God is not weak

The following was written in response to something I heard on “Christian radio” this morning that really troubled me.  It is written for the benefit of Christians.  I hope it helps somebody.

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Every human being who is saved—who is a believer in Christ, regenerated/born again, made a new creation in Christ, eternally saved from the holy wrath of a just God—is a miracle!  Absolutely no one is saved because they chose to be saved.  No sinner chooses to be saved, because no sinner WANTS to be saved!  “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).

And no non-Christian can blame his/her lostness on someone else, saying “I would be a Christian if it weren’t for (fill-in-the-blank).”  Mohandas Gandhi famously said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”  And, supposedly—or so the story goes—Gandhi rejected Christianity because of the behavior and attitude of Christians.  In other words, it was Christians who kept Gandhi away from Christianity.

Modern Evangelicalism, in large part, is responsible for this mischaracterization of salvation.  It has created a God who is weak, who can only save if given permission, and can only reach sinners if flawed, fallible and sinful Christians don’t get in the way.  (Liberal, apostate “Christianity,” on the other hand, doesn’t believe there is any need for salvation, having eliminated any concepts of God’s wrath, Judgment or hell.)

But this idea of a God who unable to save unless given permission—and, then, only if people don’t get in His way—is totally wrong.  If you are not a Christian—if you are not a follower of Christ, if you are lost—it is because you are a sinner, because your sins have separated you from God, and in your heart you are in a state of rebellion against the Holy One.  “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).  And people don’t come to Christ because, in their lostness, they are blinded by the devil.  “If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world [i.e., the devil] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

My point: Stop lying on God, and stop lying to people!  Stop making God impotent and making human “free” will omnipotent.  “Let God be true though every one were a liar” (Romans 3:4).  In other words, stop listening to lost people (Gandhi and others), and start listening to God (if lost people really knew so much and had so much insight, they wouldn’t be lost!).

Salvation is a miracle, only made possible by the supernatural intervention of God.  Human are powerless to save themselves or others.  Therefore being raised in church won’t make anyone a Christian.  Being raised in a Christian home will not guarantee that one will be a Christian.  Taking your kids out of public school and putting them in Christian schools (or homeschooling them) won’t guarantee they’ll grow up to be Christians.  Using certain evangelistic techniques won’t save anyone (nor will failing to use the right technique cause anyone to remain lost).  None of us can raise the dead or give sight to the blind, and that’s exactly the state of every unbeliever—spiritually dead and blind.  We need God!  He must raise the spiritually dead to life, He must give sight to the spiritually blind.  “Salvation belongs to the Lord!” (Jonah 2:9).  If people are to be saved, God must save them.

When we truly believe this—believe what the Bible says about the lost—it will change how we pray, how we preach, how we share the gospel, how we evangelize.  If people are to be saved, GOD must do it.  But, because God is truly omnipotent, everyone He intends to save WILL be saved!  As I heard one preacher say: “If God goes out for you, He’s coming back with you!”  So, Christian, let’s pray for specific people, that God will save them.  And, as God gives opportunity, let’s share the gospel—the good news about Christ Jesus—knowing that the gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).  The gospel has power because GOD has power.

Beware

This would be my advice to Tim Tebow: Pay no mind to your friends or your detractors; listen to Jesus.

Jesus said,

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1, 5-6)

Now, before all of Tim Tebow’s fans rise up in his defense, I’m not insinuating that Tim Tebow is kneeling and bowing on the sidelines in order to be seen by others. I have no idea what his motivation is (and don’t want to know, actually). However, I can read what Jesus said. Jesus said, “Beware”, so we should heed the Lord’s warning and carefully examine our motives because, “The heart is deceitful above all things...” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Something else to consider: Tim Tebow’s act of kneeling on the sidelines after he makes touchdowns, to some degree, has been a subject of controversy (and yes, I realize most, if not all, of the controversy has been stirred up by the media). The apostle Paul wrote, “‘All things are lawful’ [quoting what, perhaps, some in the Corinthian church were saying], but not all things are helpful” (1 Cor. 10:23). In light of all the tongue-wagging in the media, I can’t help but wonder if Tebow’s public acts of prayer might be unhelpful.

Does it matter? Well, Paul goes on to write, “Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved” (1 Cor. 10:32-33). So, as believers, we should be concerned to not unnecessarily give offense and, as best we can, try to please everyone, with the goal of seeking their salvation. I don’t think this situation is as much about a Christian being criticized for his faith as it is about the need for Christians to set aside their “rights” and put others before themselves. Since prayer is directed to God, it is not necessary that others see and hear us pray. And since prayer doesn’t require kneeling, it is not necessary to kneel. So, if people are bothered by a quarterback kneeling in prayer on the sidelines after he makes a touchdown, what harm is there—how is his praying hindered—if he just takes his seat on the bench with his teammates and prays from there?

