“Lord, teach us to pray…”

I want to be careful that I do not imply that prayer is an art or a science.  More vehemently, I do not desire to pretend that I am any kind of expert on prayer.  I am a baby.  But, I have some thoughts on prayer that are burdening me. 

In my humble opinion, prayer is simply our attempt at communication with our Creator.  It is commanded.  It is rewarded.  It is based upon a relationship that we have with Him through Christ.  It is hollow and useless if it is accompanied with retained sinfulness.  It is a powerful, yet neglected tool in our arsenal against the Devil.  It is a privilege.  It is primarily a private exercise.  And finally, though I still do not understand how exactly this is supposed to be practiced – prayer is intended to be constant (according to many references, particularly First Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing”).   

Matthew 6:5-13 and Luke 11:1-4 both record similar instructions for us from Christ on the manner of how we ought to pray.  Apparently, these were separate/different occasions, yet the theme is expectedly the same.  Read both passages, and then I would like to share a prayer with you which I wrote myself about a week ago. 

The Model Prayer in Matthew:

“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, ‘They have their reward.’  But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.  But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  Be not you therefore like unto them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask Him.   After this manner therefore pray you:

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

 Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts [trespasses], as we forgive our debtors [those who trespass against us].

 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen.”

The Model Prayer in Luke:

“It came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’  And He said unto them, ‘When you pray, say,

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”

Not identical, but clearly based upon the same framework and purpose.  For quite a long time I have used this as either my daily prayer or more wisely as the outline upon which I have based my ad lib, spontaneous prayers before the throne of grace.  Obviously I do not consider the words to be magic like a spell.  In fact, before Jesus instructed His disciples with this particular outline, He forbade vain repetition.  I have striven to pray the model prayer slowly, when I follow it more strictly (sometimes even verbatim), considering the meaning, urgency and reality of each word, phrase and concept – sometimes looking for synonymous words and phrases so that the prayer becomes mine and flows from my heart, not just from my mind.  But, a peculiar thing happened to me last Friday.  I was actually preparing for my regular blog when I began meditating more intensely than usual upon the importance of the supplicatory expression of my faith in the Father and my dependence upon Him. 

It used to be my custom to keep a prayer journal.  I didn’t keep a list of requests and answers as much as I literally just wrote out (or typed) my prayers.  It was helpful in keeping me focused and honest in my addresses to the God of heaven.  It also kept me from getting distracted; from allowing my mind to wander.  Though I have (perhaps unfortunately) set that custom aside for some time now, I picked it up again for a day and wrote the following prayer (now with some editing and with the outline of the Lord’s Model Prayer laid upon it): 

My Daily Prayer:

1. You are my Father - Our Father which art in heaven,

Good morning Lord.  I come to You today, Father, in the name of Jesus Christ – Your Son and my Savior.  Thank you for this day.  You have made it and I do rejoice in it and in You.  I begin this day by reminding myself and stating to You that I am fully aware of how I am completely at your mercy – this day and every day.  I have no worth on my own and no merit with which to leverage any demands from You (or from anyone else, for that matter).  I have committed enough sin in my past to merit any measure of trouble or pain in this day, and for the rest of my days. 

2. You are holy - Hallowed be thy name.

What little good that I have done has been a direct result of Your gracious intervention, persuasion, empowerment and continual involvement.  You alone are worthy of any accolades or admiration that I might receive today because any gift or talent that I possess has been granted to me as a stewardship from Your compassionate hand.  Help me to praise You in the ears of my friends, family and even strangers today; to praise you for Your goodness.  And, remind me to thank You for Your kindness and love.  I desire to be thankful for both the positive and the negative experiences of this day – but, to do that, I will need great assistance from Your Holy Spirit. 

Father, once again I admit that I know that You are God and I am not.  You are holy, but I am not.  You have done all things well.  You are just and right.  You are good.  You are wise.  You are the Almighty – and I am so glad about that. 

3. You are King - Thy kingdom come.

It is my passion that You will control me today.

4. You are sovereign - Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

I want to be governed by Your wishes and not by my own. 

5. You are my provider - Give us this day our daily bread.

Please meet my needs today (physically, spiritually, emotionally, socially and intellectually), but clear my flesh of the wants that I naturally covet and crave.  Please meet the needs of my wife and of my precious children today.  And, provide for the needs of my other family members and of my church family today.

