spend the last nineteen years of his life praying and writing about prayer. He arose at 4 a.m. each day. He completed eight books but only two were published during his lifetime, his most famous, "Power through Prayer" was one of those, published in 1907. Bounds' great insistence is upon the place of man or woman in prayer.
He famously wrote these words, "The trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of man or sink the man in the plan or organisation. God's plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God's method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. 'There was a man sent from God whose name was John'...What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organisations, or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Spirit can use - men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men - men of prayer"
Those words are as true today as the day E.M. Bounds wrote them over a century ago. We need men and women of prayer, now, more than ever.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
God's School of Prayer, No. 4, Part Two: Blessing the Lord: Prayers of Praise
Bless the Lord, O my soul!” cries the psalmist numerous times in his songs of praise. Psalm 34 and Psalm 103 are great examples of this action. But what does it mean to “bless” the Lord? Scripture tells us that “it is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior” (Hebrews 7:7). So we ask, then can we, the infinitely inferior, bless the Lord, the Supremely Superior? Well, it only happens because God, our superior, desires and ordains that we can bless Him with our praises and our actions of worship and praise.
There are two main things that we do when we bless the Lord. The first is synonymous with giving thanks and praise. Some translations actually say, “Give thanks to the Lord,” where others say, “Bless the Lord.” So, blessing the Lord is praising Him and giving thanks to Him—for blessing us! The other thing we do when we bless the Lord is to proclaim Him blessed, to attest to His holy nature.
When we call God blessed, we are saying something about who God is. He is blessed, which is a synonym for “holy.” Blessed is God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Byzantine Divine Liturgy always opens with the glorious and magnificent “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, both now and forever and unto ages of ages!” When we speak of God as the recipient of our blessings (praises and thanksgivings), then He is blest. May the Lord be forever blest!
We are to bless the Lord, because too few people do it, and He deserves better that that from us! There is a great old hymn that says:“Blessed are You, O Christ our God... O Lover of Mankind, glory to You!” Blessing the Lord is a vocation, and not merely and occasional prayer formula for times when one is feeling happy. Let’s face it, for most people, the two main forms of prayer are Asking and Complaining. We come to God with a list of petitions, and if we don’t get what we want, we complain and grumble, or else we merely manifest our ongoing discontent with The Way Things Are. But we are to foremost have a relationship with God in prayer, and part of that is to bless the Lord, to praise Him and make Him the center of our attention.
Blessing the Lord can be a real “lift” in my prayer life. The Byzantine When we are glorifying God, he ianhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). To bless the Lord is ascend to a higher and more noble level of awareness, to gratefully recognize God’s universal providence, to honor his wisdom and his plan for the spiritual growth and salvation of all. It is a resounding “Yes!” to all God is and does. This does not mean that we are oblivious to the evil in the world; we simply acknowledge that God's wisdom, compassion, and timing are better than ours,and He is stronger than any evil, and we bless God in trusting Him. To bless the Lord makes us “transparent” to God’s grace, an opening for his light to come in to the world, while we simply lose ourselves in Him. We are to become windows for his light to come into the world.
We may very well do more good for ourselves and for the world by blessing the Lord than by asking for what we need. “For your Father knows what you need before you ask him… Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well” (Matthew 6:8, 33). That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ever ask, for Jesus also said, “Ask, and you shall receive,” but I think that our asking ought to be balanced by (at least) equal amounts of blessing.
So, bless the Lord, O my soul, and you, souls, all of you, bless the Lord! Proclaim his blessedness, his holiness and infinite goodness, and make sure that He is forever blest by your gratitude and praise. Gather all your prayers—petition, penitence, praise, worship, and thanksgiving (and even your complaints, if you must!)—and send them to Him in a package labeled: “Blessed are You, O God!” It’ll get there faster than any other.
There are two main things that we do when we bless the Lord. The first is synonymous with giving thanks and praise. Some translations actually say, “Give thanks to the Lord,” where others say, “Bless the Lord.” So, blessing the Lord is praising Him and giving thanks to Him—for blessing us! The other thing we do when we bless the Lord is to proclaim Him blessed, to attest to His holy nature.
When we call God blessed, we are saying something about who God is. He is blessed, which is a synonym for “holy.” Blessed is God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Byzantine Divine Liturgy always opens with the glorious and magnificent “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, both now and forever and unto ages of ages!” When we speak of God as the recipient of our blessings (praises and thanksgivings), then He is blest. May the Lord be forever blest!
We are to bless the Lord, because too few people do it, and He deserves better that that from us! There is a great old hymn that says:“Blessed are You, O Christ our God... O Lover of Mankind, glory to You!” Blessing the Lord is a vocation, and not merely and occasional prayer formula for times when one is feeling happy. Let’s face it, for most people, the two main forms of prayer are Asking and Complaining. We come to God with a list of petitions, and if we don’t get what we want, we complain and grumble, or else we merely manifest our ongoing discontent with The Way Things Are. But we are to foremost have a relationship with God in prayer, and part of that is to bless the Lord, to praise Him and make Him the center of our attention.
Blessing the Lord can be a real “lift” in my prayer life. The Byzantine When we are glorifying God, he ianhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). To bless the Lord is ascend to a higher and more noble level of awareness, to gratefully recognize God’s universal providence, to honor his wisdom and his plan for the spiritual growth and salvation of all. It is a resounding “Yes!” to all God is and does. This does not mean that we are oblivious to the evil in the world; we simply acknowledge that God's wisdom, compassion, and timing are better than ours,and He is stronger than any evil, and we bless God in trusting Him. To bless the Lord makes us “transparent” to God’s grace, an opening for his light to come in to the world, while we simply lose ourselves in Him. We are to become windows for his light to come into the world.
We may very well do more good for ourselves and for the world by blessing the Lord than by asking for what we need. “For your Father knows what you need before you ask him… Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well” (Matthew 6:8, 33). That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ever ask, for Jesus also said, “Ask, and you shall receive,” but I think that our asking ought to be balanced by (at least) equal amounts of blessing.
So, bless the Lord, O my soul, and you, souls, all of you, bless the Lord! Proclaim his blessedness, his holiness and infinite goodness, and make sure that He is forever blest by your gratitude and praise. Gather all your prayers—petition, penitence, praise, worship, and thanksgiving (and even your complaints, if you must!)—and send them to Him in a package labeled: “Blessed are You, O God!” It’ll get there faster than any other.
God's School of Prayer, Second Semester, No. 4, Part One: The Power of Praise
I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: And I will glorify Thy name forevermore. Psalm 86:12
The four lines of the Doxology have been the most frequently sung words of any known song for more than three hundred years. Even today nearly every English-speaking Protestant congregation still unites at least once each Sunday in this noble ascription of praise. It has been said that the doxology has done more to teach the doctrine of the Trinity than all the theological books ever written. It has often been called "the Protestant Te Deum Laudamus."
Bishop Thomas Ken wrote a number of hymns, and it was always his desire that Christians be allowed to express their praise to God without being limited only to Psalmody and the Bible canticles. He was one of the first English writers to produce hymns that were not merely versifications of the Psalms.
In 1673 Thomas Ken wrote a book entitled A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College. In one of the editions of this manual, Ken included three of his hymns that he wanted the students to sing each day as part of their devotions. These hymns were called "Morning Hymn," "Evening Hymn," and "Midnight Hymn." Each of these hymns closed with the familiar four lines we now know as the Doxology. The text of his "Morning Hymn" became especially popular. Two of the verses from this hymn are as follows:
"Awake, my soul, and with the sun Thy daily course of duty run, Shake off dull sloth, and early rise, To pay thy morning sacrifice. Direct, control, suggest, this day, All I design, or do, or say; That all my powers, with all their might, In Thy sole glory may unite." It is said that after Bishop Ken had written this hymn, he sang it to his own accompaniment on the lute every morning as part of his private devotions.
