Sunday, December 8, 2013
Ephesians: The Secret of Prayer
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. -Eph. 6:18
Years ago, my mother and I were on opposite sides of an issue. She was praying for one thing while I was praying for another. At the time, the man I was working for was a godly Christian man, so I took the issue to him. "God doesn't get confused." he said, "Don't you think he gets conflicting requests all of the time?" His suggestion was that I stop praying for that specific issue because of my prejudices and ask others who were not so partial to intercede on my behalf. Since that time, I have been keenly aware of my limited abilities when it comes to prayer and how necessary it is to use other sources for my prayer needs: the prayers of other Christians and the Holy Spirit. Even the apostle Paul, that brilliant writer and wordsmith recognized how limited our own words are. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. - Romans 8:26 NIV
There is a reason for our limited ability to pray on our own behalf, one Paul recognized in his letter to the Ephesians. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. -Eph. 6:12-13 NIV
There is a spiritual force at work that would like to keep us confused, that wants nothing more than to make us ineffective, the power of this dark world that wants to destroy our testimony and power by making us think that we must be doing something wrong when we pray because our prayers are not being answered. God has given us two weapons to combat the resistance of the enemy: the Holy Spirit and the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Utilizing both of these weapons, we will be able to stand firm.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. -Eph. 6:19 NIV
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Galatians: He Has Broken the Chains
I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. - Galatians 2:20-21 KJV
Paul understood the tension between law and grace. Obeying the law does not give us righteousness. In fact, the more we understand the law, the more we become aware that we can never meet all of it's provisions. We can never obtain righteousness on our own. The law is the standard, but if we are truthful, we will admit that we are hopeless, that all of our attempts to carry out the conditions of the law are futile. All we can do is confess we are hopeless, cry for forgiveness, and accept Christ's sacrifice as our fulfillment of the law. Without the cross, we have no hope. But as Paul says, Praise God that His Son, Jesus Christ, did not die in vain. By faith, we have obtained the key that unlocks all of the chains of sin that once bound us. Christ has broken the chains.
Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. - Galatians 3:23-24 NIV
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. - Galatians 2:20-21 KJV
Paul understood the tension between law and grace. Obeying the law does not give us righteousness. In fact, the more we understand the law, the more we become aware that we can never meet all of it's provisions. We can never obtain righteousness on our own. The law is the standard, but if we are truthful, we will admit that we are hopeless, that all of our attempts to carry out the conditions of the law are futile. All we can do is confess we are hopeless, cry for forgiveness, and accept Christ's sacrifice as our fulfillment of the law. Without the cross, we have no hope. But as Paul says, Praise God that His Son, Jesus Christ, did not die in vain. By faith, we have obtained the key that unlocks all of the chains of sin that once bound us. Christ has broken the chains.
Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. - Galatians 3:23-24 NIV
Friday, December 6, 2013
2 Corinthians 9: Generosity
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. - 2 Cor. 9:10-11 NIV
I think a lot of people are confused with the concept of giving and receiving. Many Televangelists would have you believe that if you 'sow a seed of faith' you will receive, which many take to mean if you send money, you will receive a new Cadillac or house of your dreams. That is not the point at all.
We are God's provision to a hurting and dying world. One of the ways they can be reached is through our generosity, a generosity that comes from God, the supplier. God has a great storehouse that is filled with all the world needs, spiritually and materially. That storehouse can be accessed by all believers, but in order to receive from that storehouse, we must have hands that have been emptied first. We must give what we have received away before we can receive more. The riches from God's storehouse are distributed on the basis of how the recipient will distribute them. The more we give away, the more we receive to give away again.
I had an aunt who was fairly wealthy. She was also the most generous person I have ever known. You learned to not compliment her on anything because she would give it to you. I once saw her take off the dress she was wearing and give it to someone else. She was not born wealthy. In fact, she grew up dirt poor but married a man of considerable means. I think God knew her heart from the beginning, in fact, I think God created her with that heart so that she could be one of his vessels for giving to those who were less fortunate.
