Ephesians 6:18-20 "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. 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, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."
Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus while he was imprisoned in Rome. In fact, he wrote the letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon during that same period. As Paul wrote His word of exhortation to the Ephesians, he shared that he knelt "before the Father . . . . (that) He [God] may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." (Eph. 3:14-17). Paul continued by sharing that he prayed that they might experience true depth of faith and love, and that they would have power to grasp the magnitude of Christ's love for them. Paul was astute enough to know that the greater the Ephesians appreciated Christ's love and grace, the more they would be inspired to share that faith with others and to live lives of obedience to God as an expression of appreciation. Paul knew that this is exactly where the Lord would desire them to be.
Now, at the end of his letter, Paul petitioned the Ephesians to pray on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. He knew that the more the people were engaged in a regular communion with the Lord, the closer they would be drawn into fellowship with Him. Paul too knew that with more prayers (and thus acknowledgement of the need for God's regular intervention in their lives), the believers would experience the blessedness of seeing God orchestrate things which would be absolutely magnificent and quite possibly outside the realm of what they anticipated. This would draw the people into a spirit of praise and adoration of God for His responding in truly spectacular ways.
Paul uses in his letter an interesting imperative to "be alert." Much like a watchman on a city wall that would assess the circumstances before him to assure the safety and protection of himself and his fellow citizens, so too Paul charged the Christians at Ephesus to be alert and keep praying for the saints. We as the body of Christ are on this journey called life together, and we need to lift each other to the Lord with regularity for provision, for protection, and for guidance. Paul too asked that they pray for him so that he would share the mystery of the gospel clearly and fearlessly to those in Rome. One can only imagine the persecutions that Paul experienced as he awaited his trial there. He knew that his life likely would be sacrificed for the cause of Christ, if he remained faithful to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ. And yet at the same time, he understood that in his flesh, there would come a temptation to seek the easy way out so as to avoid his demise. Paul asked that his brothers and sisters in Christ in Ephesus lift him up so that he might boldly share the message, no matter the outcome. He knew that his strength would come from the Holy Spirit, and this is why he himself prayed similar prayers for the Ephesian believers with regularity.
This text is a wonderful word for us today, for it seems that one of the prevailing shortcomings of today's disciples of Christ is the offering of regular prayers of all kinds to the Lord . . . particularly prayers that call out to God to strengthen fellow believers with His power and His wisdom. How often are we praying for each other, that we would grasp the magitude of His grace and love for us? How much are we praying for others to have a distinguishing depth of faith in God and love for others? How much are we praying that our fellow believers would speak the truth of the gospel with boldness and clarity when opportunities are afforded to them? It sounds like we need to "get to praying."
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
True Worship
Zechariah 7:5-6,9-10: "When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? . . . . This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'"
Zechariah the prophet lived during a time when the people of Israel had been away from the Promised Land for seventy years, due to their obstinate rebellion against the Lord and His Word. And whereas the people responded early to their calamity of captivity (and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple) with a spirit of mourning and fasting, over the years their religious practices had become more an event of formality and self-indulgence than true repentance. These were the very ingredients that caused the judgment of God to befall them seventy years before. The Jewish people's failure to focus upon the Lord and His purposes caused such a lack of driven determination to seek the Lord that they had begun to satisfy their own appetites and offer token religious rituals to satisfy their spiritual obligations. These were a people who had become so lethargic in their spiritual walk that they just didn't care about God and what He might be up to. In effect, their lack of faith was a sacrilege against the Sovereign reign of the One True God and His character traits of love and faithfulness to fulfill His promise that He would redeem them and restore them to the Promised Land.
God's summoning of Zechariah at such a time as this was to remind the people that the type of worship that the LORD truly desired was one that was expressed through obedience. To be sure, God previously had told their forefathers to be a people of justice, to show mercy and compassion, to help the marginalized and needy, and to cultivate in their hearts a spirit of love for one another. Sadly, these descendants who should have known better through their own living out the consequences of sin by being in captivity, were acting no differently than their predecessors. They were selfish, and they were religiously arrogant, believing that they had fulfilled their spiritual obligations to God. What they really needed was genuine repentance from their wickedness of religious routine with no reverence for God and His commandments.
