Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Daniel Discipline iii
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. (Daniel 3:19)
God wants to put your faith on display for others to see how much you fear Him and love Him. Fire in the bible often is indicative of one’s faith being judged. Did you study the word, pray, fast, attend church and take advantage of opportunity to strengthen your faith by using it while you had a chance? God never sends us any challenges, which He did not first send us opportunity to prepare for.
Paul states that we move from faith to faith (Romans 1:17) and glory to glory (2Co 3:18). Each faith level is only completed after having stood a testing of your faith and passing it by trusting God in matters that opposed your faith. In other words, no one can see faith in your heart; it can only be seen by what you do in test and trial.
Here, these three young Hebrew boys (around the age of 14 years old) had resist eating the king’s meat in chapter 1, overcame the king’s madness in chapter 2, and now would not bow to the king's music in chapter 3. Here, they are not only met with a fiery challenge to their faith, but the furnace is heated seven times hotter than normal. Their faith is tested to the 7th power. The number “7” is the number of perfection, maturity, or completion, indicating that their faith was tested to its fullest extent. And what further extent is there when you are faced with death because you live for Jesus? How did these children stand? They determined that the outcome was ASSURED by God’s promises, regardless of the king's determination. God would either deliver them from the fire or through the fire to heaven. The ultimate goal was only AGREEMENT with God's word, will, way, and work. Thus their course was ABSOLUTE: "We will never serve thy gods!"
Yet as Christians, we could never have known the fullness of Christ without the cross. Jesus had His own fiery furnace experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. He says, “Father, I know you are able to make this bitter cup pass from me, but if not, not my will but thy will be done.” And God did not deliver Him. He went on to the cross so that humanity could see all the vigor, vitality, and virtue that adorned His love for God the Father. The cross squeezed out of Him every drop of the saving beauty that calls us to worship Him, like a wine press squeezes the juice out of the grape. John says, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
A young lady told me “Pastor I really want God to use me!” I said to her “You must be talking about use on your terms rather than His; because, every time the enemy’s music plays, you dance; every time the enemy voices a threat, you’re bending and bowing. Sweetheart, just don’t bow at standing time and God will be using you.” The old hymnologist wrote,
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus
Ye soldiers of the cross
Lift high His royal banner
It must not suffer loss
From victory unto victory
His army shall He lead
Till every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed
Faith is not easy. Obedience rarely feels good in the moment. Your friends may not like it. Your family may not understand it. But if your faith in God never takes you out of your comfort zone, you don’t have any faith. Crosses always come before crowns, and crowns always come after crosses.
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Daniel Disipline
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. (Daniel 1:8)
The popular catch-phrase, "What would Jesus do?" could very well be recast "What would Daniel do?" and you would finish well! The book of Daniel is the youth manual of the bible. The practical book of Daniel is married to the principle book of Proverbs. Daniel puts flesh on the bones of Proverbs.
The Daniel narrative chronicles the entry of the Children of Israel, particularly Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, into Babylonian captivity. The ways of Babylon were quite contrary to the divine Jewish teachings under which Daniel was raised. Daniel simply refused to negotiate any of his godly principles.
The great failure of many Christians is that we have not mastered the Daniel discipline; that is, we have not learned to give up what feels good for what is good. Truth be told, many of us would have more money, more time, more talents, more skills, more degrees, a better marriage, better children and an all together better experience with life and God. If we do the hard work God will reward us with the good feelings later. The wisdom of genuine success is delayed gratification.
The king took the best and brightest of the youth. He commanded that they be fed the Kings meat and the King's wine that they may be broad before the King; that is, that they would experience the provision and the pleasure of serving in the King's court, so that they may embrace Babylonian philosophy. Daniel was determined that he would not compromise to gain the favor of the world. Daniel was determined not to be comforted by worldly pleasures, provisions and philosophy. Discipline is "the strength and wisdom to stay on the course regardless of distraction or temptation. Daniel was determined to consist with what he had been taught in his godly upbringing. Many people die young. The cause of death is stupidity, not the stupidity of not knowing, but the stupidity of not listening. As God told Joshua, "Only be strong and very courageous, to observe and do according to all the law turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go."
Like Babylon, no culture tests all that we've taught our children as does college life. The provision that it promises in the long run, the pleasure it tempts them with daily, and the philosophy it sets them up to buy into are but bate, lined with the trap of compromise. Yet the emphasis throughout the book of Daniel seems to be that even young people can stand for the Lord under political, peer and practical pressure, and they will be the better for it. In fact, it guarantees that they will be use mightily of the Lord.