6. You are my Savior and Judge - And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Forgive me for each transgression that has crept into my life.  Cleanse me from every evil that has conquered my mind.  Change me – make me new today.  Your Son died to pay for my iniquities.  I know that every violation that I allow hurts You deeply, but I claim the promise that was made by my Savior: place my unrighteousness on His account and grant to me the perfection that rightfully belongs only to Him.  View me today as if I were as innocent as Christ.  Treat me today with an interest that only Your Son should rightfully have.  Draw me close to Yourself in intimate fellowship.  Do this for Your own glory, for my good, for the sake of Jesus Christ and for the benefit my fellow disciples.  I repeat that I know that all of the claims that I make in this prayer are not based upon any quality in me, but they are made as claims upon the value and worth of your Son, upon His relationship with You, upon His sacrifice on Calvary, upon His shed blood and upon the Word of His promises and commandments.  Empower me and exhort me to pass the mercy, kindness and forgiveness that You have given to me along to others in this day. 

7. You are my Lord - And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

I ask now you to use Your position of authority and Your sovereign abilities to guide me today.  Drive me away from evil and mischief.  Place a hedge about me and keep Satan and his minions at a great distance.  Keep me from falling into temptations today.  Yes, keep the very temptations away.  Protect my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my feet, my hands and my mind in this day.  All that I am and all that I have belongs to You – I have no right to dominate, no prerogative to do my own thing and positively no reason to allow Satan or anyone else to take Your place on the throne of my heart. 

8. You are my God - For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

You have every right to use every talent, every moment and every possession that is called mine for Your own purposes and for Your own pleasure.  I relinquish again all claims to these things.  Father, as I end this prayer.  Again, I confess that you are the Creator and King of this universe and certainly of my heart.  I desire to live in agreement with that truth.  May the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight today.  May my actions be congruent with Your holy doctrine today.  Reign in my life.  You have the power to make me (yes, even a wretch such as I am) a trophy of Your grace, honoring to You alone today. 

9. You are my all - Amen.

Cause it to be so.  I have prayed this prayer to You in the name of Jesus and I ask that You hear and answer for His sake, not mine.  Amen.

Now, the concept (of using this “Lord’s Prayer” as an outline for daily devotion) was once introduced to me when I was a child.  Rev. Jonny Pope preached for about two hours on the model prayer (at Sammy Allen’s Faith Baptist Camp in Resaca, GA).  His evident intent left a lasting and indelible impression, not only upon my philosophical view of intercession, but also upon the practical outflow of my heart-cries to the Father. 

Over the past week I have commenced each day by carefully reading this prayer (in it’s prior, simpler form) and considering the doctrine and reality aback of it.  I can’t tell you that I have had a more accepting audience before the throne of God because obviously my entrance there doesn’t depend upon the wording of my prayers but upon the blood of my Christ and the exercise of genuine faith in Him.  However, I have experienced a marked difference in my outlook in each day and upon the glorious emotions that have accompanied my worship and service for Christ.  Victory and joy (perhaps synonyms, eh?) have been my lot to a much greater degree since I wrote that prayer and began to follow it into the presence of my Savior.  It is my hope that you will find in it something that God can use to challenge you in your own ministry of supplication and communion with the gracious Father who loves you and me so patiently.

Surely it is not comprehensive in its scope.  In fact, I have unintentionally omitted some rather primary issues from my version of daily prayer.  Praying for the Jews, praying for more laborers in the harvest of souls, praying for our leaders, praying for the hastening of Christ’s return, praying for individuals and their specific needs, etc… all of these concerns are salient and vital, yet I confess that the matters of concern (listed formerly in my prayer) closest to my experience and burden are obviously fresher in my vision and therefore more readily comprehended and noted.

Allow me to close today’s meditation by repeating the basic outline and sharing a verse or two that come to my mind as I mull over the significance of these areas of communication with the God who hears us.  Doubtless the eternal Word of God holds infinitely more inspiration than any contemporary paraphrase that I can render.

1.       Our Father which art in heaven,

Ecclesiastes 5:2, “Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.” 

