2 Peter 3:8-15
8But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you.
It had been over 30 years since Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. People were beginning to doubt that Jesus was coming back as He had promised. Everything seemed to be going along just as it had. There was no evidence that Jesus’ promise to return was going to be fulfilled. In addition to this, Peter warned them that false teachers would arise, “who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them.” (1 Peter 2:1)
In the midst of these doubts and heresies, Peter wrote his second letter to reassure Christians that they were not waiting in vain for Jesus to fulfil His promise to return. We can learn much about God’s promises from Peter’s letter:
First, Peter put things in perspective by reminding his readers at the beginning of his letter that God had kept His other “exceedingly great and precious promises” to them, and “that through these [they had become] partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (1 Peter 1:4)
Second, Peter also reminded his readers in chapter 3 that God’s timing is not the same as man’s timing. Peter wrote, “Beloved, do not forget this one thing, with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” What appears in our eyes to be a delay is, in fact, no delay in the eyes of the eternal God.
Third, God will often surprise us with the timing and the manner in which He fulfils His promises. Peter compares God’s fulfilling His promise to a thief: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” Even in South Africa where crime is rampant, no one can predict when a thief will break into their home. Likewise, no one can predict when God will do what He’s promised to do.
Fourth, God’s promises affect the way we live from the time we receive them until the time when they are fulfilled. Often we wait in much anticipation for a promise from God to be fulfilled thinking that at that point our lives will change. However, Peter turns this idea on its head by asking, “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved [when Jesus’ promise to return is fulfilled], what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” Peter is implying that his readers’ way of living should change even before they receive the fulfilment of what God has promised to them.
Fifth, we should not only look forward to the fulfilment of God’s promise, but we should also do everything within our power to hasten its arrival. Peter described those who have received a promise from God as ones who should be, “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” God has given us the ability, and in some cases the responsibility, to hasten the fulfilment of the promises He has made to us!
Sixth, having done all we can to hasten the fulfilment of God’s promise, we are to wait patiently and without sinning. Peter wrote, “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” This is often the most difficult part of waiting for the fulfilment of a promise. It is also a very important part—not important in order for the promise to be fulfilled, since God will fulfil His promises no matter how we behave, but important for our own sake. Imagine our horror and embarrassment if we are found in hopelessness and rebellion at the time God chooses to fulfil His promise!
And seventh, the reason God appears to delay fulfilling one of His promises is so that the work of salvation associated with that promise may be completed. Peter invites his readers to, “consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” God’s plan for the salvation of mankind has been unfolding from the beginning of time. All of the promises He has made to men and women down through the ages have been an integral part of that plan of salvation. God has never failed and will never fail to keep a promise. If He seems to be delaying, we can assure our hearts that the apparent delay is part of His plan, and that at precisely the right time that promise will be fulfilled.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Similitudes 2c
Following the Beatitudes, Jesus uses two metaphors to illustrate how those He has just described affect the world around them. This week we will finish looking at the second metaphor: light.
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Remember that Christians are not only a light in the world, but we are the light of the world. Previously, we have seen that, because of the flame that God has placed within us, we all have the potential to bring light to everyone we meet—as long as we don’t allow any bowls to cause our light to be dimmed or even completely blocked.
Jesus is encouraging His disciples to, “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” At first reading it appears that Jesus is equating our light with our good works. In other words, He seems to be encouraging us to display our good works for all to see, in the hope that those looking on will discern that our heavenly Father is the enabling power behind those good works. However, I don’t believe this is the correct interpretation of this passage of Scripture.
Putting our good works on display for all to see contradicts many of Jesus’ other teachings. For example, in Matthew 6:1-4 Jesus said:
1“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
A closer look at the passage in question reveals an alternative interpretation. I believe Jesus was saying that when you “let your light shine before men,” then they will be able to “see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” It is only in an environment with sufficient light that we can see clearly what is happening and respond appropriately. Likewise, it is only when our lives are sufficiently radiating God’s light that others can see our good works in the proper context and respond by giving glory to our Father.
We can look to the life of Jesus for a positive example to emulate. Jesus never sought recognition from people. On the contrary, He often went to great lengths to avoid it. But there is no question that millions of people have seen His good works and have given glory to His Father. Why? Because He is the original Light of the World, perfectly shining the Divine light for all to see.
Today, let’s pray that we will shine God’s light and will seek to glorify God, not ourselves.
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Remember that Christians are not only a light in the world, but we are the light of the world. Previously, we have seen that, because of the flame that God has placed within us, we all have the potential to bring light to everyone we meet—as long as we don’t allow any bowls to cause our light to be dimmed or even completely blocked.
Jesus is encouraging His disciples to, “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” At first reading it appears that Jesus is equating our light with our good works. In other words, He seems to be encouraging us to display our good works for all to see, in the hope that those looking on will discern that our heavenly Father is the enabling power behind those good works. However, I don’t believe this is the correct interpretation of this passage of Scripture.
Putting our good works on display for all to see contradicts many of Jesus’ other teachings. For example, in Matthew 6:1-4 Jesus said:
1“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
A closer look at the passage in question reveals an alternative interpretation. I believe Jesus was saying that when you “let your light shine before men,” then they will be able to “see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” It is only in an environment with sufficient light that we can see clearly what is happening and respond appropriately. Likewise, it is only when our lives are sufficiently radiating God’s light that others can see our good works in the proper context and respond by giving glory to our Father.
