I had a thought in the shower: why do I pray? Do I pray to receive results? Am I motivated by what God can do for me? Is praying supposed to be like eating vegetables - maybe not my favorite part of the meal but I eat them because I know they are good for me?
Then another thought occurred to me: isn't praying out of obedience the best reason to pray? Shouldn't we pray because we are humbled and privileged to enter into God's throne room of grace through the precious blood of Jesus? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." If I pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." I am a hypocrite if I do not pray earnestly and continually. God's will is that every Christian be a praying Christian.
Why do you pray? Prayer is supposed to be more than mumbling words over food or thinking words as we drift off to sleep in our beds: prayer is to be the highlight of our existence. In prayer, that great act of faith, we enter into the presence of the Almighty God. It is the divine harmony of fellowship between our regenerated souls through the Holy Spirit, petitioning, praising, and worshiping our heavenly Father with Jesus Christ interceding as our Risen Mediator.
May God forge in us a hunger and thirst to emulate Christ and rise in obedience to pray. More exciting than sport, more necessary than our daily food, absolutely imperative for holiness and godliness, let us never neglect the joyous duty of prayer. Let us pray!
16 July 2011
13 July 2011
A Heart Issue
God sometimes places a strong emphasis on a particular theme over and over until I recognize it. My morning routine involves rising before dawn, praying, reading a chapter of the Bible, focusing on a key verse, and writing the thoughts God provokes. After I finished writing this morning, for whatever reason I decided to turn back a page. To my surprise, I found the writing on the previous day was on the same subject: the condition of the heart. I had totally forgotten about what I had written the day before! Since this theme keeps coming up in my writing, I had the idea of simply sharing these two devotions together. Hope God shows you something awesome!
13/7/11 - 2 Chronicles 11:16: "And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers." Those who are loyal to God will seek Him at great expense. Some might see it as a great inconvenience to travel to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in obedience to God. To those who set their hearts upon God, the privilege of obedience is a great delight! Serving God in obedience is a vital part of the Christian walk. Like David, who would not sacrifice to God what cost him nothing, followers of Jesus Christ are called to a lifestyle of sacrifice and worship unto the LORD. A man cannot rightly say, "I have set my heart to seek the LORD" but neglect to take necessary steps to enter into His presence. Can a man seek hidden treasure from the comfort of his bed? Is sacrifice possible from a sedentary existence upon a church pew? Jesus did not sacrifice from the glorious luxuries of heaven, but gave his glory away and was clad in human flesh. He took up the cross after a life free from sin and completely lived for the glory of God, and died in obedience to the Father's will. No servant is above his master, and we are Christ's servants. Worship and praise must involve more than playing a song or assembling in a building at a given hour: we must take up our cross and follow Jesus. Since when has sacrifice not involved sacrifice? We are to be living sacrifices unto our God, who gave Himself freely for us. We love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself for us. "You are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor. 16:20)
14/7/11 - 2 Chronicles 12:14: "And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD." When Rehoboam was established, he "forsook the law of the LORD and all Israel with him" (2 Chron. 12:1). But when he and the princes humbled themselves before the LORD, the wrath of God was turned away, though they still faced consequences: some wealth was stripped away, and they became servants of Shishak King of Egypt. But verse 14 clearly illuminates the main issue: Rehoboam did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD and thus turned from following Him. As Christians, God gives us a new heart of flesh, having removed our heart of stone. We have been given a responsibility to keep our heart soft and humble by God's grace, not allowing it to be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:13) or being lifted up with pride. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." If I have a bad heart which beats irregularly, I will be fatigued and at risk of heart failure. If I suffer from coronary disease, my overall health is negatively affected. If our hearts are wrong spiritually, every aspect of our lives will be stunted. Our ability to exercise spiritual gifts will be thwarted, our prayers will be marked by numb dullness, and our strength will be sapped. The smallest of spiritual disciplines will overwhelm us. But if God gives us a new heart, and we prepare our hearts to seek the LORD, we will no doubt find Him and walk in the way which fully pleases Him. Deuteronomy 4:29 states, "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul." What an everlasting promise, what confidence we can have in our God's availability, accessibility, and faithfulness! A divided heart will be full of fear, selfishness, and poisoned with a root of bitterness and pride. If we will humble ourselves and seek the LORD, we will see the fulfillment of 2 Chronicles 7:14: "...if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
11 July 2011
You Are What You Worship
Awhile back I turned on the TV and watched the first 10 minutes of a show called, "Deadliest Roads." During the episode titled "Thin Air," one of the truck drivers was tasked to carry a statue of Buddha to another monastery higher up the Rohtang Pass in India. As the monks carefully placed their golden deity in the back of his truck the driver asked incredulously: "Is that your god?" One of the men answered yes. As he slowly drove up the mountain the idol was shown in the back of the cargo area, shaking with every vibration of the truck. When I saw that golden idol sitting in the dark, carefully wrapped with protective cloths, I thought of Isaiah 40:18-20: "To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? 19 The workman molds an image, the goldsmith overspreads it with gold, and the silversmith casts silver chains. 20 Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks for himself a skillful workman to prepare a carved image that will not totter."