2.       Hallowed be thy name.

Philippians 2:9-11, “God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

3.        Thy kingdom come.

Revelation 22:20, “He which testifies these things says, ‘Surely I come quickly. Amen.’ Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

4.       Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Matthew 26:39, “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”    

5.       Give us this day our daily bread.

Psalm 78:19-29, “’Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?’  Behold, He smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people?  He had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, and had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.  Man did eat angels' food: He sent them meat to the full.  He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by His power He brought in the south wind.  He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: and He let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.  So they did eat, and were well filled: for He gave them their own desire…”   

Matthew 6:32, “Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.”

6.       And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Ephesians 4:32, “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.”   

7.       And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

Job 1:10, “Have You not made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side?” (words of the Devil, speaking to God about His protection of Job).

8.       For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”    

9.       Amen.

Revelation 3:14 “These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God [Christ].” 

It is my current supplication that the general lack of intensity in many areas of Christianity can begin to be remedied by a spreading of infectious vehemence and fervency that I believe should begin in the prayer closet. 

“Father, please excuse my life of accumulated apathy and spiritual lethargy, but don’t leave me in it.  Set my soul on fire!”

A blog about various resurrections from the dead:

Why is it that belief in the resurrection is so central to “saving” faith?  Clearly this is actually the case, for Romans 10:9 says, “If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  It is a vital part of the gospel.  It is essential that not only has Christ been raised, but also that we will be raised also.  Carefully read the imperative claim of Paul in First Corinthians 15:13-19, “If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain… If the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins.  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”  It sounds to me like Paul was saying that everything hinges on that single truth.  This reminds me of an anecdote from Luke 20:27 about the Sadducees.  This was a sect which denied that there was any resurrection.  It has been said sarcastically that their unbelief was the source of their “sadness” – they did not have the hope of the resurrection, that was why they were so Sad-U-Cee.  Well surely, if our faith doesn’t carry us into a better life hereafter, we are fools for trusting at all. 

But indeed, our God does have the power of life.  God is life.  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  He has power over the very animation of these fragile bodies in which we live.  Originally He brought Adam to life physically with invigorating breath.  He has certainly restored spiritual life to you and me through the breath of the Holy Spirit of Christ (John 20:22).  And, indeed we expect and anticipate that He will restore our bodies even after worms have consumed our frame and in our flesh we shall stand before our Redeemer.  This was the hope of Job as he passed through the fiery trials of this life.  He looked beyond the grave in hope of a better resurrection (Job 19:25-27). 

Consider the father of the faithful: Abraham.  Though he did not have to endure the actual completion of the sacrifice of Isaac which he willingly commenced on top of mount Moriah, Hebrews 11:17 & 19 teaches us that Abraham had resurrection faith nonetheless: “He offered up his only begotten son… accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” 

Many of the greatest men and women of faith demonstrated what kind of God they trusted in, by exemplifying His power over life and death.  It can be instructive to review these stories in meditation…

In Second Kings 4 we read of Elisha’s faith in the resurrection of the son of the Shunammite woman.  “When Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.  He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them two, and prayed unto the LORD.  And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.  Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.  And he called Gehazi, and said, ‘Call this Shunammite.’ So he called her.  And when she was come in unto him, he said, ‘Take up your son.’ Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.”  God gave this great man an answer, though somewhat delayed, to his petition for the return of the life of this boy.  He knew that God could; he believed that God would.  Is our faith any different in quality from that of Elisha’s?  We believe that those who are asleep in Christ will return with Him someday to be rejoined with their new, resurrected, glorified bodies.  We pray for it.  We walk to and fro as Elisha did, awaiting the fruition of our supplication.  We say as did John, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”  And we wait upon the Lord to bring visible life to our loved ones again.

By the way, according to Second Kings 13:20-21 the faith of Elisha was even rewarded after his passing: “Elisha died, and they buried him.  And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.  And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulcher of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.”  Amazing, because of a prayer that Elisha had prayed at the outset of his ministry, the wicked Moabites witnessed the power of Jehovah over life itself.  In Second Kings 2:9 Elisha had said to Elijah, “I pray, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”  Is it any wonder then that the miracle of the resurrected Moabite brought the total number of miracles recorded from the life of this man of God to 18 – twice the number of the signs performed by Elijah (depending on how you count)? 