The king's meat and wine has no place to hook in Daniel, because he is already hooked on God.
The popular catch-phrase, "What would Jesus do?" could very well be recast "What would Daniel do?" and you would finish well! The book of Daniel is the youth manual of the bible. The practical book of Daniel is married to the principle book of Proverbs. Daniel puts flesh on the bones of Proverbs.
The Daniel narrative chronicles the entry of the Children of Israel, particularly Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, into Babylonian captivity. The ways of Babylon were quite contrary to the divine Jewish teachings under which Daniel was raised. Daniel simply refused to negotiate any of his godly principles.
The great failure of many Christians is that we have not mastered the Daniel discipline; that is, we have not learned to give up what feels good for what is good. Truth be told, many of us would have more money, more time, more talents, more skills, more degrees, a better marriage, better children and an all together better experience with life and God. If we do the hard work God will reward us with the good feelings later. The wisdom of genuine success is delayed gratification.
The king took the best and brightest of the youth. He commanded that they be fed the Kings meat and the King's wine that they may be broad before the King; that is, that they would experience the provision and the pleasure of serving in the King's court, so that they may embrace Babylonian philosophy. Daniel was determined that he would not compromise to gain the favor of the world. Daniel was determined not to be comforted by worldly pleasures, provisions and philosophy. Discipline is "the strength and wisdom to stay on the course regardless of distraction or temptation. Daniel was determined to consist with what he had been taught in his godly upbringing. Many people die young. The cause of death is stupidity, not the stupidity of not knowing, but the stupidity of not listening. As God told Joshua, "Only be strong and very courageous, to observe and do according to all the law turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go."
Like Babylon, no culture tests all that we've taught our children as does college life. The provision that it promises in the long run, the pleasure it tempts them with daily, and the philosophy it sets them up to buy into are but bate, lined with the trap of compromise. Yet the emphasis throughout the book of Daniel seems to be that even young people can stand for the Lord under political, peer and practical pressure, and they will be the better for it. In fact, it guarantees that they will be use mightily of the Lord.
The king's meat and wine has no place to hook in Daniel, because he is already hooked on God.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Supplication in Prayer
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (1Jn 5:14-15)
There are four aspects to devotional prayer. Someone created an acrostic that is very helpful in remembering all four aspects: A.C.T.S. "A" stands for "adoration"; "C" stands for "confession"; "T" stands for "thanksgiving," and "S" stands for "supplication."
When considering prayer "supplication" is what usually come to mind. Supplication is to humbly entreat or petition God. The paradox of partition in prayer is that He already knows what you will ask for, what you need, what He will and will not give you before you ask. Simply put, prayer is not about informing God about anything. As Jesus said, “your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask him.” So the question this raises is obvious: Why pray? Why go through this ritual? Beyond simple OBEDIENCE to God, beyond the PRIVILEGE of speaking to your heavenly Father and creator God of the universe, and beyond the fact that our prayers are a UTILITY in God’s plan and program, the ironic thing about supplication is that it is not about God being informed about you but about you being informed about God. In partitioning God the believer experiences the mind of God.
Prayer is not designed to change God’s mind; prayer is designed to bring the believer in line with God’s mind. John is clear on what we can be confident of God doing. Every believer has the right and privilege to finish his partition in confidence of what God’s immediate and present will is; because, he or she is experiencing it. The idea here is that having made one’s request known to God, the believer is to be satisfied in having done so, signified by his or her acceptance of what God has allowed in that moment. The answer may indeed be a yes, no, or not yet; however, the believer’s present position is God’s present prescription.
Should one continue to ask in repetition? The answer is yes without a doubt. Jesus said keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. In the first recorded prayer in the bible Abraham prayed again and again until his heart was satisfied. Paul prayed three times that his thorn in the flesh be removed until God’s “no” soothed his heart as sufficient grace. Even Jesus, our greatest example of how to pray, prayed repeatedly in the Garden of Gethsemane until his human will to live was subdued by God’s will for him to die. That is the very point: fervent, effectual prayer brings us into concert with God’s will and yet quenches our desires with the satisfaction of His pleasure. It does not matter whether God grants one’s request or quenches one’s desire; both results in personal edification and His glory, which is the only proper goal of prayer.