This is a good word for us today. How many of us are inclined to go through the motions of worship without a heart open to obeying the instructions of our Lord to be merciful, loving, compassionate, and just? How many of us lapse into religious routine without even thinking that our hearts are so far removed from the LORD that our worship is grotesque sacrilege to the King of Kings? How many of us believe that we've offered to God a form of worship and now He is obligated to bless us for it? The best way to examine ourselves and our worship is to see if we are faithfully fulfilling the dictates that He has given us above. If we are, then our worship before the LORD is a savory expression of adoration and exaltation of Him; and in these genuine expressions of worship, our Lord is well pleased.
Zechariah the prophet lived during a time when the people of Israel had been away from the Promised Land for seventy years, due to their obstinate rebellion against the Lord and His Word. And whereas the people responded early to their calamity of captivity (and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple) with a spirit of mourning and fasting, over the years their religious practices had become more an event of formality and self-indulgence than true repentance. These were the very ingredients that caused the judgment of God to befall them seventy years before. The Jewish people's failure to focus upon the Lord and His purposes caused such a lack of driven determination to seek the Lord that they had begun to satisfy their own appetites and offer token religious rituals to satisfy their spiritual obligations. These were a people who had become so lethargic in their spiritual walk that they just didn't care about God and what He might be up to. In effect, their lack of faith was a sacrilege against the Sovereign reign of the One True God and His character traits of love and faithfulness to fulfill His promise that He would redeem them and restore them to the Promised Land.
God's summoning of Zechariah at such a time as this was to remind the people that the type of worship that the LORD truly desired was one that was expressed through obedience. To be sure, God previously had told their forefathers to be a people of justice, to show mercy and compassion, to help the marginalized and needy, and to cultivate in their hearts a spirit of love for one another. Sadly, these descendants who should have known better through their own living out the consequences of sin by being in captivity, were acting no differently than their predecessors. They were selfish, and they were religiously arrogant, believing that they had fulfilled their spiritual obligations to God. What they really needed was genuine repentance from their wickedness of religious routine with no reverence for God and His commandments.
This is a good word for us today. How many of us are inclined to go through the motions of worship without a heart open to obeying the instructions of our Lord to be merciful, loving, compassionate, and just? How many of us lapse into religious routine without even thinking that our hearts are so far removed from the LORD that our worship is grotesque sacrilege to the King of Kings? How many of us believe that we've offered to God a form of worship and now He is obligated to bless us for it? The best way to examine ourselves and our worship is to see if we are faithfully fulfilling the dictates that He has given us above. If we are, then our worship before the LORD is a savory expression of adoration and exaltation of Him; and in these genuine expressions of worship, our Lord is well pleased.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Refinement
Zechariah 13:9: "I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"
God is in the refining business, and He is apt to test us with regularity to see if we will depend upon Him and His Word (Deut. 8:2-3). Much like the Israelites who had just celebrated their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt in Exodus 15, only to find themselves being led by the LORD into a dry and desolate desert, so too God will introduce challenges in our lives to get us to seek Him for His guidance, His power, His provision, and His protection. And from these experiences, we are drawn into a closer fellowship with Him.
God too uses the hardships of life to draw us closer to Him in a spirit of heartfelt contrition for sin. When we are sinning, God will introduce situations in our lives that will cause us to stop in our tracks, see the futility of our ways, and seek Him with repentant hearts. It is then that God has us right where He desires us to be . . . and He refines us much like precious metals go through refinement so that they can come forth with more purity and preciousness.
This is a good word for us. Remember that God will not leave you in a static state. His love for you will provoke you to respond to Him, and His desire is for you to grow closer to Him. See the challenges in your life as a beckoning of God for you to reorient yourself towards Him in a heightened sense of dependency and delight in His provision and presence. Then you will understand the plans of the Lord for you, and you will take great delight in His refinement of you.