Elijah himself had been used of God to bring the son of the widow of Zarephath back to life.  Notice the similarity in the method used by Elisha’s mentor.  First Kings 17:21-24, “He stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, ‘O LORD my God, I pray Thee, let this child's soul come into him again.’  And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.  And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives.’  And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.’”  Hey, the kid was dead.  His soul had left his body.  Yet, because of the faith of this Tishbite, God returned his soul to his body again.  And, of course we must not ignore the fact that God actually delivered Elijah himself from death altogether as he had done for Enoch, like he delivered Isaac and as he will also do for the rapture generation in the future.

There then are two examples of Hebrews 11:35, “Women [who through faith] received their dead raised to life again.”  And let us not forget the New Testament examples of God authority and the potency of His intervention after the death of dear ones.

Luke 7:12-16, “Now when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, ‘Weep not.’  And He came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say unto you, Arise.’  And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.”  Notice the response of the people: “And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, that ‘A great prophet is risen up among us;’ and, that ‘God hath visited His people.’”  They knew that only the one true God had the power to do this.

Also there is the account of the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter in Mark 5.   When, in the presence of her parents and three disciples, Jesus had brought this little 12 year old girl back to life with the words, “Talitha cumi” the people’s mocking laughter was turned to astonishment.

Of course there was the faith of Mary and Martha which was rewarded much more speedily than they had dared to hope.  We give Martha a hard time because of her preoccupation with productivity and service, yet Martha proclaimed unequivocal confidence in the reviving of her brother – eventually.  Yet, Jesus pointed out to her in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection” and then proceeded to bring Lazarus back to life immediately despite the corruption and decay that had already begun in his corps being at that time deceased for four days.  Incredibly – there were still some who would not follow Him, but instead they ran off and tattled on Jesus for His defiance of the norms that the Pharisees espoused.  Ironically, these were the same pro-resurrection Pharisees who were generally opposed to the anti-resurrection Sadducees – yet, they were displeased with Christ’s demonstration of actual power and they therefore continued to foster doubt among the populous rather than faith toward this man who had the power to quicken the dead.  Indeed, they teamed up with those Sadducees to bring about the demise of this man; this man who was actually the source of the literal resurrection that they defended in abstract.  Fascinating juxtaposition!  No one can justly say that Jesus didn’t attempt to “instruct those that oppose themselves.”  Oh no, in fact He personified the words of Second Timothy 2:25.  He offered visible illustration of His doctrine; He laid a foundation in case “God would peradventure give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.”

This examination of Scripture is revealing to me that resurrections are not quite as rare as we sometimes suppose.  Case and point: in actuality, Daniel 12:2 broadly teaches that every person who dies will someday also be resurrected either to life or to contempt.  So in fact, resurrection is as common as death.  Leave it to the Devil to deny the obvious. 

Well, there are a few other ADE’s (after death experiences) that I can recall.  I don’t want to neglect any knowingly. 

In Matthew 27:52-53 it is recorded that “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”  Of course we should all know of Moses and Samuel (Jonah too, some would say) who were seen alive after their death.  Then again there are the two witnesses in Revelation who will rise again after lying dead in the street for three days.

But, above all others, today, on this Good Friday (unless you believe that Christ died on Wednesday or Thursday), we should draw our attention to the resurrection of our Savior.  There are two escapes from death that mean more to me than all of the others combined: His and mine.  He had proclaimed before His crucifixion what the manner of His death would be and also the timing of His return from the grave.  Over and again He had told His followers and His enemies that when the temple of His body was destroyed, He would raise it up again in three days.  He said unmistakably in John 10:17-18, “I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”  This is not a dry bony morsel of theology, for He said, “Because I live, you shall live also” (John 14:19).  Now, this is the glorious part, we who take Him at His word have also taken Him into our heart.  Therefore we will follow Him, not only to the grave but also to be with the Father in a resurrected state.  First Corinthians 15:20 & 23, “Christ is risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept… Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming.”  He was the first of many.  If you die today, know this, your demise is a temporary setback – death has no sting on us who are believers, the grave will not be victorious over us. 

So, in closing, what is the nature of this resurrection?  Let’s ask the One who is THE RESURRECTION.  “Jesus said, ‘They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, cannot die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection’” (Luke 20:34-36).  We will be free from the presence and the effects of sin.  We will be “equal unto the angels” in heaven.  What a day that will be.  Then; at that time; in His presence, we will perfectly reflect the glory of God rather than diminishing from it as we so often do currently in these fallen bodies.