Certainly this raises questions concerning verses that assert ideas such as, “He will give you the desires of your heart” or “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” or “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them,” just to note a few. However, one only needs to observe such verses a bit closer to see the circular reasoning built into the statements. For instance, the “desires of your heart” is granted based on your delighting yourself in Him. The word “delight” is a term of passion or of the “heart”. Thus your heart’s desire is Him, and He promises to give you Him, which is in fact everything one needs. Or again, Jesus prefaces “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” with “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you.” So what words are you using to ask? HIS WORDS! – Because those are the words that are in you and you are in Him or bound in and by parameters as Christ: doing nothing of your self but only what pleases the Father. Even, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” is prefaced with “Have faith in God.” Obviously, this means “confidence” in God’s word, will, way, and work as the only proper context for our partition.
So these very statements, which are frequently hi-jacked as liberties to pursue our own will and pleasure, are really severe limitations on what God will and will not grant us. This is more wonderful than we can perceive. Paradoxically, this really is an infinite and eternal freedom. One might ask illustratively, is a train freer off its track or on its track. Free from its track, a train is both destructive and it self destroyed. However, on its track, it is free to function at its optimum. So it is with the believer praying in God’s will. As Paul put it, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man makes much available to the believer.” Much should not be understood as quantity but quality, which may or may not include quantity. God knows our heart and Jesus said one of the most merciful and gracious things I’ve ever heard about prayer, “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” That is to say God will NEVER EVER give His children that which is useless (a stone) or harmful (a serpent). This idea here is literally, that God protects us from ourselves; because, we often ask for stones and serpents unknowingly. That is asking for things we don’t need or will be detrimental to us. Paul put it this way in another text, “We know not what we should pray for as we ought.” Isn’t it wonderful to know that prayer is safe, contrary to the false notions that God may give you something you should not have asked for. God not only gives us the privilege of prayer but the power of His protection in spite of our own propensities to make poor request.
Jesus does warn “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matthew 6:7.) We should look carefully at the warning; it is not about repetitious prayers, but repetitious words in a prayer. These words are vain and meaningless. WHY? They are vain and meaningless because the heathen thinks such will cause God to hear him. So the problem is not even the repetitious words themselves, but the false assumption about what the repetitious words will achieve. The bible, itself, is not void of repetitious prayers or repetitious words in prayer. The error is the assumption that one can manipulate God into doing what you want Him to do.
Our prayer requests never moves God, it just moves us to knowledge of God's will for us.
There are four aspects to devotional prayer. Someone created an acrostic that is very helpful in remembering all four aspects: A.C.T.S. "A" stands for "adoration"; "C" stands for "confession"; "T" stands for "thanksgiving," and "S" stands for "supplication."
When considering prayer "supplication" is what usually come to mind. Supplication is to humbly entreat or petition God. The paradox of partition in prayer is that He already knows what you will ask for, what you need, what He will and will not give you before you ask. Simply put, prayer is not about informing God about anything. As Jesus said, “your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask him.” So the question this raises is obvious: Why pray? Why go through this ritual? Beyond simple OBEDIENCE to God, beyond the PRIVILEGE of speaking to your heavenly Father and creator God of the universe, and beyond the fact that our prayers are a UTILITY in God’s plan and program, the ironic thing about supplication is that it is not about God being informed about you but about you being informed about God. In partitioning God the believer experiences the mind of God.
Prayer is not designed to change God’s mind; prayer is designed to bring the believer in line with God’s mind. John is clear on what we can be confident of God doing. Every believer has the right and privilege to finish his partition in confidence of what God’s immediate and present will is; because, he or she is experiencing it. The idea here is that having made one’s request known to God, the believer is to be satisfied in having done so, signified by his or her acceptance of what God has allowed in that moment. The answer may indeed be a yes, no, or not yet; however, the believer’s present position is God’s present prescription.
Should one continue to ask in repetition? The answer is yes without a doubt. Jesus said keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. In the first recorded prayer in the bible Abraham prayed again and again until his heart was satisfied. Paul prayed three times that his thorn in the flesh be removed until God’s “no” soothed his heart as sufficient grace. Even Jesus, our greatest example of how to pray, prayed repeatedly in the Garden of Gethsemane until his human will to live was subdued by God’s will for him to die. That is the very point: fervent, effectual prayer brings us into concert with God’s will and yet quenches our desires with the satisfaction of His pleasure. It does not matter whether God grants one’s request or quenches one’s desire; both results in personal edification and His glory, which is the only proper goal of prayer.