We can look to the life of Jesus for a positive example to emulate. Jesus never sought recognition from people. On the contrary, He often went to great lengths to avoid it. But there is no question that millions of people have seen His good works and have given glory to His Father. Why? Because He is the original Light of the World, perfectly shining the Divine light for all to see.
Today, let’s pray that we will shine God’s light and will seek to glorify God, not ourselves.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
The Similitudes 2b
Following the Beatitudes, Jesus uses two metaphors to illustrate how those He has just described affect the world around them. This week we will continue looking at the second metaphor: light.
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Last week we said that Christians are not only a light in the world, but we are the light of the world, and that true light always dispels darkness. Putting a bowl over a lamp doesn’t immediately affect its ability to dispel darkness. The bowl only limits the area of darkness that the lamp can dispel. When placed on its stand, the lamp has the potential to “give light to everyone in the house.” But putting a bowl over the lamp severely restricts that potential.
If the house represents our lives, then we are all continually moving from room to room. School, home, church, shopping and leisure activities are all rooms in which many of us spend much of our time. So we need to ask ourselves a very important question. Are we moving through the rooms of our lives with any bowls restricting our ability to dispel darkness around us? We all have the potential to bring light to everyone we meet, but bowls of sin, oppression, depression, busyness, apathy, fear and timidity all can at different times cause our light to be dimmed or even completely blocked.
Remember we said that putting a bowl over a lamp doesn’t immediately affect its ability to dispel darkness. The problem is that eventually the lamp consumes all of the oxygen under the bowl. When this happens, the flame is extinguished, and the lamp loses its ability to dispel darkness until it is lit again in an environment where oxygen is plentiful.
Likewise, if the bowls in our lives are not dealt with, but are allowed to remain in place, they will eventually suffocate the flame that God has placed within us. When we become aware of any bowl beginning to snuff out the light within us, it’s time to take action! Who you gonna call? “Bowl-busters!” This isn’t a new series on Discovery Channel, they are a set of things that can supply oxygen and fan the dying embers of your spiritual passion back into flame—even under the darkest of circumstances.
These Bowl-busters include: reading, studying, memorising & meditating on God’s Word; spending intimate time with God; being continually filled with the Holy Spirit; true repentance & forgiveness; Christian fellowship; and Christian counselling. With these in your life, no bowl stands a chance!
Today, let’s pray that:
·God will reveal any bowls in our lives that interfere with our ability to bring light the people we meet.
·God will help us use consistently all of the Bowl-busters He has made available to us.
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Last week we said that Christians are not only a light in the world, but we are the light of the world, and that true light always dispels darkness. Putting a bowl over a lamp doesn’t immediately affect its ability to dispel darkness. The bowl only limits the area of darkness that the lamp can dispel. When placed on its stand, the lamp has the potential to “give light to everyone in the house.” But putting a bowl over the lamp severely restricts that potential.
If the house represents our lives, then we are all continually moving from room to room. School, home, church, shopping and leisure activities are all rooms in which many of us spend much of our time. So we need to ask ourselves a very important question. Are we moving through the rooms of our lives with any bowls restricting our ability to dispel darkness around us? We all have the potential to bring light to everyone we meet, but bowls of sin, oppression, depression, busyness, apathy, fear and timidity all can at different times cause our light to be dimmed or even completely blocked.
Remember we said that putting a bowl over a lamp doesn’t immediately affect its ability to dispel darkness. The problem is that eventually the lamp consumes all of the oxygen under the bowl. When this happens, the flame is extinguished, and the lamp loses its ability to dispel darkness until it is lit again in an environment where oxygen is plentiful.
Likewise, if the bowls in our lives are not dealt with, but are allowed to remain in place, they will eventually suffocate the flame that God has placed within us. When we become aware of any bowl beginning to snuff out the light within us, it’s time to take action! Who you gonna call? “Bowl-busters!” This isn’t a new series on Discovery Channel, they are a set of things that can supply oxygen and fan the dying embers of your spiritual passion back into flame—even under the darkest of circumstances.
These Bowl-busters include: reading, studying, memorising & meditating on God’s Word; spending intimate time with God; being continually filled with the Holy Spirit; true repentance & forgiveness; Christian fellowship; and Christian counselling. With these in your life, no bowl stands a chance!
Today, let’s pray that:
·God will reveal any bowls in our lives that interfere with our ability to bring light the people we meet.
·God will help us use consistently all of the Bowl-busters He has made available to us.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Similitudes 2
Following the Beatitudes, Jesus uses two metaphors to illustrate how those He has just described affect the world around them. These two metaphors are sometimes referred to as the Similitudes. The second metaphor is that of light.
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Christians are not only a light in the world, but we are the light of the world. True light always dispels darkness.
When many people are living in close proximity to each other, you have a city. Likewise, when many Christians are living in close relationship with each other, you have a city on a hill whose light cannot be hidden. Our school is such a city, as are all of our churches. They shine as beacons of light, offering help to all travellers.
Have you ever been travelling on a dark, lonely road hoping to reach the next town before you fall asleep, feint from hunger and thirst, or run out of fuel? And to top it off, you’re desperate for the restroom! Your mind races, your heart fills with dread, your body tenses. Will I have an accident? (either kind!) What if I have a flat tyre? Is it safe to stop?… Then as your vehicle tops a hill your eyes are drawn to the lights of a town on the horizon. A sense of relief fills your mind, your heart is no longer fearful and even the tension drains from your neck and shoulders as you drive towards those welcoming lights!