Dear one, if you feel that today’s lesson is not practically applicable to us where we are now… well then, you have become too distracted by the nasty now and now.  Abraham looked for an eternal city, a city with foundations whose builder and maker was God.  Oh, how often we become so earthly minded that we are of no use to God at all.  We look at Sodom like Lot did instead of at Zion like Abe did.  We are supposed to set our affections on things above; upon eternal values.  Our attention and passion should be directed at spiritual issues.  We must focus upon the power of the endless life which flows from our Savior and extends to us.  Pack your bags for eternity, friend.  We are strangers, pilgrims, ambassadors; aliens here on earth.  Our home is heaven.  We don’t just endure the present waiting for the future, we gladly sacrifice the present for the future because we understand the futility and vanity of our existence here.  These elements will melt with a fervent heat, but our position in Christ is as real, as lasting and as secure as the existence of God himself.  The quality of our post-resurrection life is the abundant life that we can taste now, if we will.

The reasons for our pain…

When we suffer – we wonder.  Why is this happening to me?  Why is this happening now?  But in every circumstance we can be certain of a few things:

1.      God is paying attention to us.  Regardless of how neglected we may feel.  God is always paying attention.

2.      He cares.  We may feel as if He doesn’t care about our condition, but He always cares.  His heart is touched with our grief.

3.      He has the power to rescue us.  No matter how suspicious we are that He lacks the interest or energy to step in and help us out – this is never the case.  He can do anything at any time in any place in any way.

4.      He never revels in our sorrow.  Could a good God enjoy the sight of His child struggling in an impossible predicament?  He doesn’t laugh when we are crying.  Though we may feel alone, we are never alone... for He is close beside us.

Any time I go through any measure of difficulty, it does me good to remind myself that life is not fair, and that if it was fair we would all be in hell.  Fair would not be good for those of us who are sinners.  We have it better than fair.  Things are unbalanced in our favor.  God’s not fair, His actions are an improvement on the concept of what is fair – He is gracious, patient, longsuffering and merciful.  True – He is just, but the scales of His justice are offset by the weight of His love and compassion.  The text that best articulates my theology at this juncture is Ezra 9:13, “God has punished us less than our iniquities deserve…”  It doesn’t get any plainer than that statement!

In light of this cold, hard truth, a meditation on the various causes of our miseries can be appreciated.  Here are seven triggers that effect suffering in this life (here listed and hereafter expounded):

1.       The general curse on this universe that resulted from the fall of man.

2.       The results of our personal infractions against God’s laws in particular.

3.       The collateral product of the wickedness in people around us.

4.       The immediate result of Satanic/Demonic attacks against us.

5.       The Providential provisions which occasion God’s intervention into our lives.

6.       The Divine interferences which require special expressions of faith from us.

7.       The readjusting of our perspective and of our priorities through tangible hardships.

Let’s use some specific details, illustrations and examples:

1.       The curse in general.  Everything and everybody undergoes a certain amount of stress and pain just because of the curse that resides and abides upon this whole universe.  When Adam sinned in the garden, he doomed all of us to death and to the difficulties that lead up to it.  Our physical demise is as certain as the sunrise – regardless of our current behavior. 

a.       Job hit the nail on the head in Job 14:1, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.”  If you have a Mom, then you can count on having problems (not because you have a Mom, but both are nonetheless universal).

b.      Again, Paul succinctly described this reality in Romans 8:22, “For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.”  This is the premiere reason for suffering and pain.  Think about it, without sin there would be no suffering.  And, when sin is eradicated – so also will suffering be obliterated.  Revelation 21:4, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain…” 

2.       Our sins in particular. 

a.       Numbers 32:23, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” 

b.      Galatians 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”  Ham, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Uzza, Ananias and Sapphira – in every individual’s case the trouble that came upon them was a direct result of bad decisions that they made.  They sinned; evil followed.  This happens to all of us.  But, make no mistake – this is not automatically the cause of all trouble.