The tune for Bishop Ken's text, "Old Hundredth," is said to be the most famous of all Christian hymn tunes. It was composed or adapted by Louis Bourgeois, born in Paris, France, c. 1510. In 1541 Bourgeois moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where he became an ardent follower of John Calvin and the Reformed Reformation Movement. Here he was given the responsibility to provide the tunes for the new metrical psalms which were being prepared at that time. Bourgeois was largely responsible for the Genevan Psalter, a monumental musical publication, completed and published in 1562. The tune was prepared originally for the French version of Psalm 134 and was included in the Anglo-Genevan Psalter of 1551. The first English words to which it was wedded were William Kethe's version of Psalm 100, "All People That on Earth Do Dwell;" accordingly, the tune became known as "The Hundredth."
The four lines of the Doxology have been the most frequently sung words of any known song for more than three hundred years. Even today nearly every English-speaking Protestant congregation still unites at least once each Sunday in this noble ascription of praise. It has been said that the doxology has done more to teach the doctrine of the Trinity than all the theological books ever written. It has often been called "the Protestant Te Deum Laudamus."
Bishop Thomas Ken wrote a number of hymns, and it was always his desire that Christians be allowed to express their praise to God without being limited only to Psalmody and the Bible canticles. He was one of the first English writers to produce hymns that were not merely versifications of the Psalms.
In 1673 Thomas Ken wrote a book entitled A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College. In one of the editions of this manual, Ken included three of his hymns that he wanted the students to sing each day as part of their devotions. These hymns were called "Morning Hymn," "Evening Hymn," and "Midnight Hymn." Each of these hymns closed with the familiar four lines we now know as the Doxology. The text of his "Morning Hymn" became especially popular. Two of the verses from this hymn are as follows:
"Awake, my soul, and with the sun Thy daily course of duty run, Shake off dull sloth, and early rise, To pay thy morning sacrifice. Direct, control, suggest, this day, All I design, or do, or say; That all my powers, with all their might, In Thy sole glory may unite." It is said that after Bishop Ken had written this hymn, he sang it to his own accompaniment on the lute every morning as part of his private devotions.
The tune for Bishop Ken's text, "Old Hundredth," is said to be the most famous of all Christian hymn tunes. It was composed or adapted by Louis Bourgeois, born in Paris, France, c. 1510. In 1541 Bourgeois moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where he became an ardent follower of John Calvin and the Reformed Reformation Movement. Here he was given the responsibility to provide the tunes for the new metrical psalms which were being prepared at that time. Bourgeois was largely responsible for the Genevan Psalter, a monumental musical publication, completed and published in 1562. The tune was prepared originally for the French version of Psalm 134 and was included in the Anglo-Genevan Psalter of 1551. The first English words to which it was wedded were William Kethe's version of Psalm 100, "All People That on Earth Do Dwell;" accordingly, the tune became known as "The Hundredth."
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Doxology
God is so amazing! He is our God and He has claimed us as His people! Glory be to God! God gives us favor and He orders our steps! Praise be His holy name!
We need to praise the Lord. Praise is a wonderful form of prayer! In the Old Testament, we see that David discovered that God inhabits the praises of His people. In other words, the very presence of God dwells in the midst of His people as they praise Him (Ps. 22:3).In Acts 15:15-18, James explains that what the Lord was doing in the Church of Acts was rebuilding the Tabernacle of David. He says:
"And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things."
It follows then, that the Church should conform itself to the pattern found in the Tabernacle of David. David was a man conformed to the heart of God. Both his life and his prophetic message found in the Psalms show us that the Lord’s dwelling place or tabernacle is made up of every believer who has entered into a love relationship with Christ. This relationship is based on a life dedicated to Christ, and expressed through prayer and praise and doing good in the world in His name.
The Father is seeking worshipers who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23). David spent time in God's presence and learned to offer acceptable sacrifices of worship. As New Testament priests, we are called to do the same (1 Pet. 2:5; Heb. 13:15).
The Importance of Praise to the Beleiver
Praise strengthens your faith.
Praise tunes you in to God’s enriching presence.
Praise activates God’s power in your life and in the life of your loved ones.
Praise helps you profit more from your trials.
Praise helps you experience Christ in your life.
Praise helps you demonstrate God’s reality
Praise helps you over come Satan and his strategies.
Praise brings glory and pleasure to God.
God is so amazing! He is our God and He has claimed us as His people! Glory be to God! God gives us favor and He orders our steps! Praise be His holy name!
We need to praise the Lord. Praise is a wonderful form of prayer! In the Old Testament, we see that David discovered that God inhabits the praises of His people. In other words, the very presence of God dwells in the midst of His people as they praise Him (Ps. 22:3).In Acts 15:15-18, James explains that what the Lord was doing in the Church of Acts was rebuilding the Tabernacle of David. He says:
"And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things."
It follows then, that the Church should conform itself to the pattern found in the Tabernacle of David. David was a man conformed to the heart of God. Both his life and his prophetic message found in the Psalms show us that the Lord’s dwelling place or tabernacle is made up of every believer who has entered into a love relationship with Christ. This relationship is based on a life dedicated to Christ, and expressed through prayer and praise and doing good in the world in His name.
The Father is seeking worshipers who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23). David spent time in God's presence and learned to offer acceptable sacrifices of worship. As New Testament priests, we are called to do the same (1 Pet. 2:5; Heb. 13:15).
The Importance of Praise to the Beleiver
Praise strengthens your faith.
Praise tunes you in to God’s enriching presence.
Praise activates God’s power in your life and in the life of your loved ones.
Praise helps you profit more from your trials.
Praise helps you experience Christ in your life.
Praise helps you demonstrate God’s reality
Praise helps you over come Satan and his strategies.
Praise brings glory and pleasure to God.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
God's School of Prayer No. 3: Pray for the Lost and Unchurched -- Share the Romans Road to Salvation With Them!
I hope you gain a burden to pray for the lost and for the unchurched. Share with them the Romans Road to Salvation that follows. Jesus Christ is the answer for the world today!
The Romans Road to Salvation
The ROMANS ROAD....is a pathway you can walk. It is a group of Bible verses from the book of Romans in the New Testament. If you walk down this road you will end up understanding how to be saved.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
We all have sin in our hearts. We all were born with sin. We were born under the power of sin's control.
- Admit that you are a sinner.
Romans 6:23a "...The wages of sin is death..."
Sin has an ending. It results in death. We all face physical death, which is a result of sin. But a worse death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and will last for all eternity. The Bible teaches that there is a place called the Lake of Fire where lost people will be in torment forever. It is the place where people who are spiritually dead will remain. - Understand that you deserve death for your sin.
Romans 6:23b "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Salvation is a free gift from God to you! You can't earn this gift, but you must reach out and receive it.
- Ask God to forgive you and save you.
Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"
When Jesus died on the cross He paid sin's penalty. He paid the price for all sin, and when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on the cross, He bought us out of slavery to sin and death! The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us, understanding that we are now joined with Him, and that He is our life. He did all this because He loved us and gave Himself for us! - Give your life to God... His love poured out in Jesus on the cross is your only hope to have forgiveness and change. His love bought you out of being a slave to sin. His love is what saves you -- not religion, or church membership. God loves you!
Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!"
- Call out to God in the name of Jesus!
Romans 10:9,10 "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
- If you know that God is knocking on your heart's door, ask Him to come into your heart.
The Romans Road to Salvation
The ROMANS ROAD....is a pathway you can walk. It is a group of Bible verses from the book of Romans in the New Testament. If you walk down this road you will end up understanding how to be saved.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
We all have sin in our hearts. We all were born with sin. We were born under the power of sin's control.
- Admit that you are a sinner.
Romans 6:23a "...The wages of sin is death..."
Sin has an ending. It results in death. We all face physical death, which is a result of sin. But a worse death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and will last for all eternity. The Bible teaches that there is a place called the Lake of Fire where lost people will be in torment forever. It is the place where people who are spiritually dead will remain. - Understand that you deserve death for your sin.
Romans 6:23b "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Salvation is a free gift from God to you! You can't earn this gift, but you must reach out and receive it.
- Ask God to forgive you and save you.
Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"
When Jesus died on the cross He paid sin's penalty. He paid the price for all sin, and when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on the cross, He bought us out of slavery to sin and death! The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us, understanding that we are now joined with Him, and that He is our life. He did all this because He loved us and gave Himself for us! - Give your life to God... His love poured out in Jesus on the cross is your only hope to have forgiveness and change. His love bought you out of being a slave to sin. His love is what saves you -- not religion, or church membership. God loves you!
Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!"
- Call out to God in the name of Jesus!
Romans 10:9,10 "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
- If you know that God is knocking on your heart's door, ask Him to come into your heart.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
God's School of Prayer, Second Semester, No. 2: "The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed"
John 17 gives us the high priestly prayer of Jesus. Some call it the greatest prayer ever prayed. Jesus prayed this prayer for you and me, for his church. Matthew 6:5-14 may contain Jesus’ model prayer, but this is really surely alsoa prayer that can be called the Lord’s prayer, Jesus’ prayer from the heart for those of us who would believe on account of the testimony of those who had gone on before.
Jesus prays for us. Jesus prays that God will be with us in the world. Jesus has prayed for you -- that all will be well with you. And that God will be with you in the world.
Then Jesus asks that we will have joy! This may be rather hard for us to understand. Jesus uses a kind of reasoning that turns all human reasoning upside down. It is God’s reasoning. Jesus prays that you and I have joy in the midst of all that pulls us in this world in which we live.
Jesus requests that we be sanctified. Sanctification is a word that we use too seldom. In fact, many of us may not even know what it means. Let’s all say it together: sanctification. It means purified or made holy. It is a process of transformation that only happens when we walk with God on a daily basis. It only happens when we consciously turn toward God and accept God’s love. Perhaps we can best understand sanctification from a human perspective in terms of discipline. It is the in the spiritual disciplines that we open ourselves to God. In the process God transforms us.
From God’s perspective sanctification is a setting apart. Our life in God is a life apart from many of the things that tug at us as humans. It is a life set apart for being God’s son and daughter. It is a life set apart for living in God’s kingdom.
Then, in John 17:20-26 Jesus prays for the unity of His followers -- that includes you and me -- and he says his praye is not just for the disciples but those who will believe. Praise God, that is us!
Jesus asks that the Church show the same oneness that exists between Jesus and the Father. This is a difficult one for us to understand. All churches -- congregations and denominations -- seem to be filled with divisions. It is Jesus’ continuing prayer for us that we will be one.
1. Our Unity Testifies To Christ’s Love (Verses 25-26)
•John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
•When we get along as a church we show that there is an abundance of love in the body of Christ. If we want to testify to Christ’s love we must love each other. 1 John 4:20 makes it very clear that if we can’t love each other whom we have seen we have no hope of loving God whom we can’t see.
•Some of our hearts are cramped and small – our love is insufficient how do we over come this? Pray, 1 Thessalonians 3:12 Paul prays, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.”
•Our love is dependent on God filling us with his love. Our love is insufficient, often for the people we like. His love is all-sufficient, even for the people we don’t like.
2. Our Unity Celebrates Eternity (Verse 24)
•We will be united in heaven with all believers – we’d might as well learn how to get along now. Revelation 7:9-10, every nation, tribe tongue, denomination…
•When we recognize our unity and celebrate it we get a glimpse of heaven. Our communion celebration is a prophetic event looking forward to eating of it in the kingdom of God when Christ will join us forever! (Matthew 26:29) I believe we ought to eat together and celebrate together it is practice for heaven.
3. Our Unity Shines God's Glory (Verses 22-23)
•In Albuquerque N.M. there is the Sandia National Laboratory which operates a reflective solar power plant, using over 200,000 mirrors aligned around a tower they reflect the sun onto one area in order to generate electricity.
•The church is like that, when we are all aligned and looking towards God hen we reflect his glory and show the world his incredible power.
•I don’t look in my rear view mirror to admire the craftsmanship of the hinge and reflective glass that makes it up, I look into it to see something that lies outside of my car. We are mirrors pointed to God, people don’t want to see us they want to see Jesus and that is our glory when people look at us and they see Jesus.
•We should point that back to Jesus Christ, just like the Trinity. Corner any member of the Trinity for worship and they reflect you to another member. The Spirit points us towards Jesus, Jesus points us towards the Father and the Father asks, “Have you met my son?”
•When we unite as a church – not just here but globally we most brilliantly reflect the glory of Christ. We also more accurately reflect his glory. When we forget that we’re not the only Christians God appears very anemic, lop-sided. But when we unite with other believers we fully reflect the glory of God.
4. Our Unity Starts With A Prayer -- the Prayer of Jesus that is Still Being Answered (Vs. 20-21)
•Jesus started our unity with a prayer and it is still in the process of being answered today.
•Today I want us to pray for unity, just as Jesus did. Let us follow his example. Let us agree with Jesus and his great prayer for unity. The unity can start right here in our church, in our community. It can start with us. John Bunyan said it best, “You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”
Today, my brothers and sisters Jesus continues to pray for us. Can you hear him? His last earthly prayers are for you and for me. May we truly love one another.May you have true joy! And may you be set apart -- sanctified -- service in God’s kingdom. May the Spirit unite us in His service. Amen and Amen.
Jesus prays for us. Jesus prays that God will be with us in the world. Jesus has prayed for you -- that all will be well with you. And that God will be with you in the world.
Then Jesus asks that we will have joy! This may be rather hard for us to understand. Jesus uses a kind of reasoning that turns all human reasoning upside down. It is God’s reasoning. Jesus prays that you and I have joy in the midst of all that pulls us in this world in which we live.
Jesus requests that we be sanctified. Sanctification is a word that we use too seldom. In fact, many of us may not even know what it means. Let’s all say it together: sanctification. It means purified or made holy. It is a process of transformation that only happens when we walk with God on a daily basis. It only happens when we consciously turn toward God and accept God’s love. Perhaps we can best understand sanctification from a human perspective in terms of discipline. It is the in the spiritual disciplines that we open ourselves to God. In the process God transforms us.
From God’s perspective sanctification is a setting apart. Our life in God is a life apart from many of the things that tug at us as humans. It is a life set apart for being God’s son and daughter. It is a life set apart for living in God’s kingdom.
Then, in John 17:20-26 Jesus prays for the unity of His followers -- that includes you and me -- and he says his praye is not just for the disciples but those who will believe. Praise God, that is us!
Jesus asks that the Church show the same oneness that exists between Jesus and the Father. This is a difficult one for us to understand. All churches -- congregations and denominations -- seem to be filled with divisions. It is Jesus’ continuing prayer for us that we will be one.
1. Our Unity Testifies To Christ’s Love (Verses 25-26)
•John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
•When we get along as a church we show that there is an abundance of love in the body of Christ. If we want to testify to Christ’s love we must love each other. 1 John 4:20 makes it very clear that if we can’t love each other whom we have seen we have no hope of loving God whom we can’t see.
•Some of our hearts are cramped and small – our love is insufficient how do we over come this? Pray, 1 Thessalonians 3:12 Paul prays, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.”
•Our love is dependent on God filling us with his love. Our love is insufficient, often for the people we like. His love is all-sufficient, even for the people we don’t like.
2. Our Unity Celebrates Eternity (Verse 24)
•We will be united in heaven with all believers – we’d might as well learn how to get along now. Revelation 7:9-10, every nation, tribe tongue, denomination…
•When we recognize our unity and celebrate it we get a glimpse of heaven. Our communion celebration is a prophetic event looking forward to eating of it in the kingdom of God when Christ will join us forever! (Matthew 26:29) I believe we ought to eat together and celebrate together it is practice for heaven.
3. Our Unity Shines God's Glory (Verses 22-23)
•In Albuquerque N.M. there is the Sandia National Laboratory which operates a reflective solar power plant, using over 200,000 mirrors aligned around a tower they reflect the sun onto one area in order to generate electricity.
•The church is like that, when we are all aligned and looking towards God hen we reflect his glory and show the world his incredible power.
•I don’t look in my rear view mirror to admire the craftsmanship of the hinge and reflective glass that makes it up, I look into it to see something that lies outside of my car. We are mirrors pointed to God, people don’t want to see us they want to see Jesus and that is our glory when people look at us and they see Jesus.