Many people, probably several that you know, are travelling down just such a road. They are weary, lonely and afraid. They are starved of affection, desperate for acceptance and emotionally running on empty. Their minds are filled with questions, their hearts bruised by abuse, their bodies afflicted by pain and illness. Who can they trust? Where can they find rest and peace?… Now imagine their joy and relief at finding and being welcomed into a community of believers where love and healing is freely available!
Today, let’s pray that your church will be a beacon of light, offering help to all travellers.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Similitudes 1
Following the Beatitudes, Jesus uses two metaphors to illustrate how those He has just described affect the world around them. These two metaphors are sometimes referred to as the Similitudes. The first metaphor is that of salt.
Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Jesus is saying that just as salt adds flavour to food, Christians should add flavour to the earth and its inhabitants. This is a common theme throughout the Bible: The people of God add a distinct flavour and aroma wherever they go.
“But,” Jesus asks, “if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” Jesus takes the analogy further by saying that just as salt that has lost its flavour is useless in seasoning food, so Christians that have lost their unique flavour have no effect on the earth or the people around them.
How can salt lose its flavour? Normal table salt, sodium chloride, is chemically very stable. Salt is salt no matter how old it is or what condition it’s in. So the only way that it can lose its ability to flavour food is if it is diluted and overwhelmed by other flavours.
How can Christians lose their flavour? True Christians are always Christians. You can’t be a little bit Christian or a Christian only some of the time. So the only way that we can lose our ability to flavour the world is if our hearts become so diluted that we are overwhelmed by other flavours.
What other flavours can overwhelm the flavour of salt? Well, human taste buds, the sensory cells that give us the ability to taste, can only distinguish four different flavours. Everything we taste is made up of a combination of these four flavours. (No wonder so many things ‘taste like chicken!’) One of the four flavours is, you guessed it, saltiness. The others are sweet, sour and bitter. In sufficient quantity any one of these, or a combination of two or more, can overwhelm the salty flavour.
What flavours can overwhelm the saltiness of a Christian? Believe it or not, it’s the same three flavours: sweet, sour and bitter!
Sweet represents the quest for pleasure. I’m not saying that all chocolate is evil, but it’s a fact that most sins are pleasurable. If they weren’t, why would we be tempted by them? Eve saw that the forbidden fruit “was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” Not all pleasure is sinful, but when our pursuit of pleasure eclipses our pursuit of God, we begin to lose our saltiness. At the other extreme are those whose sour disposition overwhelms their saltiness. A strict legalism robs them of their joy and leaves a sour taste in the mouths of others. And finally, bitterness that springs from unforgiveness and offence has the strength to overpower our saltiness.
Today let’s pray that our saltiness will be evident to all and that it won’t be overwhelmed by our taste for sweet, sour or bitter.
Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Jesus is saying that just as salt adds flavour to food, Christians should add flavour to the earth and its inhabitants. This is a common theme throughout the Bible: The people of God add a distinct flavour and aroma wherever they go.
“But,” Jesus asks, “if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” Jesus takes the analogy further by saying that just as salt that has lost its flavour is useless in seasoning food, so Christians that have lost their unique flavour have no effect on the earth or the people around them.
How can salt lose its flavour? Normal table salt, sodium chloride, is chemically very stable. Salt is salt no matter how old it is or what condition it’s in. So the only way that it can lose its ability to flavour food is if it is diluted and overwhelmed by other flavours.
How can Christians lose their flavour? True Christians are always Christians. You can’t be a little bit Christian or a Christian only some of the time. So the only way that we can lose our ability to flavour the world is if our hearts become so diluted that we are overwhelmed by other flavours.
What other flavours can overwhelm the flavour of salt? Well, human taste buds, the sensory cells that give us the ability to taste, can only distinguish four different flavours. Everything we taste is made up of a combination of these four flavours. (No wonder so many things ‘taste like chicken!’) One of the four flavours is, you guessed it, saltiness. The others are sweet, sour and bitter. In sufficient quantity any one of these, or a combination of two or more, can overwhelm the salty flavour.
What flavours can overwhelm the saltiness of a Christian? Believe it or not, it’s the same three flavours: sweet, sour and bitter!
Sweet represents the quest for pleasure. I’m not saying that all chocolate is evil, but it’s a fact that most sins are pleasurable. If they weren’t, why would we be tempted by them? Eve saw that the forbidden fruit “was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” Not all pleasure is sinful, but when our pursuit of pleasure eclipses our pursuit of God, we begin to lose our saltiness. At the other extreme are those whose sour disposition overwhelms their saltiness. A strict legalism robs them of their joy and leaves a sour taste in the mouths of others. And finally, bitterness that springs from unforgiveness and offence has the strength to overpower our saltiness.
Today let’s pray that our saltiness will be evident to all and that it won’t be overwhelmed by our taste for sweet, sour or bitter.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The Beatitudes 8 continued
Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
It is interesting to note that Jesus didn’t promise reward to only those who stand firm in the face of persecution, but to all of those who would experience it. Jesus obviously desires His followers to be steadfast when enduring persecution, but the promised reward carries no condition relative to how His followers would respond to persecution. It is therefore reasonable to say that this promise was meant more to inspire hope in the midst of persecution than it was to reward the successful enduring of persecution.