3.       The sins of others.

a.       Consider Uriah the Hittite.  Why did he die on the battlefield?  Was it because of some iniquity in his heart or life?  Oh no, it was because of someone else’s sin.  Bathsheba’s immodesty, David’s lust, their consensual adultery, Joab’s collaboration with David’s murderous plot: these were to blame for Uriah’s loss.  What a lesson for each of us.  When we sin, there are sure to be innocent bystanders who will be splattered with the blood and mud of our indulgences. 

b.      If that example is not clear enough – bring to mind with great reluctance the horrid plight of a molested child.  Here is a young one who made no advances, anticipated no evil, understood not the danger – yet in a diabolical violation of their naive helplessness, a monster of a man insidiously took advantage of the little one and did irreparable destruction to their mind and body.  Oh, the sins of one individual do indeed spill out into the suffering of another.  No man is an island.  There are no victimless crimes.  How one misbehaves will always damage another person in one way or another.  Here it is seen obviously – yet, even when the cancer of sin is undetected, it is still present.

4.       The efforts of our spiritual enemy.

a.       1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.”

b.      Mark 9:17-22, “One of the multitude answered and said, ‘Master, I have brought unto You my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he takes him, he tears him: and he foams, and gnashes with his teeth, and pines away: and I spoke to your disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.’  He answered him, and said, ‘O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me.’  And they brought him unto Him: and when He saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.  And He asked his father, ‘How long is it ago since this came unto him?’ And he said, ‘Of a child.  And ofttimes it has cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him.”  It appears that the child did nothing to invite the evil spirit’s presence into his body.  Yet, the demon was there all the same; tormenting and oppressing him sorely.  Surely the Serpent’s arbitrary hatred and violence spills out in a chaotic and senseless array of destructive effects even today.

c.       Above all of this – the Devil fights against godliness.  When we read in 2 Timothy 3:12, ‘Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,” do we suppose that this is coincidental?  Nay!  Godliness garners attacks from the realm of the unseen.  Supernatural forces of darkness rise up against us when we strive to please the Savior – hence suffering from this avenue is to be expected.

5.       The permission of our Father for His glory.

a.       John 9:1-3, “As Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.  And His disciples asked him, saying, ‘Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?’  Jesus answered, ‘Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.’”  Of course, we know what Jesus did; He healed him.  There was no other direct cause for the man’s blindness other than the fact that God wanted to use this man as an opportunity for Him to show His power and compassion.  Sometimes trouble arises so God can manifest His presence.  His strength is magnified perfectly in our weaknesses.

6.        The intervention of the Father for our good.

a.       In Genesis 22 we read of God’s inspection and proof of Abraham’s faith.  It was certainly a troubling circumstance.  Maybe you or I would have wondered what we had done to deserve such a trial of emotional conflict.  The magnitude of test was staggering – yet, God had a blessing in store for Abraham upon the completion of his evaluation.  It is possible; it is plausible that some of our suffering stem’s from tribulations that God brings upon us just to test our faith.  He never tempts us to sin; He never pressures us to do evil – but He absolutely does bring difficulties upon us to try our faith.

7.       To make heaven sweeter.

a.       Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”  Comparatively – the harder the journey; the more rewarding the finish. 

b.      2 Corinthians 4:17, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”  Literally, if we are faithful in our affliction, God rewards us accordingly.  Hence – the greater the affliction, the greater the potential for greater rewards.

c.       Above all of this, the suffering that we endure in this life prevents us from getting overly attached to this earthly life.  Heaven is sweeter to me because of the negative things that I know about here experientially, things that will not be there.

It may be that many of these reasons overlap considerably in our experiences in this life.  In other words, I may have a trial or tribulation that is a result of all seven of these factors combined to varying degrees.  Now personally, I think the majority of my heartaches are a direct result of sins that I have committed – but not all of my disappointments are derived from my own bad behavior.  And, certainly this would not be the case of all of the characters in the Bible either.  In fact, men like Job, Daniel and Joseph all suffered as a direct result of their holiness and righteous faith, not because of some weakness or moral lack. 

It is a sad and unnecessary condition for a man or woman who truly is walking with God to allow the Devil to accuse and buffet them with a false sense of guilt on top of whatever physical or emotional pressure that that believer is also are enduring.  We should indeed examine our fellowship with Christ at each interval in life, but upon sincere introspection – if the Spirit of God does not identify any transgression that directly merits our current malady, then we should tell Satan to get away from us – we should draw cheerfully nigh to God for comfort, without reservation or hesitation, and without any nebulous, random, bewildered penance for whatever crime we “must have” committed.  Such confusion is a recipe for defeat, not for victory.  Humble confession of actual guilt is always proper.  But, puzzled groveling erroneously projects God as some kind of abstract bully who refuses to inform us of the nature of our infraction – hardly like the noble King of Kings whom we are privileged to serve.