Certainly this raises questions concerning verses that assert ideas such as, “He will give you the desires of your heart” or “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” or “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them,” just to note a few. However, one only needs to observe such verses a bit closer to see the circular reasoning built into the statements. For instance, the “desires of your heart” is granted based on your delighting yourself in Him. The word “delight” is a term of passion or of the “heart”. Thus your heart’s desire is Him, and He promises to give you Him, which is in fact everything one needs. Or again, Jesus prefaces “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” with “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you.” So what words are you using to ask? HIS WORDS! – Because those are the words that are in you and you are in Him or bound in and by parameters as Christ: doing nothing of your self but only what pleases the Father. Even, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” is prefaced with “Have faith in God.” Obviously, this means “confidence” in God’s word, will, way, and work as the only proper context for our partition.
So these very statements, which are frequently hi-jacked as liberties to pursue our own will and pleasure, are really severe limitations on what God will and will not grant us. This is more wonderful than we can perceive. Paradoxically, this really is an infinite and eternal freedom. One might ask illustratively, is a train freer off its track or on its track. Free from its track, a train is both destructive and it self destroyed. However, on its track, it is free to function at its optimum. So it is with the believer praying in God’s will. As Paul put it, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man makes much available to the believer.” Much should not be understood as quantity but quality, which may or may not include quantity. God knows our heart and Jesus said one of the most merciful and gracious things I’ve ever heard about prayer, “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” That is to say God will NEVER EVER give His children that which is useless (a stone) or harmful (a serpent). This idea here is literally, that God protects us from ourselves; because, we often ask for stones and serpents unknowingly. That is asking for things we don’t need or will be detrimental to us. Paul put it this way in another text, “We know not what we should pray for as we ought.” Isn’t it wonderful to know that prayer is safe, contrary to the false notions that God may give you something you should not have asked for. God not only gives us the privilege of prayer but the power of His protection in spite of our own propensities to make poor request.
Jesus does warn “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matthew 6:7.) We should look carefully at the warning; it is not about repetitious prayers, but repetitious words in a prayer. These words are vain and meaningless. WHY? They are vain and meaningless because the heathen thinks such will cause God to hear him. So the problem is not even the repetitious words themselves, but the false assumption about what the repetitious words will achieve. The bible, itself, is not void of repetitious prayers or repetitious words in prayer. The error is the assumption that one can manipulate God into doing what you want Him to do.
Our prayer requests never moves God, it just moves us to knowledge of God's will for us.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Confession in Prayer
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9.)
There are four aspects to devotional prayer. Someone created an acrostic that is very helpful in remembering all four aspects: A.C.T.S. "A" stands for "adoration"; "C" stands for "confession"; "T" stands for "thanksgiving," and "S" stands for "supplication."
Intimacy is not only marked by the togetherness of fellowship but by the openness of fellowship, and therein forgiveness is dealt out and cleansing is carried out by God. Through confession in prayer the believer realizes the cleansing of God. It is made obvious by confession of sins that a person's heart is contrite, his or her intents are pure, and that he or she is working to put off all manner of bitterness, anger and malice; it would be dishonorable to do anything other than to forgive and restore one who is broken and shamed at his own failings. And what a word of guarantee found in John’s characterization of God: “He is faithful and just.”
Honesty about one's self, sins, struggles and solicitations is the very spindle of the prayer wheel. Jesus says, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret." He wants us to be all the way in secret from men, so we can be all the way open with God.
An old preacher was teaching a child to pray. After the child silently prayed for himself, the preacher asked him "Did you tell God everything?" He responded "Yes! I told God everything I wanted to tell him." The first surprise of secret prayer is the difficulty of specific and honest confession to God. The Second surprise of secret prayer is the stuff in your life that you are somewhat reluctant to ask God to take. Yes, you will find that there are some things that are even hard to tell God about you and some places in your life that you still wish to hold onto and keep God out of. The fact is pride even accompanies us into our secret prayer closet.
It is interesting that in Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well; he does not let her know what he knows until she confesses it. Our carnality makes it difficult to perceive the reality of God's omniscience. Obeying Him through confession allows us to experience His omniscience through divine confirmation. We must learn to be honest with the one we can never be dishonest with anyway, to own up to what He already knows about us, quit hiding among the trees, cease running from his presence, stop fearing his voice, take off the fig leaves, take off the front, take off the fraud, remove the mask, kill the cover up, and live naked and unashamed before Him.