Jesus knew His followers would experience persecution both because of their faith in Him and because of their determination to live according to what He taught. He, therefore, wanted to inspire them with something that would give them enough strength to stand unwaveringly against opposition and enough hope to endure persecution.
Last week we spoke about how difficult it is at times to choose righteousness over unrighteousness—especially when the righteous way often involves persecution. The Greek root of the word translated as ‘persecution’ means to pursue. Therefore, persecution because of righteousness is to be identified, chased down and abused physically and/or verbally as a result of one’s stand against sin and evil.
The roots of persecution are hatred and fear. The goal of persecution is to eliminate any perceived threat to one’s belief system or way of life. No wonder that throughout history the world has persecuted God’s people!
Jesus said that the reward for suffering persecution because of righteousness is to receive the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus went on to say that a great reward is waiting in heaven for those who suffer persecution for their belief in Him and determination to live as He taught. In his commentary on this passage of Scripture, Barnes stated, “Though God does not require us to seek persecution, yet all this shows that there is something in [Christianity] to sustain the soul which the world does not possess.”
So how are we to view persecution? First, we are not to seek it. Rest assured, if you continually stand for righteousness, persecution will find you! And second, when persecution does arise, persevere in the knowledge that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Today, let’s pray that…
· We will have the courage to stand against sin and evil.
· We will stand firm in the face of the resulting persecution.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
It is interesting to note that Jesus didn’t promise reward to only those who stand firm in the face of persecution, but to all of those who would experience it. Jesus obviously desires His followers to be steadfast when enduring persecution, but the promised reward carries no condition relative to how His followers would respond to persecution. It is therefore reasonable to say that this promise was meant more to inspire hope in the midst of persecution than it was to reward the successful enduring of persecution.
Jesus knew His followers would experience persecution both because of their faith in Him and because of their determination to live according to what He taught. He, therefore, wanted to inspire them with something that would give them enough strength to stand unwaveringly against opposition and enough hope to endure persecution.
Last week we spoke about how difficult it is at times to choose righteousness over unrighteousness—especially when the righteous way often involves persecution. The Greek root of the word translated as ‘persecution’ means to pursue. Therefore, persecution because of righteousness is to be identified, chased down and abused physically and/or verbally as a result of one’s stand against sin and evil.
The roots of persecution are hatred and fear. The goal of persecution is to eliminate any perceived threat to one’s belief system or way of life. No wonder that throughout history the world has persecuted God’s people!
Jesus said that the reward for suffering persecution because of righteousness is to receive the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus went on to say that a great reward is waiting in heaven for those who suffer persecution for their belief in Him and determination to live as He taught. In his commentary on this passage of Scripture, Barnes stated, “Though God does not require us to seek persecution, yet all this shows that there is something in [Christianity] to sustain the soul which the world does not possess.”
So how are we to view persecution? First, we are not to seek it. Rest assured, if you continually stand for righteousness, persecution will find you! And second, when persecution does arise, persevere in the knowledge that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Today, let’s pray that…
· We will have the courage to stand against sin and evil.
· We will stand firm in the face of the resulting persecution.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Beatitudes 8
Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
This Beatitude is unique. First, it is the only one of the Beatitudes upon which Jesus elaborated. And second, every other Beatitude that Jesus taught has to do with positive and desirable character attributes, but persecution because of righteousness has to do with what can happen when Christians begin to display these positive character attributes.
When Christians realise how poor in spirit they actually are, they begin to walk humbly before God and others. People in the world interpret this humility as vulnerability and seek to exploit this perceived advantage in both business and personal relationships.
When Christians mourn and grieve over sin, they no longer enjoy or participate in the sinful practices of those around them. Usually, they can’t even condone their friends’ involvement in these practices, some of which they used to engage in often. This has the potential to unleash a barrage of accusations from those trying to justify their continued sinful practices.
When Christian begin to practice meekness, the world sees them as weak and looks down on them.
When Christians hunger and thirst for righteousness, nothing else will ever truly satisfy them. And when they find the true righteousness that only Christ can give, suddenly they enjoy a peace and contentment that endures through good times and bad. People in the world will see this enduring peace and will desire to have it. However, many will reject the fact that it can only be found in Christ and will reject anyone who tells them so.
When Christians show mercy, it goes against the competitive ‘killer instinct’ so valued by the world. Forgiving 490 times means suffering 490 abuses without seeking revenge!
When Christians refuse to dilute the purity of their hearts with anything that will compete with their devotion to Christ, the temptations will come thick, fast and continuously. This relentless onslaught comes from our enemy through world and the people who embrace it. And the moment we give in, rather than congratulations, we receive a heap of condemnation from the very ones who were urging us on.
When Christians act as peacemakers, they put themselves in a position where they may suffer misunderstanding and harm from one or both parties in a conflict.
Today let’s pray that, in spite of the possible negative consequences, we will choose righteousness over ungodliness.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
This Beatitude is unique. First, it is the only one of the Beatitudes upon which Jesus elaborated. And second, every other Beatitude that Jesus taught has to do with positive and desirable character attributes, but persecution because of righteousness has to do with what can happen when Christians begin to display these positive character attributes.
