Praying or Fainting?

On Wednesday evenings, we hold a prayer meeting at our church building.  Last night was a special blessing.  It is wonderful to gather with fellow Christians to praise God, intercede for others, and lay petitions at His feet.  What made the time more special still was the silence.  There is no "awkward silence" when we approach the throne of God.  It is in those times of silence when God often speaks because we have given Him permission by waiting on Him, without demands or selfish expectations.  No one enjoys a relationship that is based upon someone always wanting something:  the only time they contact you is when they want you to do or give something to them.  I think our relationship with God can be like that.  We tend to pray when we want something.  But just like you appreciate friends who love and simply enjoy spending time you, so we ought to approach God to spend time with Him - not just to achieve our ends.  God is gracious and good, delighting in us even when we are shortsighted and self-centered.  But He has a special blessing for those who delight in Him, drawing near with expectant hearts of faith to spend time with Him because we love Him too.

With the historically low turnout to prayer meetings in churches these days, it is obvious people really do not comprehend prayer.  It is true one should have a "prayer closet," or personal time of prayer on a regular basis.  Yet should the opportunity be provided to meet and share a meal with Jesus in bodily form on a weeknight (for free!), I would imagine the whole church would turn up and invite friends.  But when we talk about corporate prayer - entering into His throne room of grace with other like-minded believers - the draw is not the same.  This is a curious thing.  People will attend a prayer meeting once or twice and never come back.  Why?  Perhaps they had an expectation that was not met.  Perhaps other things in their lives are more important.  Maybe they don't believe it is making a difference.  Or their son has soccer training on those days!  Whatever the reasons, without prayer each of us - and therefore the church of God of which we are each a necessary part - will grow increasingly weak as we drift from our Saviour.

G. Campbell Morgan had some profound remarks on prayer in his sermon titled, "Prayer or Fainting."  He suggests we are doing one or the other:  either we are praying, or we are fainting.  He says in the sermon:

We may now consider our Lord's philosophy of life.  He puts these two things into opposition (Luke 18:1).  He declares in effect that this is the alternative before every one of us, to pray or to faint.  There is no suggestion of a middle course...Prayer is the opposite of fainting.  Fainting is a sudden sense of inability and helplessness, the cessation of activity, weariness which is almost, and ultimately is death.  Pray, and do no faint.  To pray is to have the vision clear, the virtue mighty, the victory assured. (The Westminster Pulpit, Volume 3, Morgan, pg. 55-56)

Morgan continues:

The prayer life does not consist of perpetual repetition of petitions.  The prayer life consists of life that is always upward, and onward, and Godward.  The passion of the heart is for the Kingdom of God; the devotion of the mind is to His will; the attitude of the spirit is conformity thereto; and the higher we climb in the realm of prayer, the more unceasing will prayer be, and the fewer will be the petitions.  It is the opposite of importunity that is taught here.  The thought that Jesus gave of God is that of one compassionate, just, mighty, quick to respond to the forward wish of the weakest soul., so that in the midst of the stress and strain and struggle there need be no fainting. (Ibid., 58)

He concludes:

"They ought always to pray, and not to faint."  If we do not pray always, we never pray.  The man who makes prayer a scheme by which occasionally he tries to get something for himself has not learned the deep, profound secret of prayer.  Prayer is life passionately wanting, wishing, desiring God's triumph.  Prayer is life striving, toiling everywhere and everywhen for that ultimate victory.  When men so pray they do not faint.  They mount up with wings as eagles, they run without weariness, they tramp the hardest, roughest road, and do not faint. (Ibid., 61)

May our prayers be constant, persistent with patience, as we seek to discover God.  When we know Him, we will then be able to grasp His will.  Too often we desire to know where a road leads instead of following Christ on the road wherever He leads.  Let us seek the LORD while He may be found, and call upon Him while He is near.  He is seeking such to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  He has promised that those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength.

God, Change Me!

People face many challenging circumstances during their lives, Christian or not.  When we are in the midst of a bitter trial, it is natural for us to desire God to change the difficult circumstances we face.  As much as we want our situation to change, God wants to change us right where we are.  A lot of time in my Christian walk I was crying out to God to change my circumstances when God instead desired to use them to change me!