John indicates that the admission of our sins always results in the righteous forgiveness and cleansing of all unrighteousness in accordance with the promise and character of God as his goal for the Christian is not destruction but deliverance, not condemnation but compassion, not to forsake us but to forgive us.
The old maxim says "Open confession is good for the soul." The sentiment of this verse is that fellowship is fostered through honest and open confession of sins as sin. Such confessional honesty is found resident in specifics, not generalities. You did not sin generally but specifically. One must walk the stairs of confession of his or her realized sins to the purifying presence and cleansing power of almighty God. Through confessional prayer God does all of the heavy lifting for you.
There are four aspects to devotional prayer. Someone created an acrostic that is very helpful in remembering all four aspects: A.C.T.S. "A" stands for "adoration"; "C" stands for "confession"; "T" stands for "thanksgiving," and "S" stands for "supplication."
Intimacy is not only marked by the togetherness of fellowship but by the openness of fellowship, and therein forgiveness is dealt out and cleansing is carried out by God. Through confession in prayer the believer realizes the cleansing of God. It is made obvious by confession of sins that a person's heart is contrite, his or her intents are pure, and that he or she is working to put off all manner of bitterness, anger and malice; it would be dishonorable to do anything other than to forgive and restore one who is broken and shamed at his own failings. And what a word of guarantee found in John’s characterization of God: “He is faithful and just.”
Honesty about one's self, sins, struggles and solicitations is the very spindle of the prayer wheel. Jesus says, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret." He wants us to be all the way in secret from men, so we can be all the way open with God.
An old preacher was teaching a child to pray. After the child silently prayed for himself, the preacher asked him "Did you tell God everything?" He responded "Yes! I told God everything I wanted to tell him." The first surprise of secret prayer is the difficulty of specific and honest confession to God. The Second surprise of secret prayer is the stuff in your life that you are somewhat reluctant to ask God to take. Yes, you will find that there are some things that are even hard to tell God about you and some places in your life that you still wish to hold onto and keep God out of. The fact is pride even accompanies us into our secret prayer closet.
It is interesting that in Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well; he does not let her know what he knows until she confesses it. Our carnality makes it difficult to perceive the reality of God's omniscience. Obeying Him through confession allows us to experience His omniscience through divine confirmation. We must learn to be honest with the one we can never be dishonest with anyway, to own up to what He already knows about us, quit hiding among the trees, cease running from his presence, stop fearing his voice, take off the fig leaves, take off the front, take off the fraud, remove the mask, kill the cover up, and live naked and unashamed before Him.
John indicates that the admission of our sins always results in the righteous forgiveness and cleansing of all unrighteousness in accordance with the promise and character of God as his goal for the Christian is not destruction but deliverance, not condemnation but compassion, not to forsake us but to forgive us.
The old maxim says "Open confession is good for the soul." The sentiment of this verse is that fellowship is fostered through honest and open confession of sins as sin. Such confessional honesty is found resident in specifics, not generalities. You did not sin generally but specifically. One must walk the stairs of confession of his or her realized sins to the purifying presence and cleansing power of almighty God. Through confessional prayer God does all of the heavy lifting for you.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Thanksgiving in Prayer
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4)
There are four aspects to devotional prayer. Someone created an acrostic that is very helpful in remembering all four aspects: A.C.T.S. "A" stands for "adoration"; "C" stands for "confession"; "T" stands for "thanksgiving," and "S" stands for "supplication."
The greatest facilitator of peace through prayer is not partition but thanksgiving; it is not leaving what concerns you at the altar, but the attitude in which you approach the altar. Thanksgiving means that one prays to God not with a comprehensive list of what He has done. That is impossible! Rather, one prays with an attitude of thanksgiving, particularly thanking God in relationship to your partitions. By thanking God in prayer, the believer will realize the joy, peace, and contentment of God by appreciating God’s grace and mercy; that is, expressing gratefulness for receiving so many good things and yet not experiencing so many not so good things that could have occurred. As a youth, I remember the elders praying, “Lord, I thank you that things are as well as they are.” Thanksgiving in prayer is to approach the throne of God with respect for His sovereignty, supremacy and sufficiency. Simply put, it is to understand that whatever you need or whatever you are going through is exactly what you need at that very moment. If it were not than God would never have allowed it to be. As Paul put it, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” This does not at all preclude expressing one’s subjective partitions, as such flows out of the desires of your heart; however, thanksgiving is the appropriate disposition by which subjects are to come in to the presence of the King to express those desires. It is to recognize the words of Paul in Romans 8, “For we know not what we should pray for as we ought.” I often say to my congregation the most important posture in prayer is not on your knees, but recognizing that He is God and you are not.