So – are you in a valley?  Have you just proceeded out of a valley?  Maybe you are going into one soon.  In any case – don’t you want to know “WHY” you have to go through it?  I hope today’s thoughts can be used by God to give you some comfort and direction.  I know one thing: in my case it does me tremendous good to honestly analyze the possible catalysts behind the misery.  Even when I don’t discover what actually precipitated my most recent storm – at least I don’t feel like the pain is arbitrary, haphazard or meaningless.  We can endure angst more easily if we assume that there is wholesome rhyme and reason aback of it, right?

And, if all else fails, return to Ezra 9:13.  Remember that no matter what we undergo, “God has punished us less than our iniquities deserve…”    

More Blessed to Give…

Proverbs 11:24-25 are two of the most pointed verses in the whole Bible: “There is that scatters, and yet increases; and there is that withholds more than is meet, but it tends to poverty.  The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that waters shall be watered also himself.’  What’s he saying?  Answer: some people are lavishly generous with their possessions, yet they seem to constantly acquire and possess more than their neighbor who selfishly and stubbornly hoards his things.

To put it more plainly - Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”  If we give a little, then God can bless us a little.  If we give abundantly, then God can bless us abundantly.

Or, consider this one: Proverbs 19:17, “He that has pity upon the poor lends unto the LORD; and that which he has given will He pay him again.”

See – the wisdom of men and the wisdom of God are so distant from one another. 

I can still remember my pastor preaching about the materialistic philosophy of the world.  He would say that the world says, “Get all you can, can all you get and then sit on the lid!”  I know what he meant because I had watched my mother “can” many quarts of pickles, green beans and tomato juice.  It makes good sense too – if you want to have a lot of stuff; if you desire security and success, then you must work hard, save and hoard your profits and protect your possessions from the leaches who mooch off of other people’s prosperity – right?.  This sounds like capitalism at its best.  Or, does it sound like greed and self-reliance, two things that God despises. 

The apostle Paul set a good example for us and laid it our forthrightly in Act 20:33-35, “I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.  Yea, you yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.  I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

In another passage he stated that greed; covetousness; materialism is dangerous.  1 Timothy 6:9, “They that will be [or, want to be] rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”  In other words, there are people who end up in hell because they couldn’t get there gaze off of money.

When it comes to money, possessions and time – God says that the way to have more is to give more.  Of course, we shouldn’t give just to get – however, even if (hypothetically) we did give to get, we would be recognizing and submitting to the strategy as laid out by God; trusting Him to keep His promise to provide for us.

Think of Malachi 3:10, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Why do people get upset when preachers start talking about money?  You know, we can blame it on crooked ministers who milk to congregation for all that they are worth while they (the ministers) live the high life.  But is that really what bothers us?  I think the real reason we are disturbed by it is because we all have a problem with loving mammon.  Ecclesiastes 10:19c, “Money answers all things.”  Indeed, it’s a universal language that is easily understood.

1 Timothy 6:10, “The love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”  Some have erred from the faith due to their worshipful adoration of the power of dollar?  Scary! 

Here’s the crazy thing.  Though many are so incredibly consumed with acquiring wealth, status, comfort, affluence and protection – we must remember that the fortress which wealth can provide (and it can provide some) is, in reality, so fragile and fleeting.  Ecclesiastes 7:12, “Wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it.”  What was Solomon saying?  Answer: he meant that there is a permanency in wisdom (which stems from fearing God) that does not accompany money.

Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

What if we actually lived that passage of Scripture?  It doesn’t seem possible does it?  Yet Christ clearly commands us not to dig our roots in deep here in this world.

I know I’m using a large number of quotes from the Scripture today – but, I exhort you to read each passage carefully.  Honestly examine your own priorities and see where you are up beside God’s standard.  Read this lengthy passage:

Luke 12:13-31, “One of the company said unto Jesus, ‘Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.’  And he said unto him, ‘Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?’  And He said unto them, ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.’  And He spake a parable unto them, saying, ‘The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, “What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?”  And he said, “This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”  But God said unto him, “You fool, this night your soul will be required of you: then whose shall those things be, which you have provided?”  So is he that lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”  

“And he said unto his disciples, ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.  The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.  Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?  And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?  If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?  Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will He cloth you, O ye of little faith?  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knows that ye have need of these things.  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.’”