God is in the refining business, and He is apt to test us with regularity to see if we will depend upon Him and His Word (Deut. 8:2-3). Much like the Israelites who had just celebrated their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt in Exodus 15, only to find themselves being led by the LORD into a dry and desolate desert, so too God will introduce challenges in our lives to get us to seek Him for His guidance, His power, His provision, and His protection. And from these experiences, we are drawn into a closer fellowship with Him.
God too uses the hardships of life to draw us closer to Him in a spirit of heartfelt contrition for sin. When we are sinning, God will introduce situations in our lives that will cause us to stop in our tracks, see the futility of our ways, and seek Him with repentant hearts. It is then that God has us right where He desires us to be . . . and He refines us much like precious metals go through refinement so that they can come forth with more purity and preciousness.
This is a good word for us. Remember that God will not leave you in a static state. His love for you will provoke you to respond to Him, and His desire is for you to grow closer to Him. See the challenges in your life as a beckoning of God for you to reorient yourself towards Him in a heightened sense of dependency and delight in His provision and presence. Then you will understand the plans of the Lord for you, and you will take great delight in His refinement of you.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
The Sun of Righteousness Will Rise With Healing in Its Wings
Malachi 4:2: "But as for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings."
I find it ironic that I would read through this passage of scripture during the month of December, because the classic carol, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, has this very verse contained in one of its stanzas. This carol was penned by the famous hymn writer, Charles Wesley (brother of John Wesley) and redacted by the great evangelist, George Whitefield . . . great men of faith who made significant contributions to the American and English revivalist movements of the eighteenth century.
As one reads through the book of Malachi, one quickly finds a strong admonishment by God toward the Israelites for attempting to defame the Name of God through their doubting His love, their offering blemished sacrifices, their breaking covenants with each other, their questioning God's justice, and their doubting whether serving God was worth it.
God warns the people that His name would not be profaned, but instead it would be exalted throughout the world. He then shares a promise with the people that if they revered His name, He would be the "Sun of Righteousness that would bring healing in its wings." The Lord would bring light and life to them and mend the troubles that they had faced, so that they might burst forth in strength and power much like a calf just released from a stall. The Lord too exclaimed that He would bring victory to them over their enemies, so that they would be like "ashes under the soles of [their] feet." Conversely, those who were rebellious and arrogant should expect to be consumed like stubble that is set on fire . . . completely consumed by its flames.
This is a good word for us, for as we sing the famous Christmas carol, we are reminded that God will bring to us the light of life and the blessedness of healing and victory over our formidable foes if we exalt His name, surrender to His will, and follow Him in obedience; otherwise, we should not expect the blessings of the "Son" of Righteousness.
I find it ironic that I would read through this passage of scripture during the month of December, because the classic carol, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, has this very verse contained in one of its stanzas. This carol was penned by the famous hymn writer, Charles Wesley (brother of John Wesley) and redacted by the great evangelist, George Whitefield . . . great men of faith who made significant contributions to the American and English revivalist movements of the eighteenth century.
As one reads through the book of Malachi, one quickly finds a strong admonishment by God toward the Israelites for attempting to defame the Name of God through their doubting His love, their offering blemished sacrifices, their breaking covenants with each other, their questioning God's justice, and their doubting whether serving God was worth it.
God warns the people that His name would not be profaned, but instead it would be exalted throughout the world. He then shares a promise with the people that if they revered His name, He would be the "Sun of Righteousness that would bring healing in its wings." The Lord would bring light and life to them and mend the troubles that they had faced, so that they might burst forth in strength and power much like a calf just released from a stall. The Lord too exclaimed that He would bring victory to them over their enemies, so that they would be like "ashes under the soles of [their] feet." Conversely, those who were rebellious and arrogant should expect to be consumed like stubble that is set on fire . . . completely consumed by its flames.
This is a good word for us, for as we sing the famous Christmas carol, we are reminded that God will bring to us the light of life and the blessedness of healing and victory over our formidable foes if we exalt His name, surrender to His will, and follow Him in obedience; otherwise, we should not expect the blessings of the "Son" of Righteousness.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Sometimes Addition Can Be a Very Bad Thing
Proverbs 30:5-6: "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar."