How much more effective is a child’s appeal to his parents, when he or she approaches them with genuine respect of whatever their final decision is and sincere gratitude for their loving-kindness as parents. This, to say the least, exhibits love, wisdom, maturity, responsibility, and submission.
I was talking to a lady about being thankful to God in prayer. She said, “I am always thankful. In fact, I thank God for giving me what I am asking for in advance.” I refrained from laughing at such a ridiculous notion. I said to her, “you cannot know what God is going to do. You can only truly thank someone for what they have done. Advanced thanksgiving is neither a logical or biblical concept. That is neither respect nor gratitude to God but an attempt at manipulating God.
While often we come to God in some sense of discomfort, feeling as though we really need what we are requesting, the surprise is often the comfort that results from simply thanking Him for what we already have or what He has protected us from. One should not pray about tomorrow without thanking Him for today. Thanksgiving in prayer often results in discovering that one's circumstance is not as intense as it appeared prior to prayer. One should not ask for more without thanking Him for what he already has. One should not pray for His help without first thanking Him for having kept him thus far. We should not only think about, but pray about, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, and whatsoever things are of good report.
At all times especially in prayer we must, “Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.” After expressing genuine thanksgiving, one will always leave prayer time with joy, peace, and contentment, and no doubt having prayed more fervently, effectually and thus effectively.
There are four aspects to devotional prayer. Someone created an acrostic that is very helpful in remembering all four aspects: A.C.T.S. "A" stands for "adoration"; "C" stands for "confession"; "T" stands for "thanksgiving," and "S" stands for "supplication."
The greatest facilitator of peace through prayer is not partition but thanksgiving; it is not leaving what concerns you at the altar, but the attitude in which you approach the altar. Thanksgiving means that one prays to God not with a comprehensive list of what He has done. That is impossible! Rather, one prays with an attitude of thanksgiving, particularly thanking God in relationship to your partitions. By thanking God in prayer, the believer will realize the joy, peace, and contentment of God by appreciating God’s grace and mercy; that is, expressing gratefulness for receiving so many good things and yet not experiencing so many not so good things that could have occurred. As a youth, I remember the elders praying, “Lord, I thank you that things are as well as they are.” Thanksgiving in prayer is to approach the throne of God with respect for His sovereignty, supremacy and sufficiency. Simply put, it is to understand that whatever you need or whatever you are going through is exactly what you need at that very moment. If it were not than God would never have allowed it to be. As Paul put it, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” This does not at all preclude expressing one’s subjective partitions, as such flows out of the desires of your heart; however, thanksgiving is the appropriate disposition by which subjects are to come in to the presence of the King to express those desires. It is to recognize the words of Paul in Romans 8, “For we know not what we should pray for as we ought.” I often say to my congregation the most important posture in prayer is not on your knees, but recognizing that He is God and you are not.
How much more effective is a child’s appeal to his parents, when he or she approaches them with genuine respect of whatever their final decision is and sincere gratitude for their loving-kindness as parents. This, to say the least, exhibits love, wisdom, maturity, responsibility, and submission.
I was talking to a lady about being thankful to God in prayer. She said, “I am always thankful. In fact, I thank God for giving me what I am asking for in advance.” I refrained from laughing at such a ridiculous notion. I said to her, “you cannot know what God is going to do. You can only truly thank someone for what they have done. Advanced thanksgiving is neither a logical or biblical concept. That is neither respect nor gratitude to God but an attempt at manipulating God.
While often we come to God in some sense of discomfort, feeling as though we really need what we are requesting, the surprise is often the comfort that results from simply thanking Him for what we already have or what He has protected us from. One should not pray about tomorrow without thanking Him for today. Thanksgiving in prayer often results in discovering that one's circumstance is not as intense as it appeared prior to prayer. One should not ask for more without thanking Him for what he already has. One should not pray for His help without first thanking Him for having kept him thus far. We should not only think about, but pray about, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, and whatsoever things are of good report.