Please understand I have nothing against Tim Tebow. In fact, I’m not a sports fan at all (sorry), and I watch very few sporting events (my wife is the sports fan in our household) so, before I started writing this, I hardly knew what Tim Tebow looked like. From what I hear, he is a fine, upstanding, Christian young man. I have no reason at all to question his faith, sincerity or Christian devotion. My questions are mostly about Tim Tebow’s Christian fans. Why are they so quick to defend his public kneeling in prayer, when Jesus said “go into your room and shut the door”? Remember, we’re not talking about a gathering for Christian worship; we’re talking about a football game! Is it really necessary to kneel at that time and place? Can’t Tim Tebow (or any other player who wants to pray) pray just as well sitting on the bench?

More importantly, are the Lord Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 6 and the Apostle Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 10, optional?

Maybe we should all listen more carefully to Jesus. He said, “Beware”.

Bind the “strong man”

“When we use God’s Word in accordance with his will, we have all the consent and power of the Almighty behind us. We therefore take the word of Jesus which commands us to bind the strong man…in order to spoil his goods (the souls of men held in his thrall). We shall find that when we exert ourselves to do this with an energy and devotion at least as keen as we apply to selfish pursuits, lo, people begin to respond to God’s Word, perhaps to our great surprise. It is not to be wondered at. The truth is that men’s hearts and lives are in fact in bondage to Satan (1 John 5:19), and when his power is broken, they are free to hear and heed God’s Word.

“This is a great secret; and yet many of us go on in Christian work year by year, dealing with men as if they were normally free agents willing and able to do what we say, or what they themselves will. They are not (Rom. 7:14-20), until God frees them in answer to prevailing prayer.”

From Towards Spiritual Maturity: Overcoming all evil in the Christian life (revised edition), by William Still (1911-1997), published by Christian Focus Publications, Ltd., pp. 77-78.

“Don’t let them stop you from praying”

I wanted to share with you this video clip I came across recently. It’s from a sermon by the Rev. Timothy Flemming, Sr., pastor of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA, entitled, “Don’t Let Them Stop You From Praying”. Coming out of Daniel 6, Pastor Flemming brings out several encouraging principles about prayer that we would all do well to keep in mind. Before you view the clip, I think some explanation is in order. You will notice from the start that Pastor Flemming is very much a black preacher in the traditional mold. Personally, I like how he’s going at it, as this clip opens. Frankly, I wish my thoughts flowed as quickly and my voice had as much stamina, so that I could preach with the kind of fire and force that Pastor Flemming delivers. From the start, it is quite evident that his audience is caught up in the moment with their pastor, and they respond very enthusiastically and emotionally to what he is saying.

A disclaimer: I think that, perhaps, some in the audience get a bit too caught up in the high emotion of the moment. There is an exceedingly fine line between emotion and emotionalism. Emotions are good, they’re God-given and normal. I do not advocate divorcing our emotions from our worship. Neither do I believe in emotionless preaching. I certainly don’t disapprove of emotional responses to preaching. I believe the Bible condones celebration and rejoicing, clapping and shouting, dancing and leaping in the context of worship. In fact, I think it is exceedingly difficult to contemplate God, and His goodness and mercy towards us, and not react in some way or become emotional. However, near the close of this clip, as Pastor Flemming “shifts gears” and transitions into the closing “celebration” phase of his message*, you will hear a woman, somewhere in the audience, screaming. Briefly, near the end of the clip, you will also see a woman (the same woman?) jumping and thrashing about, as the women standing next to her try unsuccessfully to hold her down.

Because of the level of emotional reaction from some in the audience, I hesitated to post this clip. Coming from a traditional black church background, I’m not unfamiliar with the things I see in this clip, but I realize to some this kind of unbridled emotion will be shocking or offensive. I would encourage you to please try to look past the emotion and hear the message. There is a good message here that we need to hear. So, listen, and rejoice over the privilege of prayer that is our through Christ, and be encouraged to come daily before God’s throne of grace, like Daniel. Don’t let nobody or nothing stop you from praying!



*In some black preaching traditions, it is in the “celebration” that the preacher begins the “whoop”—a rhythmic, often sung, delivery of the words, sometimes punctuated with the audible inhalation or exhalation of air.

Do you really believe God answers prayer?

I live in Illinois, and so I knew President Obama as my U.S. Senator before I knew him as my President. Based on his own words, some of his political positions and some of his political actions over the years, I have never believed that Mr. Obama is a true Christian (contrary to his public profession).