There is a popular trend today in people boldly proclaiming their opinions as to what they believe and why they are living their lives a certain way. And in many of these instances, the explanation given to support their convictions is "God told me to . . . ." Whereas there is Biblical support for the Holy Spirit communing with the spirit of the true disciple of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:16; John 16:13-14), we will never find God to be duplicitous. He will never contradict Himself and His Word.
The Holy Scriptures are God's love letter to us. Why you may ask? It is because God has chosen the Scriptures as the venue to share with us first who He is (i.e. His character, His attributes); secondly His expectations for us (His will); thirdly, His act of infinite love and grace through the cross when we defied His holy commands, and lastly His desire to dwell eternally with those of us who would respond to His offering of grace through faith, repentance, and surrender.
Now, we unfortunately find today that people will circumvent the text of Scripture and interject their own convictions and opinions as to how they are to live their lives, and they might even suggest that God has directly confirmed to them that their choices are divinely sanctioned. In these instances, it is as if these people are attempting to justify their behavior by using the "God told me" card. They believe that one's interaction with God is personal and thus not subject to question. What we find in the passage above is that God's Word truly is flawless and it will protect us if we humbly submit to it. It will protect us from the attacks of the Evil One . . . from our own waywardness . . . and from making poor decisions that will reap devastation and destruction. For those who would attempt to transpose their own opinions in the place of God's Word and claim to be justified by such decisions, there will come the stern rebuke of God. He will bring to light the subterfuge of the rebellious one, and Truth will prove them to be a liar.
This is a good word for us today. We never should attempt to justify our actions based upon our reasoning and our desires. We should not attempt to support our behaviors by attempting to convince ourselves and others that God has given us His blessing when He in fact has not. We must submit ourselves to the Word of God and remember that this is His primary way that He will communicate to us His Truth and His Will. And when our desires are contrary to the expressed will of God in His Word, we must submit ourselves to His Word first, knowing that it will be our protection and our guide.
There is a popular trend today in people boldly proclaiming their opinions as to what they believe and why they are living their lives a certain way. And in many of these instances, the explanation given to support their convictions is "God told me to . . . ." Whereas there is Biblical support for the Holy Spirit communing with the spirit of the true disciple of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:16; John 16:13-14), we will never find God to be duplicitous. He will never contradict Himself and His Word.
The Holy Scriptures are God's love letter to us. Why you may ask? It is because God has chosen the Scriptures as the venue to share with us first who He is (i.e. His character, His attributes); secondly His expectations for us (His will); thirdly, His act of infinite love and grace through the cross when we defied His holy commands, and lastly His desire to dwell eternally with those of us who would respond to His offering of grace through faith, repentance, and surrender.
Now, we unfortunately find today that people will circumvent the text of Scripture and interject their own convictions and opinions as to how they are to live their lives, and they might even suggest that God has directly confirmed to them that their choices are divinely sanctioned. In these instances, it is as if these people are attempting to justify their behavior by using the "God told me" card. They believe that one's interaction with God is personal and thus not subject to question. What we find in the passage above is that God's Word truly is flawless and it will protect us if we humbly submit to it. It will protect us from the attacks of the Evil One . . . from our own waywardness . . . and from making poor decisions that will reap devastation and destruction. For those who would attempt to transpose their own opinions in the place of God's Word and claim to be justified by such decisions, there will come the stern rebuke of God. He will bring to light the subterfuge of the rebellious one, and Truth will prove them to be a liar.
This is a good word for us today. We never should attempt to justify our actions based upon our reasoning and our desires. We should not attempt to support our behaviors by attempting to convince ourselves and others that God has given us His blessing when He in fact has not. We must submit ourselves to the Word of God and remember that this is His primary way that He will communicate to us His Truth and His Will. And when our desires are contrary to the expressed will of God in His Word, we must submit ourselves to His Word first, knowing that it will be our protection and our guide.
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