Just like repentance is a continual process, God wants to keep reforming us as we are transformed by the renewing of our minds.  When we read His Word, it should confront our fleshly ideas and misunderstandings.  Once we embrace the fact God remains in control, we can face trials and temptations with renewed vigour, looking to the One who has supplied all our needs by His grace.  Instead of looking to escape, God turns our hearts to seek Him in midst the trial.  This increases our faith.

I love the picture provided when King Nebuchadnezzar threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego into the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual.  It was in the furnace they were loosed from their bonds and had fellowship with one likened to the Son of God.  They had fellowship with God before they were thrown into the furnace, but how much sweeter and closer His presence as they trusted Him in faith, willing rather to die than to dishonour and disgrace His name.  They did not find death in the belly of the furnace, but new life.  Another picture is Jonah in the belly of the great fish.  I'm sure from the moment he was gulped down, Jonah wished to be free of his oppressive, living prison.  In Jonah's case, God made sure Jonah had changed before He spoke to the fish and had him spewed out.

Paul and other Christians suffered many things at the hands of their enemies in the New Testament, even incarceration, torture, and death.  Paul wrote in Romans 8:16-18, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. ¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."  When our eyes are on Jesus Christ and our lives spent for His glory, we begin to understand the suffering we endure cannot even be compared with "the glory which shall be revealed in us."  To have the glory of God housed in these earthen vessels, what a joy and eternal hope!

I pray that God tunes my heart to hear His voice.  Instead of desiring to change my circumstances, I desire for God to change me.  I know I need to change, and I must be willing to change first.  I need to be more like Jesus, and it will be God who does the work.  My part is to submit to His will in faith and walk in obedience.  It is God who has begun a good work in me, and it is He who will be faithful to complete it.

Don't Blame Church!

Colossians 1:18 says of Jesus Christ, "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."  Many times in the New Testament, the relationship shared between Jesus and the church is compared to the head and a body.  Even as a body cannot function without a head, so the church cannot properly function without Christ.  A mistake that many people make is they reduce "the church" to their local fellowship.  If offense, strife, or division occurs, people stand in judgment of one another, adding sin to sin.  When we are hurt, our tendencies are to lash out or withdraw.  Thus hurting people move from church to church or cease fellowship altogether because of what they have suffered.  They pin blame on the "church" or even God for their negative experiences instead of the flawed people which comprise it.

I don't want to minimise the pain or rejection many people have experienced after they bared their souls only to face betrayal or embarrassment.  Abuses and crimes have been committed by people who profess to know Christ.  This is a poor reflection of our Saviour and without repentance is gross hypocrisy.  Even as being overtaken by sin does not mean a person is not a genuine Christian, a church with flawed people can be a legitimate part of the body of Christ.  We should call sin sin, and the manner in which we do so is a revelation of our heart.  We are called to revenge all disobedience when our obedience is fulfilled.  We are also called to harsh self-examination, removing the plank from our eye before we lunge for the speck in our brother's eye.  Our heart should be one of compassion with fervent desire for reconciliation as it is written in Galatians 6:1:  "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."

Undoubtedly, many people who leave church in a huff over offense have not been obedient to the words spoken by the head Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:15:  "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother."  The temptation is to tell everyone or no one, not even the one who has offended us - because we are certainly NOT offended!  It is among the easiest tasks to find fault in people.  Therefore it is easy to find flaws in a church filled with sinners saved by grace.  Instead of standing in judgment, we ought to give more grace.  Love covers a multitude of sins, and being angry does not work the righteousness of God.  OK!  So your pastor isn't perfect, the secretary was rude, and an usher ignored your complaint!  In the face of ungrace, may we give more grace out of a pure heart - for they know not what they do.  That follows Christ's example.  When we are treated poorly, even by fellow believers, may we turn the other cheek according to Christ's command.  Let us not forget the exhortation of 1 Peter 2:19-20, "For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God."  The church is a training ground.  It is commendable before God for us to suffer wrong but return good for evil, casting our cares upon God because He cares for us.

Sometimes the frustration of people with their local church is the "vision" or perceived lack thereof.  Let me tell you plainly:  if everyone in the church kept Christ as the sole focus of their vision, much conflict and judgments would be avoided.  Perhaps you are frustrated by the lack of focus on missions or outreach by the church you attend.  Many times you have suggested opportunities for involvement for the Body, only to be denied.  You say, "We should be doing something.  Why aren't we involved in that ministry?"  Please hear me, brothers and sisters:  what are YOU doing about it?  YOU are a member of the body of Christ.  YOU are part of the church.  When God puts a burden on your heart, that the church ought to be doing something, are YOU being faithful to answer that call?  If not, it is YOU who is in sin.  God has shown you something to do, and you have refused on account of others not coming along with you.  God has led you, but you are waiting for someone else to take the lead.  In a church filled with flawed people, by God's grace you can choose to do the right thing in humility.  You can be a good example.  Your hands are never tied as a servant of the Living God!  It is Christ who has given us liberty.