•We should point that back to Jesus Christ, just like the Trinity. Corner any member of the Trinity for worship and they reflect you to another member. The Spirit points us towards Jesus, Jesus points us towards the Father and the Father asks, “Have you met my son?”
•When we unite as a church – not just here but globally we most brilliantly reflect the glory of Christ. We also more accurately reflect his glory. When we forget that we’re not the only Christians God appears very anemic, lop-sided. But when we unite with other believers we fully reflect the glory of God.
4. Our Unity Starts With A Prayer -- the Prayer of Jesus that is Still Being Answered (Vs. 20-21)
•Jesus started our unity with a prayer and it is still in the process of being answered today.
•Today I want us to pray for unity, just as Jesus did. Let us follow his example. Let us agree with Jesus and his great prayer for unity. The unity can start right here in our church, in our community. It can start with us. John Bunyan said it best, “You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”
Today, my brothers and sisters Jesus continues to pray for us. Can you hear him? His last earthly prayers are for you and for me. May we truly love one another.May you have true joy! And may you be set apart -- sanctified -- service in God’s kingdom. May the Spirit unite us in His service. Amen and Amen.
Monday, January 25, 2010
No. 1, Part Four: Declarations in Prayer: Bringing Scriptural Reality into Your Life
Declarations can be a part of your regular prayer time or stand-alone prayers anytime during the day. Jsut begin with "Praise the Lord" or "Thank you God," or "In Jesus' Name" and add a statement that is based on Scripture. When you say it aloud you bring the reality of God's Word (which is the greater reality) into the world in your behalf. Here are declarations with the Scriptures they are based on. Meditate on these holy, power-filled Scriptures and then declare their truth into your life.
I am a member of the Body of Christ and Satan has no power over me. I overcome evil with good. (Luke 10:19, 1 Cor. 12:27, Romans 12:21)
God has promised as a part of my heritage that no weapon formed against me will prosper. (Isaiah 54:17)
I am delivered from the evils of this present world for it is the will of God. (Galatians 1:4)
I will live and not die to declare the works of the Lord. (Psalms 118:17)
Because I am a doer of God's Word, I am blessed in my deeds. (James 1:22, 25)
Because I am submitted to God and I resist the devil, he must flee from me. (James 4:7)
Great is the peace of my children for they are taught of the Lord. (Isaiah 54:13, Deut. 6:7)
Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. Christ has redeemed me from poverty. Christ has redeemed me from sickness and disease. Christ has redeemed me from spiritual death. (Galatians 3:13, Deut. 28)
Because I delight myself in the Lord, He gives me the desires of my heart. (Psalms 37:4)
The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. The blessing of Abraham is mine through Jesus Christ. (Psalms 35:27, Galatians 3:14)
I have received the gift of righteousness and I reign as a king in life by Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)
I trust in the Lord with all my heart and I do not lean to my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
In all of my ways I do acknowledge Him and He directs my paths. (Proverbs 3:6)
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. (Psalms 138:8)
I let the Word of Christ dwell in me richly in all wisdom. (Colossians 3:16)
I do follow the Good Shepherd and I know His voice. I will not listen to the voice of a stranger. (John 10:4-5)
I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. My old nature is taken away, behold all things have become new! (2 Cor. 5:17)
I am not conformed to this world but am transformed by the renewing of my mind. My mind is renewed by the Word of God. (Romans 12:2)
I am fruitful in every good work and I am increasing in the knowledge of God. I am strengthened with all might according to His glorious power. (Colossians 1:10-11)
I am delivered from the power (authority) of darkness and I have been translated into the kingdom of God's Dear Son. Therefore, sin, Satan, demons, sickness, disease, bondages, strongholds, and poverty has no authority over me! (Colossians 1:13)
I am born of God and I have world overcoming faith residing on the inside of me. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world. (1 John 5:4-5, 1 John 4:4)
I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
Jesus gave me the authority to use His Name. That which I bind on earth is bound in Heaven. That which I loose on earth is loosed in Heaven. Therefore, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I bind the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world. I bind and cast down spiritual wickedness in high places and render them harmless and ineffective against me and my family in the Name of Jesus! (Matthew 16:19, John 16:23-24, Ephesians 6:12)
I am of God and have overcome Satan by the blood of Jesus and the word of my testimony. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world. (Rev. 12:11, 1 John 4:4)
I am a member of the Body of Christ and Satan has no power over me. I overcome evil with good. (Luke 10:19, 1 Cor. 12:27, Romans 12:21)
God has promised as a part of my heritage that no weapon formed against me will prosper. (Isaiah 54:17)
I am delivered from the evils of this present world for it is the will of God. (Galatians 1:4)
I will live and not die to declare the works of the Lord. (Psalms 118:17)
Because I am a doer of God's Word, I am blessed in my deeds. (James 1:22, 25)
Because I am submitted to God and I resist the devil, he must flee from me. (James 4:7)
Great is the peace of my children for they are taught of the Lord. (Isaiah 54:13, Deut. 6:7)
Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. Christ has redeemed me from poverty. Christ has redeemed me from sickness and disease. Christ has redeemed me from spiritual death. (Galatians 3:13, Deut. 28)
Because I delight myself in the Lord, He gives me the desires of my heart. (Psalms 37:4)
The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. The blessing of Abraham is mine through Jesus Christ. (Psalms 35:27, Galatians 3:14)
I have received the gift of righteousness and I reign as a king in life by Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)
I trust in the Lord with all my heart and I do not lean to my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
In all of my ways I do acknowledge Him and He directs my paths. (Proverbs 3:6)
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. (Psalms 138:8)
I let the Word of Christ dwell in me richly in all wisdom. (Colossians 3:16)
I do follow the Good Shepherd and I know His voice. I will not listen to the voice of a stranger. (John 10:4-5)
I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. My old nature is taken away, behold all things have become new! (2 Cor. 5:17)
I am not conformed to this world but am transformed by the renewing of my mind. My mind is renewed by the Word of God. (Romans 12:2)
I am fruitful in every good work and I am increasing in the knowledge of God. I am strengthened with all might according to His glorious power. (Colossians 1:10-11)
I am delivered from the power (authority) of darkness and I have been translated into the kingdom of God's Dear Son. Therefore, sin, Satan, demons, sickness, disease, bondages, strongholds, and poverty has no authority over me! (Colossians 1:13)
I am born of God and I have world overcoming faith residing on the inside of me. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world. (1 John 5:4-5, 1 John 4:4)
I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
Jesus gave me the authority to use His Name. That which I bind on earth is bound in Heaven. That which I loose on earth is loosed in Heaven. Therefore, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I bind the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world. I bind and cast down spiritual wickedness in high places and render them harmless and ineffective against me and my family in the Name of Jesus! (Matthew 16:19, John 16:23-24, Ephesians 6:12)
I am of God and have overcome Satan by the blood of Jesus and the word of my testimony. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world. (Rev. 12:11, 1 John 4:4)
No. 1, Part Three: "The Prayer if Faith: Our Model Prayer Jesus Gave Us -- The Lord's Prayer"
The Lord's Prayer contains three amazing declarations and three profound petitions.
1. Our Father, which art in Heaven,. hallowed be Thy Name. Declaration
2. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Declaration
3. Give us this day our daily bread. Petition
1. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Petition
2. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Petition
3. For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Declarion
Amen. Agreement with all who have ever said this prayer, starting with the Lord Jesus.
Jesus says “Our Father which art in heaven" This is where all prayer begins = Faith in God. In Mark 11:22 Jesus says, "Have faith in God!" That is where prayer starts, with faith in God. This faith statement, this declaration of God's truth, aligns with the Bible truth. Jesus says we should relate to God, as Father, as part of His family, as children of the living God. And "which art in heaven" speaks of his sovereignty, of being more than earthly, of being over the earth. It speaks of another spiritual reality: heaven, where God is and where we will go.
Then comes a praise portion to the declaration of God's truth -- "Hallowed be thy name!" Holy is your name. This is true. And it is also a praise. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22).