When Christians realise how poor in spirit they actually are, they begin to walk humbly before God and others. People in the world interpret this humility as vulnerability and seek to exploit this perceived advantage in both business and personal relationships.
When Christians mourn and grieve over sin, they no longer enjoy or participate in the sinful practices of those around them. Usually, they can’t even condone their friends’ involvement in these practices, some of which they used to engage in often. This has the potential to unleash a barrage of accusations from those trying to justify their continued sinful practices.
When Christian begin to practice meekness, the world sees them as weak and looks down on them.
When Christians hunger and thirst for righteousness, nothing else will ever truly satisfy them. And when they find the true righteousness that only Christ can give, suddenly they enjoy a peace and contentment that endures through good times and bad. People in the world will see this enduring peace and will desire to have it. However, many will reject the fact that it can only be found in Christ and will reject anyone who tells them so.
When Christians show mercy, it goes against the competitive ‘killer instinct’ so valued by the world. Forgiving 490 times means suffering 490 abuses without seeking revenge!
When Christians refuse to dilute the purity of their hearts with anything that will compete with their devotion to Christ, the temptations will come thick, fast and continuously. This relentless onslaught comes from our enemy through world and the people who embrace it. And the moment we give in, rather than congratulations, we receive a heap of condemnation from the very ones who were urging us on.
When Christians act as peacemakers, they put themselves in a position where they may suffer misunderstanding and harm from one or both parties in a conflict.
Today let’s pray that, in spite of the possible negative consequences, we will choose righteousness over ungodliness.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Beatitudes 7
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Most of us would agree that there is a difference between a peacemaker and a peacekeeper. But what exactly are those differences, and why would Jesus identify peacemakers as being worthy of the title, ”sons of God?”
Peacekeepers don’t concern themselves with the underlying issues of a conflict, but peacemakers expose and try to resolve those issues.
Peacekeepers use force to suppress conflict or use silence to avoid it, while peacemakers allow conflict to occur as a natural part of any relationship.
Peacekeepers are concerned more about their own safety and comfort, while peacemakers put others’ safety and comfort before their own.
Peacekeepers fear conflict, but peacemakers manage conflict.
Jesus is a peacemaker. He addresses conflict between God and people, and He addresses conflict between people and other people. In the conflict between God and people, Jesus tackled the dividing issues of sin and death, and He resolved them once and for all. He could have suppressed this conflict by forcing all people into compulsory obedience. He could have avoided this conflict by not going to the cross, but instead, He put our wellbeing before His own and died a cruel and lonely death in our place. And “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
In conflicts between people, Jesus removes the basis for their differences. For example, the deepest-rooted conflict of Jesus’ time was between Jew and Gentile. Of this conflict Ephesians 2:14-16 says, “14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”
Jesus is a peacemaker. And when we operate as peacemakers; when we introduce others to the only Way to be reconciled to God; when we put others’ wellbeing before our own; when we refuse to suppress or avoid conflict, but instead work hard to resolve it, then we are fulfilling our highest calling—to be like Jesus, to be sons of God.
Today let’s pray that:
· We would be effective in making peace between unbelievers and God.
· We would be useful in resolving conflict between people.
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Most of us would agree that there is a difference between a peacemaker and a peacekeeper. But what exactly are those differences, and why would Jesus identify peacemakers as being worthy of the title, ”sons of God?”
Peacekeepers don’t concern themselves with the underlying issues of a conflict, but peacemakers expose and try to resolve those issues.
Peacekeepers use force to suppress conflict or use silence to avoid it, while peacemakers allow conflict to occur as a natural part of any relationship.
Peacekeepers are concerned more about their own safety and comfort, while peacemakers put others’ safety and comfort before their own.
Peacekeepers fear conflict, but peacemakers manage conflict.
Jesus is a peacemaker. He addresses conflict between God and people, and He addresses conflict between people and other people. In the conflict between God and people, Jesus tackled the dividing issues of sin and death, and He resolved them once and for all. He could have suppressed this conflict by forcing all people into compulsory obedience. He could have avoided this conflict by not going to the cross, but instead, He put our wellbeing before His own and died a cruel and lonely death in our place. And “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
In conflicts between people, Jesus removes the basis for their differences. For example, the deepest-rooted conflict of Jesus’ time was between Jew and Gentile. Of this conflict Ephesians 2:14-16 says, “14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”
Jesus is a peacemaker. And when we operate as peacemakers; when we introduce others to the only Way to be reconciled to God; when we put others’ wellbeing before our own; when we refuse to suppress or avoid conflict, but instead work hard to resolve it, then we are fulfilling our highest calling—to be like Jesus, to be sons of God.
Today let’s pray that:
· We would be effective in making peace between unbelievers and God.
· We would be useful in resolving conflict between people.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Beatitudes 6
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
There are two steps in making and keeping something pure.
First, you must remove all of the impurities. This is often quite a long process, usually involving heat—lots of heat! At the end of the process you have a pure element free from any contamination.
Then, in order to preserve this purity, you have to refrain from mixing anything with the pure substance. The temptation is often to introduce a less valuable substance to dilute the one you have just purified. This is often done with gold. 24-carat gold is fine (99.9% pure), 18-carat gold is 75% gold, 12-carat gold is 50% gold, and so forth. Introducing copper and silver (nickle or palladium in the case of so-called “white gold”) to pure gold changes its properties as well as its value.