Like many Christians, I am troubled by some of President Obama’s political decisions. However, unlike many of my fellow believers, I reject the divisive, mean-spirited, almost-racist rhetoric of some of the loudest mouths on the Right (Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, et al.), and I reject the hostile and oppositional methods that flow from that kind of rhetoric.

I read that “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will” (Prov. 21:1). So, why don’t we Christians pray like we believe that's true? Rather than complain (like so many conservatives are doing), let us pray wholeheartedly for President Obama’s salvation. I believe the Lord Jesus can give him a new heart, and I believe a new heart in our President will result in a new way of thinking and a brand new worldview.

Do you believe God will do that, if we pray?

Holding on

In 1 Peter 5:8, we find these words:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

The past couple of weeks I’ve been reminded of this verse and the reality that believers in Christ Jesus have a real adversary. How easy it is to forget that we have to contend with a real devil—he is not a myth. Of course, I can’t prove anything empirically. I have no photos, no eyewitness accounts or DNA evidence that I can produce. Nevertheless, I know the devil is real for two reasons: 1) Because the Bible tells me so, and 2) Because of the kind of thoughts, feelings and emotions my wife and I have been experiencing.

Currently, except for weekly piano accompanying responsibilities that I have at our church and at our local area’s community college, I am unemployed. This current period of unemployment is the latest chapter in a saga that has gone on much too long. My personal story is no secret to those who have known me long and have known me well, but it is much too long to share in detail here (if you really want to know, talk to me in person, when you have an hour or two to spare). Suffice it to say, years of significant disappointments and unanswered questions have had negative effects on both of us, to the point that both my wife, Catherine, and I have been struggling with negative thoughts and feelings.

Believing in the sovereignty of God over everyone and everything, I know the circumstances that have come upon my family have come from the hand of a loving God, who is also my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ. However, I also know these negative thoughts and feelings that Catherine and I have been experiencing are not of God, but bear the unmistakable marks of our “adversary the devil [who] prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”, whom Jesus called a “thief” who “comes…to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).

The best book on trials and suffering that I know is the Bible book of Job. One thing we learn from Job is that it is possible for both God and the devil to be at work through the same events. Job’s story allows us in behind the scenes to see that the devil was at work in the catastrophic trials that fell upon Job. Yet, these same trials came about by God’s permission, enabling Job to correctly proclaim that “the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away” (Job 1:21). God had, in effect, taken away Job’s health, cattle and children. In the same way, even though the Bible teaches me that my family’s circumstances have come about by the will of God (God “has taken away”), it also teaches me that the discouragement, depression, doubt and despair that Catherine and I have experienced as a result of these same circumstances are from the devil.

It is no wonder then that Peter, speaking of our adversary, writes, “Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:9a). Why should believers need to be exhorted to be firm in their faith? Because our faith is the object of the devil’s attack. The devil seeks to undermine our trust and confidence in God and God’s word. That’s what the old serpent did in the garden of Eden; that’s what’s been happening to me and my wife. At first, I thought it was just me. Then I found out Catherine has also been having a terrible struggle that she’s been keeping to herself. It turn out both of us have been tempted to doubt God’s care and love. Both of us have been tempted to doubt the efficacy of our prayers because certain prayers have gone so long unanswered. We’ve both been tempted in different ways to give up hope. Our faith has been under attack.

But, I read this word: “Humble yourselves…under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). So, this is what I will do, and will encourage Catherine to do: In humility, I will acknowledge that this current period of unemployment and the prior long years of career-related disappointments have come from the hand of our heavenly Father who loves us. I still don’t understand why, and I won’t pretend there is no anxiety about the future, but we have here in the text an invitation from our mighty God—a God who cares for us—to cast our anxieties upon Him. I won’t question God, because He knows what He’s doing; rather, I will choose to obey Him.

There’s something else we must do: “Be sober-minded; be watchful” (1 Peter 5:8). There is a devil, and he is real. Therefore, we need to be “sober-minded”—alert, aware and vigilant—and “watchful”, so that we do not fall prey to the enemy of our souls. The way we can obey God’s command in 1 Peter 5:8-9 is to purposefully, and stubbornly cling to God’s word. God’s word is true, regardless of what happens to us. His word is true even when we can see no evidence that our prayers are being answered. The Bible remains true even when the circumstances of life threaten to smother us to death. God’s word is true!