Then the great declaration comes of what will happen = we believe we will receive it. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” This states what is to come in God's ppart of the prayer represents adoration. This is the part of prayer where one would show his or her high esteem, honor, and admiration for the Lord through exaltation and glorification. As Jesus demonstrates, adoration can be short and to the point. In the Lord’s prayer, there are only two short (yet sincere) statements of adoration.
We have the petition" “Give us this day, our daily bread.” This section of the prayer is the supplication section, in which a request or plea is made. Here, the request is for the day and the daily bread. According to Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, the request for daily bread is literally a request for daily subsistence, or daily needs. This is a material request, yet it is not an extravagant one. This request is indicative of the promises of the Lord throughout scripture that state that the Lord will provide the basic needs of the believer. Where God guides, He will provide.
Forgiveness is a key part of Christianity. We are saved by God's forgiveness. And we are to forgive others. “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’’ Jesus is instructing the disciples to ask God for forgiveness of sin through confession. According to Strong’s Hebrew ad Greek Dictionaries, the word forgive in this verse means to lay aside, or to forsake. By the same token, believers are also expected to forgive those who have sinned against them in the same manner. When a believer prays, they are therefore to ask for forgiveness from the Lord, and to also have a heart open to forgiving those who have wronged them.
Then Jesus asks God the father to “lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from all evil: Once again, Jesus presents a request before the Father. However, the request is a spiritual request rather than a material request. Christ asks the father to deliver him and his disciples from all evil. According to Strong’s, this evil refers to anything hurtful, including calamity, illness, malice, and from the devil. This model instructs the believer to not only petition the Lord for material needs , but also for spiritual blessings.
"For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” The prayer ends with a great declaration of Who God is and what is God's. It has an element of praise and adoration, but it also calls the future God has promised to come to pass. Amen is an agreement with everyone else in all the ages who have said or who will say this prayer. It means -- SO BE IT! The word "amen" by itself is a declaration of God's power and goodness.
1. Our Father, which art in Heaven,. hallowed be Thy Name. Declaration
2. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Declaration
3. Give us this day our daily bread. Petition
1. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Petition
2. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Petition
3. For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Declarion
Amen. Agreement with all who have ever said this prayer, starting with the Lord Jesus.
Jesus says “Our Father which art in heaven" This is where all prayer begins = Faith in God. In Mark 11:22 Jesus says, "Have faith in God!" That is where prayer starts, with faith in God. This faith statement, this declaration of God's truth, aligns with the Bible truth. Jesus says we should relate to God, as Father, as part of His family, as children of the living God. And "which art in heaven" speaks of his sovereignty, of being more than earthly, of being over the earth. It speaks of another spiritual reality: heaven, where God is and where we will go.
Then comes a praise portion to the declaration of God's truth -- "Hallowed be thy name!" Holy is your name. This is true. And it is also a praise. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22).
Then the great declaration comes of what will happen = we believe we will receive it. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” This states what is to come in God's ppart of the prayer represents adoration. This is the part of prayer where one would show his or her high esteem, honor, and admiration for the Lord through exaltation and glorification. As Jesus demonstrates, adoration can be short and to the point. In the Lord’s prayer, there are only two short (yet sincere) statements of adoration.
We have the petition" “Give us this day, our daily bread.” This section of the prayer is the supplication section, in which a request or plea is made. Here, the request is for the day and the daily bread. According to Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, the request for daily bread is literally a request for daily subsistence, or daily needs. This is a material request, yet it is not an extravagant one. This request is indicative of the promises of the Lord throughout scripture that state that the Lord will provide the basic needs of the believer. Where God guides, He will provide.
Forgiveness is a key part of Christianity. We are saved by God's forgiveness. And we are to forgive others. “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’’ Jesus is instructing the disciples to ask God for forgiveness of sin through confession. According to Strong’s Hebrew ad Greek Dictionaries, the word forgive in this verse means to lay aside, or to forsake. By the same token, believers are also expected to forgive those who have sinned against them in the same manner. When a believer prays, they are therefore to ask for forgiveness from the Lord, and to also have a heart open to forgiving those who have wronged them.
Then Jesus asks God the father to “lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from all evil: Once again, Jesus presents a request before the Father. However, the request is a spiritual request rather than a material request. Christ asks the father to deliver him and his disciples from all evil. According to Strong’s, this evil refers to anything hurtful, including calamity, illness, malice, and from the devil. This model instructs the believer to not only petition the Lord for material needs , but also for spiritual blessings.
"For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” The prayer ends with a great declaration of Who God is and what is God's. It has an element of praise and adoration, but it also calls the future God has promised to come to pass. Amen is an agreement with everyone else in all the ages who have said or who will say this prayer. It means -- SO BE IT! The word "amen" by itself is a declaration of God's power and goodness.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
No. 1, Part Two: The Prayer of Faith; Prayer as Declaration"
We need constantly to be reminded that faith is the one inseparable condition of successful praying. There are other considerations entering into the exercise, but faith is the final, the one indispensable condition of true praying. As it is written: "Without faith, it is impossible to please Him."
Faith must assert itself and bid the foes to prayer depart. Ask God for more faith. Ask Him morning, noon and night, while you walk by the way, while you sit in the house, when you lie down and when you rise up; ask Him simply to impress Divine things more deeply on your heart, to give you more and more of the substance of things hoped for and of the evidence of things not seen.
May faith be yours in increasing measure. One way we see such faith exhibited in the Lord’s model prayer, the Lord’s Prayer. It was taught by Jesus to his disciples. It provided the golden key to the power-house of God. Learning to pray was the one, the only, secret they needed to know to carry the ministry after Jesus' death.
The Lord's Prayer is a prayer of faith that can be said in one quarter of a minute, just fifteen seconds.. The power comes, not in the saying,of the prayer, but in the praying of the prayer from one’s own heart.
Charles Allen, author of 'God's Psychiatry" says, "Praying is not saying words. Words merely form the frame on which the temple of thought is built. The power of the Lord's Prayer is not in the words, but rather in the pattern of thinking in which our minds are formed. When our thoughts begin to flow in the channels of the Lord's Prayer our minds do become new, and we are transformed."
What amazing confidence did our Lord have in us! C. F. Andrews reminds us of an old legend that tells us that when Jesus returned to heaven He was asked by an angel:
"What have you left behind to carry out the work?"
Jesus answered: "A little band of men and women who love me."
"But what if they fail when the trial comes? Will all you have done be defeated?"
"Yes," said Jesus, "if they fail, all I have done will be defeated."
"Is there nothing more?"
"No," said Jesus, "there is nothing more."
'What then?"
Jesus quietly replied "They will not fail."
With a confidence like that, when we face tomorrow, we can triumphantly declare: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."
When we pray the Lord's prayer with meaning, we see the complete victory of God in our own lives and our world. We are declaring God’s thoughts for all the world to hear. We are calling it into existence. It is a prayer of declaration!
Faith must assert itself and bid the foes to prayer depart. Ask God for more faith. Ask Him morning, noon and night, while you walk by the way, while you sit in the house, when you lie down and when you rise up; ask Him simply to impress Divine things more deeply on your heart, to give you more and more of the substance of things hoped for and of the evidence of things not seen.
May faith be yours in increasing measure. One way we see such faith exhibited in the Lord’s model prayer, the Lord’s Prayer. It was taught by Jesus to his disciples. It provided the golden key to the power-house of God. Learning to pray was the one, the only, secret they needed to know to carry the ministry after Jesus' death.
The Lord's Prayer is a prayer of faith that can be said in one quarter of a minute, just fifteen seconds.. The power comes, not in the saying,of the prayer, but in the praying of the prayer from one’s own heart.
Charles Allen, author of 'God's Psychiatry" says, "Praying is not saying words. Words merely form the frame on which the temple of thought is built. The power of the Lord's Prayer is not in the words, but rather in the pattern of thinking in which our minds are formed. When our thoughts begin to flow in the channels of the Lord's Prayer our minds do become new, and we are transformed."
What amazing confidence did our Lord have in us! C. F. Andrews reminds us of an old legend that tells us that when Jesus returned to heaven He was asked by an angel:
"What have you left behind to carry out the work?"