Likewise, there are two steps in establishing and maintaining purity of heart.
First comes the process of removing the impurities of pride, selfishness, fear and the myriad derivatives and variations of these noxious roots. Once people repent of these sins and receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, they are immediately made pure in God’s sight as Christ’s purity is credited to their accounts. But, in addition, they begin a life-long process of being transformed into Christ’s likeness. This process also involves heat—the firey trails used by God to refine our character. The result is a heart that ever more closely resembles the pure heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We must then take steps to preserve the purity of our hearts. Temptations will come to dilute the solitary devotion of our hearts to God with other far less valuable pursuits. Introducing anything that is in competition with the supremacy of Jesus Christ in our hearts is to sink into a form of idolatry and to cheapen our hearts through what amounts to spiritual prostitution.
But for those purify their hearts and refrain from diluting their pure devotion there is a promise of great reward: to see God. All people will one day stand before God and see Him in His glorious splendour. This will be an ominously terrifying experience for those whose hearts remain stained with sin, but the pure in heart will stand blameless before Him and be given the wonderful privilege of spending all eternity gazing in awe and wonder at the Object of their devotion.
Today, let’s pray that…
· Unsaved friends and family members will realise the impure state of their hearts and they would repent of their sins and allow God to purify their hearts.
· We would resist the temptation to dilute the purity of our own hearts by introducing anything that might compete with Jesus Christ’s number one place.
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
There are two steps in making and keeping something pure.
First, you must remove all of the impurities. This is often quite a long process, usually involving heat—lots of heat! At the end of the process you have a pure element free from any contamination.
Then, in order to preserve this purity, you have to refrain from mixing anything with the pure substance. The temptation is often to introduce a less valuable substance to dilute the one you have just purified. This is often done with gold. 24-carat gold is fine (99.9% pure), 18-carat gold is 75% gold, 12-carat gold is 50% gold, and so forth. Introducing copper and silver (nickle or palladium in the case of so-called “white gold”) to pure gold changes its properties as well as its value.
Likewise, there are two steps in establishing and maintaining purity of heart.
First comes the process of removing the impurities of pride, selfishness, fear and the myriad derivatives and variations of these noxious roots. Once people repent of these sins and receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, they are immediately made pure in God’s sight as Christ’s purity is credited to their accounts. But, in addition, they begin a life-long process of being transformed into Christ’s likeness. This process also involves heat—the firey trails used by God to refine our character. The result is a heart that ever more closely resembles the pure heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We must then take steps to preserve the purity of our hearts. Temptations will come to dilute the solitary devotion of our hearts to God with other far less valuable pursuits. Introducing anything that is in competition with the supremacy of Jesus Christ in our hearts is to sink into a form of idolatry and to cheapen our hearts through what amounts to spiritual prostitution.
But for those purify their hearts and refrain from diluting their pure devotion there is a promise of great reward: to see God. All people will one day stand before God and see Him in His glorious splendour. This will be an ominously terrifying experience for those whose hearts remain stained with sin, but the pure in heart will stand blameless before Him and be given the wonderful privilege of spending all eternity gazing in awe and wonder at the Object of their devotion.
Today, let’s pray that…
· Unsaved friends and family members will realise the impure state of their hearts and they would repent of their sins and allow God to purify their hearts.
· We would resist the temptation to dilute the purity of our own hearts by introducing anything that might compete with Jesus Christ’s number one place.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The Beatitudes 5
Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
There are two groups of people to whom we need to show mercy: those that are in need and those who have sinned against us. We may be inclined to think that those in need are more deserving of our mercy while those who have sinned against us are less deserving of any kindness from us. But that is to misunderstand the very nature of mercy.
True mercy cannot be earned. To be merciful is to have compassion for someone who is helpless and to act on that compassion by extending help.
The helplessness of those in need is often more obvious: the lack of material possessions of those who are poor; the deep sadness of those who have lost a loved one; the loneliness of the outsider; the pain of the injured. Few of us would be able to ignore these needs without experiencing a tug on our conscience. Most of us would respond to these needs with acts of mercy.
In contrast, the helplessness of those who have sinned against us is usually less obvious: the disguised insecurity of the bully; the hidden fears of those who think only of themselves; the deep emotional wounds of those who lash out in anger; the spiritual emptiness of the wicked. On the surface the angry, the selfish, the bully and the wicked seem less in need of mercy, but they are as helpless as the needy and every much as deserving. Forgiving those who have sinned against us is an act of mercy.
Jesus said, “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28 NIV). Loving your enemies, doing good to those who hate you, blessing those who wish you harm, and praying for those who mistreat you are all acts of mercy.
The Beatitude we are concerned with today states that those who offer mercy will themselves receive mercy. It is a sobering thought that the degree to which we offer mercy to others will be the degree to which we receive mercy.
Today, let’s pray that:
· We will be sensitive to the plight of the needy as well as the circumstances of those who have sinned against us.
· We will have the grace to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who wish us harm and to pray for those who mistreat us.
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
There are two groups of people to whom we need to show mercy: those that are in need and those who have sinned against us. We may be inclined to think that those in need are more deserving of our mercy while those who have sinned against us are less deserving of any kindness from us. But that is to misunderstand the very nature of mercy.
True mercy cannot be earned. To be merciful is to have compassion for someone who is helpless and to act on that compassion by extending help.