Maybe you find yourself in circumstances similar to me and my wife. I encourage you, as I encourage myself, to humble yourself under God’s mighty hand. God knows what He’s doing, and you can trust Him. God also cares for you. You can tell Him your concerns. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Get alone so that you can freely pour out your heart to God. Finally, be alert and aware of the work of your enemy. Don’t take the devil for granted; he is real, and he will literally kill you, if possible. Misery loves company, so the devil doesn’t want to go to hell alone, and multitudes are following him to eternal misery. If the devil can’t get your soul, he’ll content himself with rendering you powerless and ineffective in the Lord’s work. Don’t let him do it! “Resist him, firm in your faith.” Stand pat on the word of God. “Let God be true though every one were a liar” (Romans 3:4).

Say, like the late Dorothy Love-Coates (1928-2002), “I’m holding on, and I won’t let go of my faith”. Enjoy this recording, and be encouraged.

Amazing Promises

Lately, I’ve been thinking about prayer. There are some tremendously amazing promises in the word of God, addressed to believers, in regards to prayer. They’re almost too good to be true.

But, they are true!

Below, I’ve printed several Scripture passages that never fail to grab my attention each time I read them. Even when you apply the necessary scriptural parameters and conditions, what God promises in these passages to the believer who prays is simply incredible!

I wonder, are we (am I) desperate enough for definite answers to prayer that we are willing to pray as if we really believe God’s word is true?

Read and meditate on the passages below. Then, “go into your room and shut the door and pray…”

MATTHEW 6

5“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

16“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”


HEBREWS 4

14Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.


MARK 11

22And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”


LUKE 11

1Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread, 4and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

5And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”


JOHN 15

3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.


1 JOHN 3

18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

19By this [i.e., our love] we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.


1 JOHN 5

13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 14And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

Look to the Lord

“To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us” (Psalm 123:1-2).

Some problems only God can solve.

Standing in the need of prayer

First it was Massachusetts, then Connecticut. Now Iowa joins those other states as its Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, makes it the third state to legalize gay marriage.

Because I define marriage as the union of a man with a woman, this ruling makes no sense to me. To me, it is self-evident that marriage does not include homosexual couples. In my way of thinking, in order to have a marriage you need a man and a woman. Two men or two women do not a married couple make. It’s common sense. I’ve not taken a poll or read any studies, but I would venture to guess that thirty years ago, most Americans thought the way I think.

But, times have changed. It’s clear that today a growing number of otherwise intelligent people no longer consider marriage to be exclusively the union of a man with a woman. Even my dictionary, on the shelf beside my desk, defines marriage as simply “any close or intimate union”.

What has happened? In all honesty, I think the shift in thinking that is taking place in our country (and in the West, for that matter) is Satan’s doing (yes, I believe in Satan). I believe the redefinition of right and wrong that we see being played out in our courts, our schools, in places of employment and elsewhere, is the result of a growing satanic delusion spreading through our society. Strong words, I know, but the spiritual realm is just as real as the physical world that we see with our eyes, and I cannot think of any other realistic explanation. The Bible lets us know that Satan is subject to God (e.g., Job 1:12; 2:6). He does not have freedom to do whatever he wants to do; he must get God’s permission. So, if we see a growing spread of evil in our world, it can only be because God has lessened His restraint upon Satan. I think what we are seeing in our country, and throughout most of the Western world, is the working out of Romans 1:18-32. God is giving men and women up to follow the dictates of their darkened minds. Friends, if I read correctly, we’re seeing right now the visible effects of the judgment of God.

According to the AP news article, a conservative, pro-family group “immediately began lobbying legislators ‘to let the people of Iowa vote’ on a constitutional amendment”. You know, I suspect, in light of what Scripture says, lobbying politicians is not the pressing need. It’s not that it’s wrong; it just won’t do any ultimate good. If we’re under the judgment of God, we need to talk to God, not the politicians. We need to “lobby” heaven, not the legislature.

For something like thirty years, evangelical, Bible-believing Christians have used politics to turn our country back to God. It started with the “Moral Majority” and saw the emergence of the “Christian right”. Where has all this political activism gotten us? Well, to date, three states have legalized gay marriage (i.e., perversion). I’m sure more states will be following suit. Political action has failed. The spiritual darkness has only deepened, in spite of our best political efforts. And I would venture to say the church in the US, on the whole, has not grown in spiritual power and effectiveness. How could it be otherwise? We cannot fight a spiritual battle with carnal weapons.

What is the answer? I think God’s word to Israel of old is relevant to our situation today: “If my people who are called by my name [i.e., believers in Christ] humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven…” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Notice, God didn’t say anything about the pagans; He said, “my people”. Our nation is experiencing growing darkness because His people have fallen into sin. Nonbelievers are not the problem; believers in Christ are the problem.