It isn't just materially that we are to give. We have been given great spiritual blessings: wisdom, faith, healing, all the spiritual gifts. If we don't give these away, we will not have empty hands to receive more from God either. As Paul says, God will make us rich in every way so that we can be generous on all occasions. This is a good time to start.
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. - 2 Cor. 9:10-11 NIV
I think a lot of people are confused with the concept of giving and receiving. Many Televangelists would have you believe that if you 'sow a seed of faith' you will receive, which many take to mean if you send money, you will receive a new Cadillac or house of your dreams. That is not the point at all.
We are God's provision to a hurting and dying world. One of the ways they can be reached is through our generosity, a generosity that comes from God, the supplier. God has a great storehouse that is filled with all the world needs, spiritually and materially. That storehouse can be accessed by all believers, but in order to receive from that storehouse, we must have hands that have been emptied first. We must give what we have received away before we can receive more. The riches from God's storehouse are distributed on the basis of how the recipient will distribute them. The more we give away, the more we receive to give away again.
I had an aunt who was fairly wealthy. She was also the most generous person I have ever known. You learned to not compliment her on anything because she would give it to you. I once saw her take off the dress she was wearing and give it to someone else. She was not born wealthy. In fact, she grew up dirt poor but married a man of considerable means. I think God knew her heart from the beginning, in fact, I think God created her with that heart so that she could be one of his vessels for giving to those who were less fortunate.
It isn't just materially that we are to give. We have been given great spiritual blessings: wisdom, faith, healing, all the spiritual gifts. If we don't give these away, we will not have empty hands to receive more from God either. As Paul says, God will make us rich in every way so that we can be generous on all occasions. This is a good time to start.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
2 Corinthians 4: Renewed Day by Day
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV
I see the preceding verses differently now than I did when I was younger. When I was younger, I thought that when Paul referenced having these "'treasures in jars of clay", he was speaking of our spiritual and emotional weaknesses. When I read these verses now, I see that he is referring to how our bodies eventually waste away. "Death is at work in us", he says in verse 12. Paul could see he was wasting away and that everything on the other side of that great divide called death is more magnificent than anything we can possibly imagine with our limited earthly vision. These troubles here are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us. Would this world be different if we fixed our eyes on the unseen, on the promise, rather than the poor substitute that surrounds us? If we could do that, we would not lose heart but would be as Paul stated, "renewed day by day."
Meanwhile, we live by faith and not by sight, we cannot see the one we love face to face, but we know he is waiting there, our final reward.
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. - 2 Cor.5:6-7 NIV
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV
I see the preceding verses differently now than I did when I was younger. When I was younger, I thought that when Paul referenced having these "'treasures in jars of clay", he was speaking of our spiritual and emotional weaknesses. When I read these verses now, I see that he is referring to how our bodies eventually waste away. "Death is at work in us", he says in verse 12. Paul could see he was wasting away and that everything on the other side of that great divide called death is more magnificent than anything we can possibly imagine with our limited earthly vision. These troubles here are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us. Would this world be different if we fixed our eyes on the unseen, on the promise, rather than the poor substitute that surrounds us? If we could do that, we would not lose heart but would be as Paul stated, "renewed day by day."
Meanwhile, we live by faith and not by sight, we cannot see the one we love face to face, but we know he is waiting there, our final reward.
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. - 2 Cor.5:6-7 NIV
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
2 Corinthians 2: The Fragrance of Christ
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? - 2 Cor. 2:14-16 NIV
This scripture brings to mind the few Catholic or Orthodox services I have attended, where the Bishop or High Priest processes in swinging the incense over the worshippers, with the other priests, acolytes, or altar boys following behind. I am especially reminded of the pomp and ceremony that is practiced in some of the churches in the Holy Land such as the Armenian and Greek Orthodox church. Christ is that High Priest. He is leading us, his church and his fragrance is being spread over the entire world. We often don't see ourselves as such. Instead, we see ourselves as the persecuted ones, those left out of the public arena, the ones being cast aside for a different type of world. We need to see ourselves as what we truly are. We are Christ's army. We are his church. We are being led in procession. It is a glorious thing to behold. Just as I experienced in Jerusalem, it is a procession that stops you in your tracks, that leaves you mesmerized, that makes you forget for a minute all the cares of the world and causes you to concentrate on the worship. We are the fragrance, the perfume, the incense that is being offered to an increasingly foul smelling world. We can't forget that. Our fragrance, the fragrance of the Great High Priest covers the stench of death.