The helplessness of those in need is often more obvious: the lack of material possessions of those who are poor; the deep sadness of those who have lost a loved one; the loneliness of the outsider; the pain of the injured. Few of us would be able to ignore these needs without experiencing a tug on our conscience. Most of us would respond to these needs with acts of mercy.
In contrast, the helplessness of those who have sinned against us is usually less obvious: the disguised insecurity of the bully; the hidden fears of those who think only of themselves; the deep emotional wounds of those who lash out in anger; the spiritual emptiness of the wicked. On the surface the angry, the selfish, the bully and the wicked seem less in need of mercy, but they are as helpless as the needy and every much as deserving. Forgiving those who have sinned against us is an act of mercy.
Jesus said, “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28 NIV). Loving your enemies, doing good to those who hate you, blessing those who wish you harm, and praying for those who mistreat you are all acts of mercy.
The Beatitude we are concerned with today states that those who offer mercy will themselves receive mercy. It is a sobering thought that the degree to which we offer mercy to others will be the degree to which we receive mercy.
Today, let’s pray that:
· We will be sensitive to the plight of the needy as well as the circumstances of those who have sinned against us.
· We will have the grace to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who wish us harm and to pray for those who mistreat us.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
The Beatitudes 4
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Hunger and thirst represent strong desire. The implication here is that only a genuine desire for righteousness is ever truly satisfied, or indeed can be fully satisfied. People pursue all kinds of other desires: money, power, popularity, education, status, etc. But these desires are never completely fulfilled because of our competitive nature. We will always find someone who is richer, more powerful, more popular, better educated, more prominent, etc.
But the hunger and thirst for righteousness is different. True righteousness can’t be divided into degrees; it can’t be quantified. We either are, or we’re not. Being righteous has nothing to do with being good. The Bible is clear that our good works are worthless when it comes to making us righteous. We are guilty of sin, and no amount of effort on our part can erase the debt we owe.
So how can we ever be righteous before God? How can our hunger and thirst for righteousness ever be filled? Thanks be to God who sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price we couldn’t pay. He took our unrighteousness upon Himself to enable us to receive His righteousness. So all who confess Jesus as Lord and believe that He arose from the dead will be saved, not due to their own righteousness, but because of Christ’s righteousness imparted to them.
The righteousness of Christ is complete, so it is impossible for one person to receive more of His righteousness than someone else. All Christians are equally righteous in God’s eyes. There can be no competition. The ground is level at the cross.
We see a wonderful illustration of this in Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well recorded in John 4…
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.£ )
10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”
13Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
What is the gift that God longs to give to every human being? Righteousness.
Who was asking the woman for a drink? Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Why will those who hunger and thirst for righteousness be filled? Because the righteousness Jesus gives will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
Let’s pray that…
· We will forsake hungering and thirsting after things that, good as they may be, cannot satisfy.
· We will be successful in directing others to the Source of this living water.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Hunger and thirst represent strong desire. The implication here is that only a genuine desire for righteousness is ever truly satisfied, or indeed can be fully satisfied. People pursue all kinds of other desires: money, power, popularity, education, status, etc. But these desires are never completely fulfilled because of our competitive nature. We will always find someone who is richer, more powerful, more popular, better educated, more prominent, etc.
But the hunger and thirst for righteousness is different. True righteousness can’t be divided into degrees; it can’t be quantified. We either are, or we’re not. Being righteous has nothing to do with being good. The Bible is clear that our good works are worthless when it comes to making us righteous. We are guilty of sin, and no amount of effort on our part can erase the debt we owe.
So how can we ever be righteous before God? How can our hunger and thirst for righteousness ever be filled? Thanks be to God who sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price we couldn’t pay. He took our unrighteousness upon Himself to enable us to receive His righteousness. So all who confess Jesus as Lord and believe that He arose from the dead will be saved, not due to their own righteousness, but because of Christ’s righteousness imparted to them.
The righteousness of Christ is complete, so it is impossible for one person to receive more of His righteousness than someone else. All Christians are equally righteous in God’s eyes. There can be no competition. The ground is level at the cross.
We see a wonderful illustration of this in Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well recorded in John 4…
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.£ )
10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”
13Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
What is the gift that God longs to give to every human being? Righteousness.
Who was asking the woman for a drink? Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Why will those who hunger and thirst for righteousness be filled? Because the righteousness Jesus gives will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
Let’s pray that…
· We will forsake hungering and thirsting after things that, good as they may be, cannot satisfy.
· We will be successful in directing others to the Source of this living water.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Beatitudes 3
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Meekness has been given a bad rap. These days meekness has quite a negative connotation. To be meek has become the equivalent of being weak. But in reality meekness is far from weakness. Jesus was described as meek, but He was anything but weak!
Barnes states, “Meekness is patience in the reception of injuries. It is neither a surrender of our rights nor cowardice; but it is the opposite of sudden anger, of malice, of long-harbored vengeance.” Gill describes the meek as those “who are not easily provoked to anger; who patiently bear, and put up with injuries and affronts; carry themselves courteously, and affably to all; have the [least] thoughts of themselves, and the best of others; do not envy the gifts and graces of other men; are willing to be instructed and admonished, by the [least] of the saints; quietly submit to the will of God, in adverse dispensations of providence; and ascribe all they have, and are, to the grace of God.” Jesus fits both of these descriptions perfectly, and He expresses His desire for us to be the same.