What we need is revival. Our nation needs a spiritual awakening. The church needs a gracious visitation from the Lord. We need for God to pour out His Spirit upon us. He has done it before; we desperately need for Him to do it again. “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6).

However, corporate revival must start with the individual. Not only does our nation need awakening, not only does the church need revival, I need it. I’m not what I should be. I am weak. My soul is dry. “It’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.”

May God have mercy on us.

Do not be anxious

Right now the country is mired deep in an economic recession. The hearts of many are anxious about the future. Christians ought to know better, yet we also occasionally fall victim to worry and fear concerning our futures. I want to encourage you, as I encourage myself, by directing you to the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 6:25-34. What the Master says here has helped and sustained me many times when my wife and I were facing economic uncertainty:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

There are two crucial questions you must ask yourself.

First: Do you truly trust God? You can’t control the future. You don’t know what crisis might be headed your way. God is in control, and your life is in His hands. He takes care of His own. Let unbelievers (“the Gentiles”) worry about how they will make ends meet. Your heavenly Father knows about your needs. Trust Him. Truly trust Him.

Secondly: Are you sure you belong to God? Is He your Father? “To all who did receive [Jesus Christ], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). I can’t find a single comforting promise for those who are not born of God, whose hope is not in the Lord Jesus Christ. If your hope is not “built on…Jesus’ blood and righteousness”, then you ought to be worried. Worried not only for the economy, but for your soul as well. Make certain you belong to God.

Our heavenly Father knows the needs of His children, and He will take care of His own.

“The Living God”

The Bible teaches that our God is a God who is alive and active in our world. I believe that—or at least that’s what I say I believe—yet, how easily unbelief can creep into our lives. It is possible to fall into the habit praying to God in a perfunctory way, not actually believing that He’ll do anything in answer to our prayers. Some say that “we are God’s hands and feet”, but I wonder sometimes if that saying is not just a more religious-sounding way to deny that God actually acts and works in answer to prayer. Kind of like a Christianized form of “if it’s to be it’s up to me”. Yet, the God portrayed in the Bible is one who acts in answer to prayer without any help from human beings. Our God works wonders and performs miracles, according to His will, in answer to prayer.

These thoughts came to my mind after reading a blog post by Adrian Warnock in which he brings to his readers’ attention a talk given in 1971 by the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (a copy of Dr. Lloyd-Jones’ original talk can be found here). Here’s some of what Dr. Lloyd-Jones had to say:

“I believe the same thing is happening in the realm of what I call a ‘theological scholasticism’ which is beginning to manifest itself amongst us—a ‘theological scholasticism’ in which we talk about the doctrines of grace instead of talking about God, the doctrines of salvation instead of Christ, the living Saviour. I believe that this is a new form of Deism. I could convict so many today of a new Deism. You know what that means. It took this form at the beginning of the eighteenth century: God was regarded as the great Creator, described as a great watch-maker. He made the watch, He wound it up, and then He put it down and He has no more to do with it. That was their way, you see, of denying miracles. Miracles are nonsense, they said. God does not interfere. He has made the watch, He has put it down, and on it goes; He does not interfere with it. Deism! Well, I suspect a new kind of Deism is with us. I was referring to it partly yesterday in talking about miraculous healing and miracles and things of that kind. On some sort of theological and biblical grounds, as they would claim, they say that miracles cannot happen today, because all this ended with the Apostles. As if to say, ‘Oh yes, God acted then; but He hasn't acted like that since.’ He is shut out, on a priori grounds, on what they call biblical and theoretical grounds. They say, ‘God does not act like that now.’ They are shutting Him out. Is not that Deism? Who has given them the right to say this? The Scriptures do not say it, but they are saying it.”

Lloyd-Jones continues:

“Now I say that this shuts out God. The fact that men talk a lot about God does not mean that they really believe in the living God. They are talking about God; they are making statements about God; they are experts on the attributes of God; but they seem to shut out the living God, God Himself, the acting God. By their theories, He is not allowed to act. This is Deism; it is a kind of theological scholasticism. And this is the terrifying thing, that you can be talking about God and His attributes and so on, and yet have no contact with and no personal knowledge of this living God.”