God also desires that we live in unity.  We are called to submit to one another in love.  We need to respect and obey those God has placed in authority in our lives.  We are not to clamour for titles and dictate our terms of service.  Christ humbled Himself and we ought to emulate Him, not seeking our own glory.  Not one person in the Body of Christ is without accountability before God or men.  Let us be faithful to heed 2 Peter 1:5-11:  "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; ¹¹ for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

You know the old adage:  if you point at someone else, three fingers are pointing back at you.  When it comes pointing out the flaws in the Body of Christ, if we do so as part of Christ's body we incriminate ourselves.  May we walk in love, brothers and sisters.  Regardless of where God has us, may we be those who walk soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age.  Instead of seeking to find fault or blaming others, let us stand up and make our calling and election sure.  May our words and deeds be the fragrance of Christ to all!

Church Zero by Peyton Jones

I recently finished reading Church Zero:  Raising 1st Century Churches of the the Ashes of the 21st Century Church by Peyton Jones.  I was blessed and challenged by it.    Perhaps there might be some who may be a bit put off by the large amount of pop culture references, but the substance is scripturally sound and thought provoking.  It encouraged me to seek God's direction and stay the course.  It caused me to examine myself and the ministry of the fellowship I am part of.  It also was another confirmation concerning things God has already been saying:  we cannot just keep "doing church" as we have seen traditionally modeled, but must embrace the scriptural model revealed in the book of Acts.  Jones emphasises the need for kingdom expansion through church planting, not building empires that become insular and hungry for more people so we can afford better toys.

There was one time when our "modern" worship services were cutting edge, proactive according to the leading of the Spirit.  For the last thirty years or so I have observed, not a whole lot has changed.  Well, things have changed - but perhaps not always for the better.  We know so much, but we trust God little.  Once the machine of ministry is rolling, we can be snagged between jagged gears which catch men and women, painfully chew them up, and spit them out.  The church tends to "cherry pick" those who serve, rather than training and encouraging all people to do the work of the ministry beyond the walls of a church.  There is more to Christian service than chores around a building:  it is the building up of one another in love through fellowship, pressing forward towards Christ in faith.

Having worked with children, youth, and adults during seasons of ministry, I can relate to many of the things Peyton Jones says.  What is particularly troubling (in a good way!) is it challenges the model that passes for youth groups and even church these days.  I found several passages almost haunting, as they dripped with raw truth.  Jones writes, "As E. Stanley Jones explained, The very setup of the ordinary church tends to produce the anonymous.  The congregation is supposed to be silent and receptive, and the pastor is supposed to be outgoing and aggressive.  That produces by its very makeup the spectator and the participant.  By its very makeup it produces the recessive, the ingrown, the non-contributive, and the parasite.  Men and women who during the weeks are molders of opinion, directors of large concerns, directors of destinies are expected to be putty on Sunday, and are supposed to like it.  The have little responsibility, hence make little response, except, perhaps, "I enjoyed your sermon."  They have little to do, hence thy do little." (Church Zero, Kindle, highlight on page 199, Loc. 2383-86)

Following Jesus Christ is not a spectator activity.  To be honest, I suspect many Christians are more emotionally involved with their children's sport's teams, a TV show, or a novel than with Jesus Christ!  I do not say these things to criticise the church, but as a part of the church I know that at times it has been and still can be true in me!  Oh, that we would learn to love and follow Christ!  That we would lead others to Him!  This may mean we need to change our methods, but Jesus is still our means and end.  A flaw of church today is the tendency to be reactionary.  In seeking to be progressive by implementing a program or strategising with plans that have worked for others, it remains a reactionary response.  The only way the church can ever be progressive or effective for the kingdom of God is to be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

God is working and moving in the church today.  He is stretching hearts and shattering paradigms.  He will break forth with power and might when we choose to repent, inquire of God, and faithfully obey His commands.  In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  We must be willing to follow Christ standing on His Word alone.  Even if no one follow us, may we follow Christ.  Where He goes, we must follow!