This scripture brings to mind the few Catholic or Orthodox services I have attended, where the Bishop or High Priest processes in swinging the incense over the worshippers, with the other priests, acolytes, or altar boys following behind. I am especially reminded of the pomp and ceremony that is practiced in some of the churches in the Holy Land such as the Armenian and Greek Orthodox church. Christ is that High Priest. He is leading us, his church and his fragrance is being spread over the entire world. We often don't see ourselves as such. Instead, we see ourselves as the persecuted ones, those left out of the public arena, the ones being cast aside for a different type of world. We need to see ourselves as what we truly are. We are Christ's army. We are his church. We are being led in procession. It is a glorious thing to behold. Just as I experienced in Jerusalem, it is a procession that stops you in your tracks, that leaves you mesmerized, that makes you forget for a minute all the cares of the world and causes you to concentrate on the worship. We are the fragrance, the perfume, the incense that is being offered to an increasingly foul smelling world. We can't forget that. Our fragrance, the fragrance of the Great High Priest covers the stench of death.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Psalm 90: The Number of Our Days
All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.
The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. -Ps. 90:9-12 NIV
As I watch my ninety-four year old mother struggle with the end of her life, I am reminded of how fleeting and fragile are the years we have been granted. I have seen many lives of promise cut short before all their dreams and all they could have accomplished came to fruition. I have seen just as many outlive the promise to become trapped in bodies or minds that no longer function. What is the sense in all of this? Would it be better if we were all allotted the same number of years? Would we all leave nothing undone if we knew exactly how much time we have? Or would some of us still fritter away the days while those with more ambition burned the candle at both ends?
In any case, the number of our days is in God's hands. All of us will end our days with a moan. Either the moan of one dying too soon or the moan of one who's life is slowly draining away. We all reach the same fate. The difference lies in how we number our days. We have no choice as to how long our lives will be, our only choice is whether we fill them with vanity or productivity.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Psalms 86: An Undivided Heart
Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. - Ps. 86:11 NIV
God's way is not divided. As the song says, "there is no shadow of turning with Him." He does not change, That is God's way. it is straight, while the crooked appeals to us. The part that leads to destruction is as appealing as a crooked country lane in autumn.
I love the crooked tree lined roads of New England. They are tempting to follow, especially when they are blanked by balling leaves. However, if you are not careful, and try to follow them to the end, you may get lost. The same is true of some of the winding streets in Europe. We were once lost in Dublin. No matter how we tried, we could not get out of the city. We finally stopped at a post office thinking that someone there would be able to direct us. When we asked a lady there how to get to our destination, she told us, 'you're hopelessly lost, you can't get there from here.' That is true of any of us who decide to follow the crooked paths, who have a heart that wants to follow the dictates of this world while remaining true to God at the same time. It can't be done, we will find ourselves hopelessly lost.
The Psalmist knew this truth, only when we have an undivided heart are we able to truly seek after God. Only with an undivided heart, can we see his face.
God's way is not divided. As the song says, "there is no shadow of turning with Him." He does not change, That is God's way. it is straight, while the crooked appeals to us. The part that leads to destruction is as appealing as a crooked country lane in autumn.
I love the crooked tree lined roads of New England. They are tempting to follow, especially when they are blanked by balling leaves. However, if you are not careful, and try to follow them to the end, you may get lost. The same is true of some of the winding streets in Europe. We were once lost in Dublin. No matter how we tried, we could not get out of the city. We finally stopped at a post office thinking that someone there would be able to direct us. When we asked a lady there how to get to our destination, she told us, 'you're hopelessly lost, you can't get there from here.' That is true of any of us who decide to follow the crooked paths, who have a heart that wants to follow the dictates of this world while remaining true to God at the same time. It can't be done, we will find ourselves hopelessly lost.
The Psalmist knew this truth, only when we have an undivided heart are we able to truly seek after God. Only with an undivided heart, can we see his face.
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