“And now it seems to me that it comes to this. I feel that the message that God is giving to us in this conference is in the words of Malachi. I believe He is saying this to us: ‘Prove me now’—‘Prove Me. I am there; you prove Me.’ This has become a tremendous conviction with me. Maybe because I am facing my last years and I have been defending the faith—and people have praised me for doing it. Rubbish! What a miserable failure it has all been! From now on I am determined to do one thing only, and that is to give God no rest nor peace, until He does prove Himself and show Himself. I have expended so much energy in reasoning with the people about this faith. We have got to do that, it is part of preaching. But if we stop at that it will avail us nothing. But what I now am concerned about and I am concentrating on is this—asking God to show Himself, to do something, to give this touch, this manifestation of power. Nothing else will even make people listen to us. See, you bring out your apologetics; the others will answer. Every time you say something, you may say ‘This is unanswerable; nobody can turn this back.’ The reviewers wholly dismiss you, say you are a fool, you are ignorant, you do not know what you are talking about. That is what they will say. I can tell you now. You write your books. That is what you will get. I have had it! You see, one scholar…and another answers him. And they are satisfied. No, no! Nothing is going to call the attention of the masses of the people to the truth of this faith save a great phenomenon, such as the phenomenon of the day of Pentecost, the phenomenon of any one of the great revivals, the phenomenon of a single changed life. This is something that always arrests attention, maybe curiosity—what does it matter? The people come and listen. And the preacher has his opportunity. Nothing will avail us save this manifestation of the activity of God.

“My plea, therefore, is simply this—and with this I close—that we keep this ever in the forefront of all our thinking, all our preparation of sermons, and all our praying in particular. We must not be content until we have had some manifestation of the activity of God. We must concentrate on this. This is my plea, that we concentrate on this, because it is the great message of the Bible, so substantiated by the lessons of history. That is obviously today the only thing that gives us any hope as we face the future. And God seems to be saying that to us. ‘Prove Me now. Try Me. Risk your everything on Me. Be fools for My sake. Cast yourselves utterly upon this belief.’ Let us put it like this: Do we really believe that God can still act? That is the question; that is the ultimate challenge. Or have we, for theological or some other reasons, excluded the very possibility? Here is the crucial matter. Do we individually and personally really believe that God still acts, can act and will act—in individuals, in groups of individuals, in churches, localities, perhaps even in countries? Do we believe that He is as capable of doing that today as He was in ancient times—the Old Testament, the New Testament times, the book of Acts, Protestant Reformation, Puritans, Methodist Awakening, 1859, 1904-5? Do we really believe that He can still do it? You see, it is ultimately what you believe about God. If He is the great Jehovah—I am that I am, I am that I shall be, unchanged, unchanging, unchangeable, the everlasting and eternal God—well, He can still do it. And I believe He is saying to us, ‘Try Me. Prove Me. Cast your all upon Me. Go on until I have given you the proof you desire.’ Then we will forget the trees for a while, and we will see the grand power of our God, and God's gracious and eternal purposes in His dear Son. We will first be humbled, and I think many of us will feel that we have never been Christians at all. It will not be true; we are. But what we will experience then will be so great and glorious, so overwhelming, that we will scarcely believe that we have ever known anything about these things at all. May that day soon come!”

HT: Adrian Warnock

Put “through the fire to awaken earnest prayer”

I needed to read this (from Dr. John Piper):

Now what about Zechariah 13:8-9? It tells us one of the main ways that God awakens earnest prayer in his children, namely, in the refining fires of suffering. Don’t worry about when this passage is talking about. Just see, for now, how God works, and use this word to prepare yourself for God’s prayer school.

Verse 8: “In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.” So the one third represents God’s remnant—his faithful, imperfect, weak people, who do not pray with the kind of discipline and desperation and joy, and hunger for God, that they should. So what is God’s remedy? What is his school of prayer?

Verse 9: “And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.” Notice carefully what is happening. In his great love, God saved the one third from being cut off with the two thirds who perished (v. 8). And then as part of his love for them, he puts them in the fire to be tested and refined. That is normal Christianity. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

But what is it that God wants to see change in his people? Verse 9: “I will test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.” That’s all he mentions. Nothing about their sex lives. Nothing about their money lives. Nothing about their power struggles. He just says: “When they come through the fire, they will pray to me, and I will answer.”

God puts his people through the fire to awaken earnest prayer.

Read the rest here.

Here we go, again

Recently, I entered into what might turn out to be a significant period of personal trial. For the time being, it wouldn’t be wise to talk about it too much (especially over the Internet) but, suffice it to say, this trial is not health-related or marital or in any way scandalous.

But, it is a significant personal trial for me and my family. We stand in great need of prayer. In fact, about the only thing we can do is pray and trust God.

That sounds strange to say, but isn’t it often the case that we Christians would rather do something—anything!—rather than just trust God? Of course, we say we trust God. We’re supposed to—we’re Christians, after all. But, the reality is, most of us prefer to do something about our situation, whatever it is. Trusting God seems so impractical, like doing nothing at all.