Jesus answered: "A little band of men and women who love me."
"But what if they fail when the trial comes? Will all you have done be defeated?"
"Yes," said Jesus, "if they fail, all I have done will be defeated."
"Is there nothing more?"
"No," said Jesus, "there is nothing more."
'What then?"
Jesus quietly replied "They will not fail."
With a confidence like that, when we face tomorrow, we can triumphantly declare: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."
When we pray the Lord's prayer with meaning, we see the complete victory of God in our own lives and our world. We are declaring God’s thoughts for all the world to hear. We are calling it into existence. It is a prayer of declaration!
God's School of Prayer, Second Semester, No. 1 "The Prayer of Faith: Declarations in Prayer"
I am amazed by the Bible, by its depth and breadth and it promises for the believer. I am struck by what it says in the letters in red, the word of Jesus. He says some surprising things. He speaks of power beyond our human comprehension. Such is the case in Mark 11:24. He says” “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Wow! Did he say that? Yes, Jesus did!
Genuine, authentic faith must be definite and free of doubt. Not simply general in character; not a mere belief in the being, goodness and power of God, but a faith which believes that the things which "he saith, shall come to pass."
As the faith is specific, so the answer likewise will be definite. Our eyes should be taken off self, removed from our own weakness and allowed to rest implicitly upon God’s strength. Never forget that with God, all things are possible. Not a few things. Not some things. But the Bible says, all things are possible with God.
Jesus says in our Scripture – Have Faith in God! A simple, confiding faith, living day by day, and casting its burden on the Lord, each hour of the day, will dissipate fear, drive away misgiving and deliver from doubt:
We need to keep on praying, "Lord, increase our faith," for faith is susceptible of increase. Paul’s tribute to the Thessalonians was, that their faith grew exceedingly. Faith is increased by exercise, by being put into use. It is nourished by sore trials where we get through them through faith in God!
Faith grows by reading and meditating upon the Word of God. Most, and best of all, faith thrives in an atmosphere of prayer. It would be well, if all of us were to stop, and inquire personally of ourselves: "Have I faith in God? Have I real faith,—faith which keeps me in perfect peace, about the things of earth and the things of heaven?" And there is another question, closely like it in significance and importance—"Do I really pray to God so that He hears me and answers my prayers? And do I truly pray unto God so that I get direct from God the things I ask of Him?"
Prayer is absolutely dependent upon faith. It has no existence apart from it, and accomplishes nothing unless it is its inseparable companion. Faith makes prayer effectual, and in a certain important sense, must precede it. "For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."(Heb 11:6)
Before prayer ever starts toward God; before its requests are made known—faith must have gone on ahead; must have asserted its belief in the existence of God; must have given its assent to the gracious truth that "God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek His face." This is the primary step in praying. In this regard, while faith does not bring the blessing, yet it puts prayer in a position to ask for it, and leads to another step toward realization, by aiding the petitioner to believe that God is able and willing to bless.
Faith starts prayer to work—clears the way to the mercy-seat. It gives assurance, first of all, that there is a mercy-seat, and that there the High Priest awaits the pray-ers and the prayers. Faith opens the way for prayer to approach God. But it does more. It accompanies prayer at every step she takes. It is her inseparable companion and when requests are made unto God, it is faith which turns the asking into obtaining. And faith follows prayer, since the spiritual life into which a believer is led by prayer, is a life of faith.
The one prominent characteristic of the experience into which believers are brought through prayer, is not a life of works, but of faith. Faith makes prayer strong, and gives it patience to wait on God. Faith believes that God is a rewarder. No truth is more clearly revealed in the Scriptures than this, while none is more encouraging.
Genuine, authentic faith must be definite and free of doubt. Not simply general in character; not a mere belief in the being, goodness and power of God, but a faith which believes that the things which "he saith, shall come to pass."
As the faith is specific, so the answer likewise will be definite. Our eyes should be taken off self, removed from our own weakness and allowed to rest implicitly upon God’s strength. Never forget that with God, all things are possible. Not a few things. Not some things. But the Bible says, all things are possible with God.
Jesus says in our Scripture – Have Faith in God! A simple, confiding faith, living day by day, and casting its burden on the Lord, each hour of the day, will dissipate fear, drive away misgiving and deliver from doubt:
We need to keep on praying, "Lord, increase our faith," for faith is susceptible of increase. Paul’s tribute to the Thessalonians was, that their faith grew exceedingly. Faith is increased by exercise, by being put into use. It is nourished by sore trials where we get through them through faith in God!
Faith grows by reading and meditating upon the Word of God. Most, and best of all, faith thrives in an atmosphere of prayer. It would be well, if all of us were to stop, and inquire personally of ourselves: "Have I faith in God? Have I real faith,—faith which keeps me in perfect peace, about the things of earth and the things of heaven?" And there is another question, closely like it in significance and importance—"Do I really pray to God so that He hears me and answers my prayers? And do I truly pray unto God so that I get direct from God the things I ask of Him?"
Prayer is absolutely dependent upon faith. It has no existence apart from it, and accomplishes nothing unless it is its inseparable companion. Faith makes prayer effectual, and in a certain important sense, must precede it. "For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."(Heb 11:6)
Before prayer ever starts toward God; before its requests are made known—faith must have gone on ahead; must have asserted its belief in the existence of God; must have given its assent to the gracious truth that "God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek His face." This is the primary step in praying. In this regard, while faith does not bring the blessing, yet it puts prayer in a position to ask for it, and leads to another step toward realization, by aiding the petitioner to believe that God is able and willing to bless.
Faith starts prayer to work—clears the way to the mercy-seat. It gives assurance, first of all, that there is a mercy-seat, and that there the High Priest awaits the pray-ers and the prayers. Faith opens the way for prayer to approach God. But it does more. It accompanies prayer at every step she takes. It is her inseparable companion and when requests are made unto God, it is faith which turns the asking into obtaining. And faith follows prayer, since the spiritual life into which a believer is led by prayer, is a life of faith.
The one prominent characteristic of the experience into which believers are brought through prayer, is not a life of works, but of faith. Faith makes prayer strong, and gives it patience to wait on God. Faith believes that God is a rewarder. No truth is more clearly revealed in the Scriptures than this, while none is more encouraging.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Doing Things in the Name of Jesus -- Praying in His Mighty Name!
Doing something in someone else’s name has a distinct legal meaning that is the same under our law as well as Hebrew, Greek, and Roman law.
If you stop someone in the name of the law, it means that you have been given legal authority to stop that person, and that as a private citizen, you have no such authority. If you donate a gift in someone else’s name, it means that they get the credit for it as if they had done it themselves. You do not get the credit for the gift.
If you put property in someone’s name, it means that they become the owner of it. You no longer control that property. If a wealthy man hires me and gives me a power of attorney to purchase real estate, and if I act within that authorization, I could purchase a shopping mall in his name. I would receive no benefit from that transaction, except for his gratitude and the salary he chooses to pay me. If I tried to buy a shopping center on my own, they’d laugh me out of the bank. But if I go in his name, they would do business with me.
If you appoint someone to act in your name, it means that they can act as your agent within the restrictions you impose. Jesus has empowered His followers to act in His name to do certain specified deeds: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, preach the gospel, and so on.
If you do something in Jesus’ name it means that you do it with the authority He gave you and not on your own authority, and that you act within the limits of your authorization, whatever those limits may be. You act as His agent, in His stead, to His credit and for His benefit. You have no benefit from your deeds except His thanks and whatever reward He chooses to give you.
Now we can understand the relationship between faith and works and the necessity for Christians to live holy lives. We are His ambassadors, His hands on earth extended to do His will.
However, we can hire on as Jesus’ slaves. Jesus is the spiritual millionaire who hires us to manage a part of His holdings. He gives us a power of attorney so that we can transact business in His name and gives us infallible guidelines through His commandments. We no longer do good deeds on our own behalf in order to obtain salvation, for all our deeds are in His name and go to His account. We work to show ourselves good stewards of His trust, confident that He will reward those who serve Him well.