He never said it was evil to be rich.  In fact, God frequently (certainly not always) blesses his children with tangible abundance.  Yet He clearly said that we should leave that up to Him; that we should focus on the invisible, eternal, spiritual things of life.  He gave an obvious warning in Psalm 62:10c, “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.”  The store of money (or time, or ability for that matter) which we are entrusted with in this life is nothing more than a stewardship.  We are to be liberal; generous; extravagant; cheerful in the distribution of that which God places into our hands.  These things are nothing less that tools with which we are to glorify the God of heaven.

I do not claim to be a fiscally astute advisor of mankind.  I’ve certainly made my fair share of selfish and even plumb stupid financial decisions in my life.  In fact, I’m much like Potiphar of old; I hardly know what I own, other than the food that I eat and the clothes that I wear.  My wife is my Joseph.  Yet, despite my aversion to bookkeeping, the principle of giving is the one area where I insist on meddling and nosing in her bean counting.  I’m convinced that giving tithes, offerings and alms (charity to the poor and needy) are key ways for us to demonstrate our faith in God, our love toward Him, our submission to His will and… it is one of the most important ways of investing in celestial real estate.  Our wages are a condensed visible representation of our life, energy and effort.  To use it for God’s honor is a high and holy engagement.

Hear me now - our church finances are in wonderful order.  God has been so good to us.  I’m not writing this because of some corporate need of the body in Hurlock. 

My family is also living quite comfortably – too much so I would submit.  In other words, I’m not writing for personal gain.

I’m writing because I have seen the fruit of giving for myself.  Over and over again in my personal walk with Christ, I’ve seen Him take my pitiful “five loves and two fish” to “feed five thousand” – only to turn around and give me twelve baskets full in return.  There is hardly anything more exciting than giving liberally – especially if you can keep it anonymous.  The Word instructs us (especially in the giving of charity) not to let our right hand know what our left hand is doing.  Wow – that’s pretty covert.  I’m writing to say that if you haven’t learned how to give for the fun of it – then you are missing out on one of the most joyous opportunities of service.  If you begrudge the gift – then just keep it.  You’re not gonna be pleasing God anyway. 

2 Corinthians 9:7, “Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.”

All this week, my family and I have been wrestling with the flu bug.  It has been one of the most miserable weeks of my life (pardon my whining).  It’s bad enough that I’ve not been accomplishing anything, but to be lying around aching, sweating, shivering and NOT sleeping has just about driven me batty.  I have an acute condition that will likely pass in a few days and be forgotten – I can’t comprehend how people with chronic conditions hold onto their sanity.  But, that’s beside the point that I’m trying to make here.  There is always something positive that can be seen as “silver lining” on the blackest of thunderclouds.  Three wonderful ladies have spontaneously brought soup and stuff to us this week.  My suffering, which is light compared to the suffering that most people endure, was used by God as an opportunity for three sweet women to use their gifts and talents in their kitchen for the glory of God and for the comfort of the saints.

Back when Tonya and I were younger and thinner, we drove a noisy little silver Buick Skylark.  It was a great car for us, but had more than it’s fare share of mechanical problems.  I’ll never forget once when the alternator went out on it.  We were strapped for cash and couldn’t afford to replace it.  John Waddle figured this out somehow and bought us the alternator.  I can still remember telling him that we would pay him back ASAP.  He shook is head and said something like, “Don’t worry about it.  There were people who helped me when I was younger.  I’m just passing it along to you.  When you have the chance someday, you pass it along to someone in a worse shape than you are in.”  Boy, did that stick with me!  He understood giving in a grander light than I had ever beheld it.  I had always been a tither – Daddy taught us that from the cradle.  Daddy had helped us to understand offerings as well; giving above and beyond the 10% minimum that God requires.  Now John was adding to my mental arsenal of ways to give the Devil a black eye.  How exciting!

Well, that’s enough for today, I suppose.  Who would imagine that a Fundamental Baptist preacher, such as me, would advise folk to be LIBERAL!?!?!  Yet, when it comes to how we handle money especially, God blesses the liberal soul; the generous contributor; the benevolent philanthropist; the cheerful giver.  He is pleased with a hilarious sacrifice.  Truly, it is much more of a blessing to give than it is to receive!