I think this is why God must, sometimes, put us in the place where there simply is nothing we can do but trust Him. He puts us between the proverbial rock and hard place, trapped with no way of escape and no clue what to do. In such a situation, the mind is filled with questions, but we have absolutely no answers.

That’s where I am right now, along with my wife. From past experience, I know that God is getting ready to teach us something about trusting Him. In about three months, I hope to let you in on what God is doing with us.

Today, I was feeling sad and depressed, thinking about our situation. It was really getting me down. After lunch, I shut myself up alone to pray, read the Bible and think. In the course of reading, I came across these verses:

“Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD” (Psalm 4:4-5).

I believe this was the word I needed to hear. This Scripture certainly spoke to what I was feeling today. In a time of trial and testing like this, the temptation is strong to be anxious and lash out at somebody—anybody—in anger. Perhaps, we have good cause to be angry, but the Scripture says “be angry, and do not sin”. What is usually the best way to not sin when angry? Keep your mouth shut! The Scripture says, “ponder in your own hearts”—think it over, process it—“and be silent.”

Then, the Scripture says, “Offer right sacrifices”. Immediately, I thought of Psalm 51:17: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” When times get tough, it is not the time for us to react; it is the time for us to humble ourselves before God and offer right worship to Him.

“Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.” I’m ashamed to say, there have been times in the past when God has come to my rescue, and I was surprised! I didn’t think He would do it. I didn’t trust Him, yet God was merciful and rescued my fool self, anyway. “How could I have doubted you?” I said afterwards. I don’t want to repeat that mistake. I have the written record—the Scriptures—and that record is clear: God is faithful. He is true to His character. The Lord will not forsake His own. Then, there is the record of God’s past dealings with me. Since even before I was born, God has been faithful. His grace has brought me “through many dangers, toils and snares”. There is no logical reason to not trust Him, so the Scripture commands, “put your trust in the LORD.”

And so I shall. Like I said, I’ll let you know in about three months exactly what is going on. Right now, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m just trusting the Lord. And He is trustworthy.

A momentous event: Let’s celebrate and pray

I know it’s been said innumerable times today, but I, too, “never thought I’d see the day” that a Black man would be sworn in as the President of the United States. Today’s Inauguration was truly a momentous and historic event. I honestly believe God put Barack Obama into this high office. Therefore, it only makes sense to thank God for Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States.

Also, as a great-great-great grandson of former slaves, I can’t help but think about my forebears: “If only _______ was alive to see this.” I’ve wondered what they would say had they lived to see this day. Thinking about our nation’s history, you know it’s only been by the grace of God that Black people have come so far:

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way.

Barack Obama’s Inauguration as President of the United States is a testament to the grace of God. That’s why I celebrate.

However, I also join with others in praying for President Obama and his family.

I pray that God would protect them from all physical harm.

I pray that God would grant President Obama great wisdom to deal with the deep and serious issues that confront our country at this present moment.

Though we don’t deserve it, I pray that God would bring about much good for our country through the leadership of Mr. Obama.

I also pray that God would keep our President from doing evil.

Finally, as a sinner saved by grace, I pray that God’s Spirit would deal mercifully with President Obama, a fellow sinner, and open his eyes to see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

May God grant that the sound of the gospel be effectually heard even within the walls of the White House.

In my opinion, the best thing I can do for my President is pray for him. Believer in Christ, will you join me and pray for our President? Millions are rejoicing, especially Black people. Even if you did not vote for President Obama, can you “rejoice with those who rejoice”? Today was an historic, momentous day in the life of our country. I invite you to rejoice and pray with me.

Making Christ a minister of condemnation

As is now well-known, President-Elect Barack Obama selected the openly homosexual Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson, to pray the invocation at the opening Inaugural event, tomorrow at the Lincoln Memorial. About the decision to select Robinson, John Piper writes,

The gospel, with its forgiveness and deliverance from homosexual practice, offers salvation. Gene Robinson, with his blessing and approval of homosexual practice, offers damnation. And he does it in the name of Christ.

It is as though Obama sought out a church which blessed stealing and adultery, and then chose its most well-known thief and adulterer, and asked him to pray.

You can read the rest here.

Gloria In Excelsis

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord; Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

(from the Book of Common Prayer, 1662)

What are you thinking about?

In this time of economic uncertainty, with the resultant anxiety that many feel not only in this nation but around the world, is there a word from the Lord?

Indeed, there is.

Any time we open the Bible and read, we can receive a genuine word from the Lord. Here is the word that came to my mind today:

3 You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:3-4)

Someone may ask, “What do you think of this economic crisis?” “As little as possible” should be your answer. God will keep in perfect peace those “whose mind is stayed” or fixed on Him.