At all times especially in prayer we must, “Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.” After expressing genuine thanksgiving, one will always leave prayer time with joy, peace, and contentment, and no doubt having prayed more fervently, effectually and thus effectively.
Monday, December 21, 2009
A Setting For A Coming
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:13-14
Seeds of ambiguity have been sown among believers, as to whether Christians should observe the Christmas celebration. Some have gone as far as deeming it a pagan practice, yet a look at history will not affirm this. Christmas has its origin, not in paganism, nor in edicts of Emperor Constantine, but in the church. That's right! The church has always set aside a day to celebrate the birth of Christ. While no one knows the day that Jesus Christ was born, the day of observance was not first December 25th, but January 6th. Some say it was a syncretistic change of date, meant to merge Christian and pagan worship. However, history does not produce the outrage, debate, division, or bloodshed that such a motive would have occasioned. Rather history is more aligned with the idea that, in agreement, the church sought to counter pagan observances by moving the Christmas celebration. This seems clear not only by the absence of resistance, but confirmed by the fact that this was not the only holiday moved as a counter measure to pagan observances.
While history of this sort is very meaningful and one should be careful in either contradicting or abandoning the long standing traditions of the church, there is still a higher authority that sets forth a pattern of celebrating the birth of Christ.
The angels celebrated the birth of Christ, for they sang "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Not only did the angels celebrate the birth of Christ, but the shepherds celebrated the birth of Christ, "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen." Not only so, but eight days after Jesus was born, there in the temple, Simeon the priest celebrated the birth of Christ saying, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." And after him, a widow who served continually at the temple, the prophetess Anna, she celebrated the birth of Christ, as she gave thanks "and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." About two years later, the wise men arrived at the home of Mary and Joseph and they celebrated the birth of Jesus, "and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." Is this not a pattern of celebrating the birth of Christ to be imitated?
For 400 years God had shut up heaven. Since the prophet Malachi, there was no word, no revelation, no prophet, and no preacher. Isaiah described the conditional context of the advent of the Savior as a drought, dry and unfruitful ground, a land filled with crusting and cracking river beds. And then an emerging greenery came into view, a shoot out of the parched dirt, and the consoling sight of life, the hope of fertility.
This is the setting, circumstance, context, background of Christmas. The setting for the coming of Christ is the extended silence of heaven broken by the heralding voices singing angels. For the one who understands the setting in which the birth of Christ occurs, it not only commands the celebration of Christmas but it demands the celebration of Christmas. Moreover such shallow religion that does not affirm the celebration of Christmas, one may rest assured that it is neither biblical nor Christian.
Seeds of ambiguity have been sown among believers, as to whether Christians should observe the Christmas celebration. Some have gone as far as deeming it a pagan practice, yet a look at history will not affirm this. Christmas has its origin, not in paganism, nor in edicts of Emperor Constantine, but in the church. That's right! The church has always set aside a day to celebrate the birth of Christ. While no one knows the day that Jesus Christ was born, the day of observance was not first December 25th, but January 6th. Some say it was a syncretistic change of date, meant to merge Christian and pagan worship. However, history does not produce the outrage, debate, division, or bloodshed that such a motive would have occasioned. Rather history is more aligned with the idea that, in agreement, the church sought to counter pagan observances by moving the Christmas celebration. This seems clear not only by the absence of resistance, but confirmed by the fact that this was not the only holiday moved as a counter measure to pagan observances.
While history of this sort is very meaningful and one should be careful in either contradicting or abandoning the long standing traditions of the church, there is still a higher authority that sets forth a pattern of celebrating the birth of Christ.
The angels celebrated the birth of Christ, for they sang "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Not only did the angels celebrate the birth of Christ, but the shepherds celebrated the birth of Christ, "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen." Not only so, but eight days after Jesus was born, there in the temple, Simeon the priest celebrated the birth of Christ saying, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." And after him, a widow who served continually at the temple, the prophetess Anna, she celebrated the birth of Christ, as she gave thanks "and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." About two years later, the wise men arrived at the home of Mary and Joseph and they celebrated the birth of Jesus, "and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." Is this not a pattern of celebrating the birth of Christ to be imitated?
For 400 years God had shut up heaven. Since the prophet Malachi, there was no word, no revelation, no prophet, and no preacher. Isaiah described the conditional context of the advent of the Savior as a drought, dry and unfruitful ground, a land filled with crusting and cracking river beds. And then an emerging greenery came into view, a shoot out of the parched dirt, and the consoling sight of life, the hope of fertility.