It is necessary to do good works, but it is only profitable to do the works that Jesus assigns us and authorizes us to do as His agents and to conduct His business in His name. We do not work to be saved; we work because we have been saved, and strive to show ourselves worthy of His trust. How many talents have you been given? Invest them wisely! Manage them well! Don’t just put them in a safe deposit box and hide them away until His return! (Matthew 25:14-30)
If you do something in Jesus’ name it means that you do it with the authority He gave you and not on your own authority, and that you act within the limits of your authorization, whatever those limits may be. You act as His agent, in His stead, to His credit and for His benefit. Praise the Lord!
If you stop someone in the name of the law, it means that you have been given legal authority to stop that person, and that as a private citizen, you have no such authority. If you donate a gift in someone else’s name, it means that they get the credit for it as if they had done it themselves. You do not get the credit for the gift.
If you put property in someone’s name, it means that they become the owner of it. You no longer control that property. If a wealthy man hires me and gives me a power of attorney to purchase real estate, and if I act within that authorization, I could purchase a shopping mall in his name. I would receive no benefit from that transaction, except for his gratitude and the salary he chooses to pay me. If I tried to buy a shopping center on my own, they’d laugh me out of the bank. But if I go in his name, they would do business with me.
If you appoint someone to act in your name, it means that they can act as your agent within the restrictions you impose. Jesus has empowered His followers to act in His name to do certain specified deeds: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, preach the gospel, and so on.
If you do something in Jesus’ name it means that you do it with the authority He gave you and not on your own authority, and that you act within the limits of your authorization, whatever those limits may be. You act as His agent, in His stead, to His credit and for His benefit. You have no benefit from your deeds except His thanks and whatever reward He chooses to give you.
Now we can understand the relationship between faith and works and the necessity for Christians to live holy lives. We are His ambassadors, His hands on earth extended to do His will.
However, we can hire on as Jesus’ slaves. Jesus is the spiritual millionaire who hires us to manage a part of His holdings. He gives us a power of attorney so that we can transact business in His name and gives us infallible guidelines through His commandments. We no longer do good deeds on our own behalf in order to obtain salvation, for all our deeds are in His name and go to His account. We work to show ourselves good stewards of His trust, confident that He will reward those who serve Him well.
It is necessary to do good works, but it is only profitable to do the works that Jesus assigns us and authorizes us to do as His agents and to conduct His business in His name. We do not work to be saved; we work because we have been saved, and strive to show ourselves worthy of His trust. How many talents have you been given? Invest them wisely! Manage them well! Don’t just put them in a safe deposit box and hide them away until His return! (Matthew 25:14-30)
If you do something in Jesus’ name it means that you do it with the authority He gave you and not on your own authority, and that you act within the limits of your authorization, whatever those limits may be. You act as His agent, in His stead, to His credit and for His benefit. Praise the Lord!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sermon on The Need for Dependence on the Holy Spirit part two: "Be Clothed with Power from On High!
Pentecost calls us to a heart purity. Peter made this clear when he addressed the first Christian council at Jerusalem: “And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:8-9).In essence, what Peter said was this: “Exactly the same thing that God did in our hearts on the Day of Pentecost, He has now performed in the hearts of the Gentiles.” And what was it God did? He “cleansed their hearts by faith.”
The word “heart” is used symbolically to denote the seat of our affections, emotions, desires, attitudes, and motives. Cleansing of the heart, therefore, refers to a radical inner cleansing of the center of our personalities. We need to get rid of our baggage and old clothes in order to make room for the Spirit to work in our lives. Clean out your heart. Everything must go that is not in line with the Lord's purposes!This cleansing was very evident in the lives of Christ’s disciples. Before Pentecost, on many occasions they manifested un-Christlike attitudes and reactions. For example, they exhibited pride. They argued among themselves who was greatest in the kingdom of Heaven (Luke 9:46). They manifested selfishness. They requested Jesus to grant them thrones on the right and on the left when He established His kingdom (Mark 10:35-40).
They also demonstrated narrow-mindedness. Once when they saw someone who was not of their group casting out demons, they sought to restrain him (Mark 9:38). The disciples at times reacted in anger. Once, while traveling through Samaria, when they were refused lodging and hospitality by the Samaritans, they wanted to call down fire upon these people (Luke 9:54-56). They exhibited carnal fear and cowardice. On the night of Christ’s arrest and trial, they fled and hid themselves. Peter denied his Lord three times (Matt. 26:56, 69-75).
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit performed radical spiritual surgery in the disciples’ hearts. Pride was replaced with humility, self-seeking with the spirit of service, narrow-mindedness with sympathy, anger with love, and carnal fear with holy boldness. Many present-day disciples of Christ need a similar divine operation in their lives.
The desire to be filled with the Spirit must be accompanied by the willingness to be made pure. The Spirit of God is fundamentally the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit is absolutely opposed to evil. To affirm that I want to be filled with the Spirit is to declare that I am willing to be emptied of all my unholy attitudes and spirit. Many of us pray with our lips, “Lord, fill me,” but inwardly we say, “Lord, not entirely! don’t expose my resentments; don’t disturb my comforts.” But God cannot compromise with sin. He puts His finger upon anything that gets between us and Him, and between us and our fellow-men. With the fire of the Holy Spirit, He wants to purify us in our innermost being.
An evangelist friend of mine was invited to conduct a preaching mission is a certain city and was entertained in the home of a middle-aged couple. When the hostess escorted the evangelist to the guest room, she said in a welcome voice, “Now, I want you to make yourself completely at home. Hang your suits up in the closet and put your other clothes in the drawers. This is your room.” The visitor took the hostess at her word, removed everything from his suitcase, and spread it out on the bed. But when he went to the closet to hang up his clothes, he found it jammed full of suits, dresses, slacks, and topcoats, with no empty hanger. When he opened the top drawer of the dresser, it was full of old clothing and rags. He tried the next; it was full also. Likewise, the bottom drawer was crammed with old picture albums and family heirlooms. There was absolutely no room for his clothes, so he put them all back into his suitcase.
When we say to the Holy Spirit, “Make yourself at home,” we can’t expect to keep anything hidden in the secret closets and drawers of our hearts. We must be willing to be emptied of all that is contrary to His nature and will. He must be more than a Guest; he must be Lord. This means He will do a thorough job of housecleaning and will rearrange the furniture to His own plan.
Yes, a major result of Pentecost is power, but it is power from on high. After the experience of Pentecost, the disciples displayed a stronger faith, a new spirit of confidence and courage. They possessed power beyond themselves to withstand persecution and temptation, and to witness boldly to the resurrection of the Lord.
How the Church today needs this supernatural power—power to reach out beyond the confines of brick and mortar, and to carry the spiritual offensive into the strongholds of society! The Church needs power to break out of routine and formality, and to perform exploits in the Master’s name; power to call people to repentance and true righteousness; power to transform individuals and change society!
Pentecost was not merely a historical event; it is a present possibility. It was not a fleeting incident, external to the real core and course of the life of the Church. It is a profoundly vital experience with abiding values and permanent principles. It was not only a particular day, but is an extended dispensation. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was not for the Apostolic Church only; it rests, as both obligation and opportunity, upon the Church of every generation.
Pntecost is age-long and planet-wide. Given a child of God utterly yielding, trustfully expecting, any room may become an Upper Room, any day a Day of Pentecost. Be filled with the Spirit and with power from on high!
The word “heart” is used symbolically to denote the seat of our affections, emotions, desires, attitudes, and motives. Cleansing of the heart, therefore, refers to a radical inner cleansing of the center of our personalities. We need to get rid of our baggage and old clothes in order to make room for the Spirit to work in our lives. Clean out your heart. Everything must go that is not in line with the Lord's purposes!This cleansing was very evident in the lives of Christ’s disciples. Before Pentecost, on many occasions they manifested un-Christlike attitudes and reactions. For example, they exhibited pride. They argued among themselves who was greatest in the kingdom of Heaven (Luke 9:46). They manifested selfishness. They requested Jesus to grant them thrones on the right and on the left when He established His kingdom (Mark 10:35-40).