What do you think about? If your mind is fixated on the economy, your job, your home mortgage, your school loan or whatever, don’t wonder that you can’t sleep at night.

Fix your mind on God. How? Get in His word. Read it. Meditate on it. Think about God as He has revealed Himself in His word.

Another word from the Lord also comes to mind:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9)

Through His apostle, God tells us what to do: Rejoice in the Lord, pray, and think on those things that are excellent and praiseworthy. Question: What is truly excellent and praiseworthy? Is it not those things that pertain to God?

What kind of person is it who fixes his mind on God, rejoices in Him and tells God in prayer all about his troubles? It is the person who truly trusts God. Remember the passage from Isaiah that I quoted?

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you.” Why? “Because he trusts in you.”

Oh, my friend, if you are worried and anxious about the economy, you must seriously ask yourself if you are truly trusting in God. There is no real security except in our Lord. “Trust in the LORD…for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”

Let’s spend more time doing this

What’s the most useful thing that evangelical, Bible-believing Christians can do for the Presidential candidates? Pray for them. Instead of criticizing, try praying for Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, praying especially for their salvation. Both men need Jesus, don’t you agree? Praying is something every Christian can do, and it’s a whole lot more effective than criticism.

“Never too late to keep asking”

Sometimes, after praying about something for a long time, and seeing no evident change in the situation, one is tempted to give up. “What’s the use of praying? Nothing ever changes.” That’s why I found this post by John Piper at the Desiring God blog so encouraging. Perhaps you may find it encouraging, also.

Encouragement to pursue God

My reading has been severely curtailed since beginning a new job last summer. One thing I’m looking forward to, with the coming of Summer Break next month, is getting back on track with my reading. Right now, I’m still plugging away at Arnold Dallimore’s biography of George Whitefield. Generally, I read that when I go to the barbershop or when I’m waiting for my sons while they have their weekly piano lessons. I’m halfway through the second volume of the Whitefield biography, and hope to finish by August.

However, for the past couple of weeks, as I’ve had opportunity, I’ve also been reading Lyle Dorsett’s A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A.W. Tozer. When I first heard that a new biography of A.W. Tozer was coming out, I knew I wanted to get it and read it. I’m almost finished with it. Dorsett’s biography of Tozer has sort of reawakened my interest in him. I’m reminded that, years before I ever read anything by John Piper or heard of The Banner of Truth Trust, my heart was captivated and stirred by the writings of Aiden Wilson Tozer (1897-1963), Christian and Missionary Alliance pastor, “twentieth century prophet” and evangelical “mystic”.

The writings of men like Tozer greatly influenced me when I first entered the ordained ministry. What captivated me most about Tozer the man was the apparent depth and intimacy of his relationship with God. Reading about Tozer these past couple of weeks, I am again struck by the depth and intensity of this man’s life of prayer and devotion. I think present-day evangelicals are far more enamored with anything that comes out of Willow Creek or Saddleback than they are the writings of A.W. Tozer—and that’s to our shame. I think Tozer knew something that we would do well to learn and grasp: the depth of our relationship with God and effectiveness for God is in direct proportion to the depth of our praying.

The Scriptures reveal a vital connection between the word of God, the Spirit of God and prayer:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 14:15-17, 21, 23-24; 15:4-5, 7-10).

A.W. Tozer wasn’t perfect—far from it. One thing I appreciate about Dorsett’s biography is that he does show us some of the glaring faults in Tozer’s life, particularly in relation to his wife and children. I’m sure those imperfections will turn off some people, but they encourage me, because I know my own faults so well. Imperfect though he was, it seems apparent that A.W. Tozer knew what it meant to abide in Christ. And the fruitfulness of his life is proven by the fact that, 45 years after his death (he died on May 12, 1963), believers are still reading what he wrote and listening to recordings of his sermons, and drawing great spiritual benefit from it.

The life example of men like A.W. Tozer challenge me to “go deep” with God. Tozer’s writings challenge serious souls to seek after God. If you get the chance, read some of what Tozer wrote or listen to some of his sermons. I recommend these books as a good place to start: The Pursuit of God (1948), God’s Pursuit of Man (1950)—a sequel to The Pursuit of God (I still prefer the original title: The Divine Conquest), and The Knowledge of the Holy (1961).

Most of all, pray. If nothing else, reading about A.W. Tozer’s life reminds me that I don’t pray enough. I don’t get away from people, shut out the noise and distractions and simply pray often enough, as I ought. When it comes to prayer, I believe we need both quality and quantity. May the words of Jesus encourage us to aggressively and passionately pursue God:

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13).