This is the setting, circumstance, context, background of Christmas. The setting for the coming of Christ is the extended silence of heaven broken by the heralding voices singing angels. For the one who understands the setting in which the birth of Christ occurs, it not only commands the celebration of Christmas but it demands the celebration of Christmas. Moreover such shallow religion that does not affirm the celebration of Christmas, one may rest assured that it is neither biblical nor Christian.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Instruct Me In The Night Seasons
Psa 16:7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
What a wholesome resolve. Not only passionate but intellectual – “I will,” yet not only intellectual but passionate – “my reins.” And there is no other way to please God then to remain passionately tied to the word of God in the dark times. Yet this is often when Christians make excuses by appealing to the frailty of our humanity, and are emotionally turned to self-preservation rather than divine dependency.
The wise counsel of God is not as much for day as it is for the night seasons. What need is there to turn to other alternatives in the blissful season? What new source of light is sought in the brightness of day? Temptation dwells in the night, in the uncertainty of the wilderness experience, and in the presence of pain without apparent remedy.
Night seasons are unpredictable and they call for unpredictable behavior. And there is for the believer light in darkness, joy in sorrow, and assurance in uncertainty. Is not counsel given by God, a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path? The word of God instructs us when the day becomes dusk and dusk becomes dark. When what to do is no longer evident and obvious, when everything one thought would help is exhausted, and when all other advisors are at an impasse, what one knows of God remains reliable, stable and sure.
One may have at points blessed his own wisdom. One may have at points blessed his own ingenuity. One may have at points blessed his good friends. All of these bear some level of appropriateness. However, in the night seasons it is time to bless the Lord and Him alone.
The night seasons are not times to turn to the right or left. The night seasons are not times to doubt what God has said. The night seasons are not times to conclude that it’s more than you can bear. The night seasons are not times to conclude that God has forsaken you. The night seasons are not times to fall into fleshly consolations.
In the night seasons, one may have to know like Abraham that the Lord will provide a sacrifice in the place of your son. In the night seasons, one may have to say like the three Hebrew children, “If the Lord will not deliver me from the fire, I still won’t bow.” In the night seasons one may have to do like David after the death of a child, “arise from the earth, and wash, and anoint himself, and change his apparel, and come into the house of the LORD, and worship.” In the night seasons one must be informed by God’s counsel and driven by an unwavering attachment to the same.
What a wholesome resolve. Not only passionate but intellectual – “I will,” yet not only intellectual but passionate – “my reins.” And there is no other way to please God then to remain passionately tied to the word of God in the dark times. Yet this is often when Christians make excuses by appealing to the frailty of our humanity, and are emotionally turned to self-preservation rather than divine dependency.
The wise counsel of God is not as much for day as it is for the night seasons. What need is there to turn to other alternatives in the blissful season? What new source of light is sought in the brightness of day? Temptation dwells in the night, in the uncertainty of the wilderness experience, and in the presence of pain without apparent remedy.
Night seasons are unpredictable and they call for unpredictable behavior. And there is for the believer light in darkness, joy in sorrow, and assurance in uncertainty. Is not counsel given by God, a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path? The word of God instructs us when the day becomes dusk and dusk becomes dark. When what to do is no longer evident and obvious, when everything one thought would help is exhausted, and when all other advisors are at an impasse, what one knows of God remains reliable, stable and sure.
One may have at points blessed his own wisdom. One may have at points blessed his own ingenuity. One may have at points blessed his good friends. All of these bear some level of appropriateness. However, in the night seasons it is time to bless the Lord and Him alone.
The night seasons are not times to turn to the right or left. The night seasons are not times to doubt what God has said. The night seasons are not times to conclude that it’s more than you can bear. The night seasons are not times to conclude that God has forsaken you. The night seasons are not times to fall into fleshly consolations.
In the night seasons, one may have to know like Abraham that the Lord will provide a sacrifice in the place of your son. In the night seasons, one may have to say like the three Hebrew children, “If the Lord will not deliver me from the fire, I still won’t bow.” In the night seasons one may have to do like David after the death of a child, “arise from the earth, and wash, and anoint himself, and change his apparel, and come into the house of the LORD, and worship.” In the night seasons one must be informed by God’s counsel and driven by an unwavering attachment to the same.
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