In this passage, the True Living God points out the folly in those who serve idols. These devout monks took great care to ensure their idol would not tip over and break! Is that a god worthy of worship? Here is another passage that reveals the foolishness of idolatry. Psalm 115:5-8 describes: "They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; 6 they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; 7 they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. 8 Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them." After stating the obvious, this scripture finishes with a stern indictment: everyone who worships an idol is as powerless as their idol. The truth is, man is no more powerful than the god or gods he serves. Man made by God in the image of God can choose to make gods according to his own design. Anything we worship that is not the creator of heaven and earth - whether it be money, fame, power, self, or that which is made - are all idols which are powerless to hear, speak, or save.
Let us take this thought even further. Since scripture has established that man is no greater than his god, what does this say of those who serve the Almighty God, the great I AM? We have not made God, but He has created us. He is the God who created light, water, the heavens the earth, the universe known and unknown, all life, plants, animals, people, speech, and communication. He is a God in whom all the senses originate: sight, hearing, smell, touch, the speaking of words, the ability to move and act. When a person chooses to trust and worship Jesus Christ as LORD, he places his faith in the Living God, the pre-imminent One, the God who has made all things. Jesus did many signs pointing to His divinity: He made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, set the captives free by delivering people from prisons of sin and unclean spirits, made the lame and paralyzed to walk, healed lepers, and raised the dead to life. Now there is a God who will not totter! Crucify Him if you like, but He will rise incorruptible and glorified!
We do not serve a God who reserves all ability for Himself, but a gracious God who empowers us with the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in John 14:12, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." Paul affirms in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This is not an idle boast, but the reality of life revealed in a lifestyle reserved for all who trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour. We do not seek to do things to make a name for ourselves, but for the power of God to be so revealed through our lives that only He receives all the glory. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 says, "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." We do not become gods by placing our faith in Christ, but by His grace He makes us like Him: alive and empowered with the Holy Spirit!
Man is no more powerful than the gods he serves. A man may serve a million deities, but if they are all lifeless and powerless he only clutters his life with useless garbage. But if you serve the One and Only True God, you serve a powerful living God who hears, speaks, heals, moves, and answers. False gods are only fit for the fire, for that is where all sin ultimately goes. If we cling to our idols, we bring their judgment upon ourselves. Yet when we repent and place our faith in Christ, He grants us a pardon and gives us eternal life. I choose life! John 14:6 records the immortal truth: "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." He says the same to you today!
In this passage, the True Living God points out the folly in those who serve idols. These devout monks took great care to ensure their idol would not tip over and break! Is that a god worthy of worship? Here is another passage that reveals the foolishness of idolatry. Psalm 115:5-8 describes: "They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; 6 they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; 7 they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. 8 Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them." After stating the obvious, this scripture finishes with a stern indictment: everyone who worships an idol is as powerless as their idol. The truth is, man is no more powerful than the god or gods he serves. Man made by God in the image of God can choose to make gods according to his own design. Anything we worship that is not the creator of heaven and earth - whether it be money, fame, power, self, or that which is made - are all idols which are powerless to hear, speak, or save.
Let us take this thought even further. Since scripture has established that man is no greater than his god, what does this say of those who serve the Almighty God, the great I AM? We have not made God, but He has created us. He is the God who created light, water, the heavens the earth, the universe known and unknown, all life, plants, animals, people, speech, and communication. He is a God in whom all the senses originate: sight, hearing, smell, touch, the speaking of words, the ability to move and act. When a person chooses to trust and worship Jesus Christ as LORD, he places his faith in the Living God, the pre-imminent One, the God who has made all things. Jesus did many signs pointing to His divinity: He made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, set the captives free by delivering people from prisons of sin and unclean spirits, made the lame and paralyzed to walk, healed lepers, and raised the dead to life. Now there is a God who will not totter! Crucify Him if you like, but He will rise incorruptible and glorified!