They also demonstrated narrow-mindedness. Once when they saw someone who was not of their group casting out demons, they sought to restrain him (Mark 9:38). The disciples at times reacted in anger. Once, while traveling through Samaria, when they were refused lodging and hospitality by the Samaritans, they wanted to call down fire upon these people (Luke 9:54-56). They exhibited carnal fear and cowardice. On the night of Christ’s arrest and trial, they fled and hid themselves. Peter denied his Lord three times (Matt. 26:56, 69-75).
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit performed radical spiritual surgery in the disciples’ hearts. Pride was replaced with humility, self-seeking with the spirit of service, narrow-mindedness with sympathy, anger with love, and carnal fear with holy boldness. Many present-day disciples of Christ need a similar divine operation in their lives.
The desire to be filled with the Spirit must be accompanied by the willingness to be made pure. The Spirit of God is fundamentally the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit is absolutely opposed to evil. To affirm that I want to be filled with the Spirit is to declare that I am willing to be emptied of all my unholy attitudes and spirit. Many of us pray with our lips, “Lord, fill me,” but inwardly we say, “Lord, not entirely! don’t expose my resentments; don’t disturb my comforts.” But God cannot compromise with sin. He puts His finger upon anything that gets between us and Him, and between us and our fellow-men. With the fire of the Holy Spirit, He wants to purify us in our innermost being.
An evangelist friend of mine was invited to conduct a preaching mission is a certain city and was entertained in the home of a middle-aged couple. When the hostess escorted the evangelist to the guest room, she said in a welcome voice, “Now, I want you to make yourself completely at home. Hang your suits up in the closet and put your other clothes in the drawers. This is your room.” The visitor took the hostess at her word, removed everything from his suitcase, and spread it out on the bed. But when he went to the closet to hang up his clothes, he found it jammed full of suits, dresses, slacks, and topcoats, with no empty hanger. When he opened the top drawer of the dresser, it was full of old clothing and rags. He tried the next; it was full also. Likewise, the bottom drawer was crammed with old picture albums and family heirlooms. There was absolutely no room for his clothes, so he put them all back into his suitcase.
When we say to the Holy Spirit, “Make yourself at home,” we can’t expect to keep anything hidden in the secret closets and drawers of our hearts. We must be willing to be emptied of all that is contrary to His nature and will. He must be more than a Guest; he must be Lord. This means He will do a thorough job of housecleaning and will rearrange the furniture to His own plan.
Yes, a major result of Pentecost is power, but it is power from on high. After the experience of Pentecost, the disciples displayed a stronger faith, a new spirit of confidence and courage. They possessed power beyond themselves to withstand persecution and temptation, and to witness boldly to the resurrection of the Lord.
How the Church today needs this supernatural power—power to reach out beyond the confines of brick and mortar, and to carry the spiritual offensive into the strongholds of society! The Church needs power to break out of routine and formality, and to perform exploits in the Master’s name; power to call people to repentance and true righteousness; power to transform individuals and change society!
Pentecost was not merely a historical event; it is a present possibility. It was not a fleeting incident, external to the real core and course of the life of the Church. It is a profoundly vital experience with abiding values and permanent principles. It was not only a particular day, but is an extended dispensation. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was not for the Apostolic Church only; it rests, as both obligation and opportunity, upon the Church of every generation.
Pntecost is age-long and planet-wide. Given a child of God utterly yielding, trustfully expecting, any room may become an Upper Room, any day a Day of Pentecost. Be filled with the Spirit and with power from on high!
Sermon on Dependence on the Spirit: Be Clothed With Power from On High
In Luke 24:45-49. Jesus promises that He will send the Holy Spirit, and He asks His disciples to wait in the city until the Holy Spirit comes. He says that when this happens, they will be “clothed with power from on high.”
We all know when we are clothed and when we are not. The Greek here literally means “to be clothed.” This indicates that we will have the Holy Spirit covering us, protecting us, making us look good, empowering us. Just like we would not go anywhere without our clothing, so as Christians we should not go anywhere without the Holy Spirit covering us. Without the Spirit, we are incomplete and unprepared for public ministry, but with Him, we are able to witness “to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (verse 47).
Again we see this promise made by Jesus in Acts 1:7-8. At this time, Jesus was leaving His disciples and ascending into heaven. In His last words He again says to them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Note that here again the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is referred to as including the gift of power for witness.
We can only imagine what it was actually like to wait for the power to be fully evidenced.For one thing, the disciples did not know how long they would have to wait. (Fifty days from Easter and ten days from the day Jesus ascended into heaven.) What was it really like to spend days, not just hours, in a long prayer meeting? They did not even know how long they would have to wait. Those who were willing to wait and tarry in the presence of the Lord ultimately were baptized in the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit arrived, He did not do so quietly. Discuss the wind (and the power of a great wind). Give examples of being in a great wind or tornado. A mighty wind blows away so many things that are not tacked down. Likewise, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit removes things out our lives which do not belong there, making room for the fullness of the power of God!
The fire was a blast from heaven. God wants to set us on fire so we are bold to proclaim the good news and step out in faith to heal and change people’s lives. Pentecost was not a slight breeze, but more like a hurricane. nor was it tiny little flame, but rather a licking blaze. Something powerful and distinctive happened when these people were baptized in the Holy Spirit!
The Church today need not go on in its powerless ineffective condition. All the mighty resources of the Holy Spirit are at its disposal. The individual Christian need not remain spiritually weak and anemic. He can tarry in surrender and faith and be “clothed with power from on high.” Just as atomic power represents the release of hidden forces in the physical world, so Pentecost represents the release of invisible forces in the realm of personality.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit may be residing in a believer and yet may not be able to penetrate every part of his being. There are too many hindrances. Resentments, uncontrolled temper, pride, doubt, and other unchristian attitudes are casting shadows in his heart. What the individual needs is not more of the Spirit, but to allow the Spirit to possess more, yes, all of him. Then he will be “filled with the Spirit.”
We all know when we are clothed and when we are not. The Greek here literally means “to be clothed.” This indicates that we will have the Holy Spirit covering us, protecting us, making us look good, empowering us. Just like we would not go anywhere without our clothing, so as Christians we should not go anywhere without the Holy Spirit covering us. Without the Spirit, we are incomplete and unprepared for public ministry, but with Him, we are able to witness “to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (verse 47).
Again we see this promise made by Jesus in Acts 1:7-8. At this time, Jesus was leaving His disciples and ascending into heaven. In His last words He again says to them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Note that here again the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is referred to as including the gift of power for witness.
We can only imagine what it was actually like to wait for the power to be fully evidenced.For one thing, the disciples did not know how long they would have to wait. (Fifty days from Easter and ten days from the day Jesus ascended into heaven.) What was it really like to spend days, not just hours, in a long prayer meeting? They did not even know how long they would have to wait. Those who were willing to wait and tarry in the presence of the Lord ultimately were baptized in the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit arrived, He did not do so quietly. Discuss the wind (and the power of a great wind). Give examples of being in a great wind or tornado. A mighty wind blows away so many things that are not tacked down. Likewise, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit removes things out our lives which do not belong there, making room for the fullness of the power of God!
The fire was a blast from heaven. God wants to set us on fire so we are bold to proclaim the good news and step out in faith to heal and change people’s lives. Pentecost was not a slight breeze, but more like a hurricane. nor was it tiny little flame, but rather a licking blaze. Something powerful and distinctive happened when these people were baptized in the Holy Spirit!
The Church today need not go on in its powerless ineffective condition. All the mighty resources of the Holy Spirit are at its disposal. The individual Christian need not remain spiritually weak and anemic. He can tarry in surrender and faith and be “clothed with power from on high.” Just as atomic power represents the release of hidden forces in the physical world, so Pentecost represents the release of invisible forces in the realm of personality.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit may be residing in a believer and yet may not be able to penetrate every part of his being. There are too many hindrances. Resentments, uncontrolled temper, pride, doubt, and other unchristian attitudes are casting shadows in his heart. What the individual needs is not more of the Spirit, but to allow the Spirit to possess more, yes, all of him. Then he will be “filled with the Spirit.”
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