We do not serve a God who reserves all ability for Himself, but a gracious God who empowers us with the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in John 14:12, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." Paul affirms in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This is not an idle boast, but the reality of life revealed in a lifestyle reserved for all who trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour. We do not seek to do things to make a name for ourselves, but for the power of God to be so revealed through our lives that only He receives all the glory. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 says, "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." We do not become gods by placing our faith in Christ, but by His grace He makes us like Him: alive and empowered with the Holy Spirit!
Man is no more powerful than the gods he serves. A man may serve a million deities, but if they are all lifeless and powerless he only clutters his life with useless garbage. But if you serve the One and Only True God, you serve a powerful living God who hears, speaks, heals, moves, and answers. False gods are only fit for the fire, for that is where all sin ultimately goes. If we cling to our idols, we bring their judgment upon ourselves. Yet when we repent and place our faith in Christ, He grants us a pardon and gives us eternal life. I choose life! John 14:6 records the immortal truth: "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." He says the same to you today!
08 July 2011
Blessed Assurance!
When I emptied out our letterbox yesterday, among the junk mail was a advertisement which promised "2 Hours of Heaven - only $79.00." I suppose this could be correct - if a facial, a pedicure, eyebrow shape, and 1/2 of your back massaged is heaven! For me, this promise of heaven was not reassuring. We can pay money for insurance, but we still have little assurance in this world. Even insurance companies who receive goods for services have the skillful knack of wriggling off the hook.
Here's another example: Zed's bunny CJ has a blocked tear duct, apparently a common malady among rabbits. We took her to the vet, and shelled out what I consider to be a ludicrous amount of money for treatment (one could afford nearly 4 hours of heaven with that kind of money!). I might be able to justify it if the treatment actually worked. But after a couple weeks of medicine and careful cleaning, little CJ's eye is not better. The vet wants us to come back for another consulting fee plus treatment costs. I jumped online to learn a little about various remedies. Come to find out that for some bunnies, this is a chronic condition not improved through antibiotics, tooth extraction, or draining with a catheter! I would be more inclined to pay for treatment if the vet would give me assurance they will fix the problem with a set price. But can they offer me such assurance? Not in this world!
The world can offer no assurance like God. What He says He will do. While speaking to the religious people in Athens Paul says this in Acts 17:30-31: "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." Through Christ's death and resurrection, God has given us assurance of several things: that He will ultimately judge all people according to righteousness, and has also given assurance that those who repent and trust in Jesus Christ will overcome death and be given eternal life, even as Jesus has. People alive in this world only have assurance of death and judgment. Judgment of sinners according to God's righteousness means certain damnation. But God gives assurance of eternal life through repentance and faith in Christ. How good is God's assurance!
Armed with this knowledge, we receive this exhortation written in Hebrews 10:19-25: "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." The Day of Judgment is approaching, of this we are assured. Let us encourage one another and draw nearer to Christ than ever before, holding fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for God is faithful.
Praise God that what He has promised He is able to perform (Rom. 4:21). Thank God that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6)!
Here's another example: Zed's bunny CJ has a blocked tear duct, apparently a common malady among rabbits. We took her to the vet, and shelled out what I consider to be a ludicrous amount of money for treatment (one could afford nearly 4 hours of heaven with that kind of money!). I might be able to justify it if the treatment actually worked. But after a couple weeks of medicine and careful cleaning, little CJ's eye is not better. The vet wants us to come back for another consulting fee plus treatment costs. I jumped online to learn a little about various remedies. Come to find out that for some bunnies, this is a chronic condition not improved through antibiotics, tooth extraction, or draining with a catheter! I would be more inclined to pay for treatment if the vet would give me assurance they will fix the problem with a set price. But can they offer me such assurance? Not in this world!
The world can offer no assurance like God. What He says He will do. While speaking to the religious people in Athens Paul says this in Acts 17:30-31: "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." Through Christ's death and resurrection, God has given us assurance of several things: that He will ultimately judge all people according to righteousness, and has also given assurance that those who repent and trust in Jesus Christ will overcome death and be given eternal life, even as Jesus has. People alive in this world only have assurance of death and judgment. Judgment of sinners according to God's righteousness means certain damnation. But God gives assurance of eternal life through repentance and faith in Christ. How good is God's assurance!
Armed with this knowledge, we receive this exhortation written in Hebrews 10:19-25: "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." The Day of Judgment is approaching, of this we are assured. Let us encourage one another and draw nearer to Christ than ever before, holding fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for God is faithful.
Praise God that what He has promised He is able to perform (Rom. 4:21). Thank God that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6)!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)