Jesus says of the meek that they will inherit the earth. This is the opposite of what the world says. According to the world system it is those who aggressively assert their own cause and objectives; who are independent, “self-made men”; who are prepared to win at all costs that are to be admired and emulated. Those in the world don’t understand that the opposite of their approach is meekness. They are under the false impression that the only other alternative is becoming a weak doormat who allows others to walk all over them. This misconception makes them even more resolute in pursuing their aggressive approach.
In stark contrast stands Jesus’ approach. His was neither an aggressive approach nor a weak one. Rather, Jesus employed a much more effective approach; one that accomplished His entire mission on earth; one that attracted many dedicated followers; and one that continues to shine as an example today.
What was so unique and attractive about Jesus’ approach? Using the analogy of a building, it had a foundation of love; supporting walls of grace, truth, peace and faith; and a sheltering roof of gentleness, kindness, patience and humility. This approach enabled Jesus to teach with authority, lead with integrity, love with sincerity, and face opposition with tenacity.
Let’s pray that we would be meek enough to do the same!
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Meekness has been given a bad rap. These days meekness has quite a negative connotation. To be meek has become the equivalent of being weak. But in reality meekness is far from weakness. Jesus was described as meek, but He was anything but weak!
Barnes states, “Meekness is patience in the reception of injuries. It is neither a surrender of our rights nor cowardice; but it is the opposite of sudden anger, of malice, of long-harbored vengeance.” Gill describes the meek as those “who are not easily provoked to anger; who patiently bear, and put up with injuries and affronts; carry themselves courteously, and affably to all; have the [least] thoughts of themselves, and the best of others; do not envy the gifts and graces of other men; are willing to be instructed and admonished, by the [least] of the saints; quietly submit to the will of God, in adverse dispensations of providence; and ascribe all they have, and are, to the grace of God.” Jesus fits both of these descriptions perfectly, and He expresses His desire for us to be the same.
Jesus says of the meek that they will inherit the earth. This is the opposite of what the world says. According to the world system it is those who aggressively assert their own cause and objectives; who are independent, “self-made men”; who are prepared to win at all costs that are to be admired and emulated. Those in the world don’t understand that the opposite of their approach is meekness. They are under the false impression that the only other alternative is becoming a weak doormat who allows others to walk all over them. This misconception makes them even more resolute in pursuing their aggressive approach.
In stark contrast stands Jesus’ approach. His was neither an aggressive approach nor a weak one. Rather, Jesus employed a much more effective approach; one that accomplished His entire mission on earth; one that attracted many dedicated followers; and one that continues to shine as an example today.
What was so unique and attractive about Jesus’ approach? Using the analogy of a building, it had a foundation of love; supporting walls of grace, truth, peace and faith; and a sheltering roof of gentleness, kindness, patience and humility. This approach enabled Jesus to teach with authority, lead with integrity, love with sincerity, and face opposition with tenacity.
Let’s pray that we would be meek enough to do the same!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The Beatitudes 2
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
Commentators agree that Jesus was not referring here to those who are mourning the death of a loved one. Rather, He was speaking of those who feel intense grief over sin. They mourn because of their own sinfulness and are grieved by the sins of others. They also mourn over the fallen state of the world and all the human suffering that fallen state has produced. These shall be comforted.
But where does this comfort come from? It comes from the Gospel—the wonderfully consoling message that Jesus has taken upon Himself the crushing weight of the sins of the world, paying the price that should have been ours to pay, and making the gift of eternal life available to all who put their faith in Him. Comfort also comes through the Holy Spirit who reassures our hearts of God’s pardon from sin, who reveals to us His provision of all that we will need, and who reminds us of His promise to never leave us or forsake us.
It is instructive to note that Jesus did not promise comfort to those who fear or to those who despair.
Fear usually affects us in one of two ways. It can either paralyze us or stimulate us to sudden action. Our enemy uses both of these reactions to influence us to move out of God’s will for our lives. When God says wait, fear often motivates us to rush ahead. And when God is urging us forward, the fear of failure or the fear of other's opinions often holds us back. That’s why Jesus often said, "Fear not..." This was a reassurance to His disciples, but it was also a command. Fear prevents us from receiving God’s comfort.
Those who despair have lost all hope that anything or anyone will be able to change their situation for the better. As I’ve written before, hope that is real will endure. Otherwise, it is merely wishful thinking. What causes hope to endure is its object. We pin our hope on all kinds of things: other people, our abilities, luck, the weather. But the only hope that does not disappoint is hope in God. It is vital for us to maintain our hope. If faith is the assurance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1), then when we lose hope, our faith is crippled.
James 1:6-8 says, “he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” Fear and despair cause us to doubt, making it very difficult to for us to receive God’s comfort.
As we pray today, let’s…
· thank God for His comfort.
· ask God to help us deal with any fear or despair we may be feeling.
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
Commentators agree that Jesus was not referring here to those who are mourning the death of a loved one. Rather, He was speaking of those who feel intense grief over sin. They mourn because of their own sinfulness and are grieved by the sins of others. They also mourn over the fallen state of the world and all the human suffering that fallen state has produced. These shall be comforted.
But where does this comfort come from? It comes from the Gospel—the wonderfully consoling message that Jesus has taken upon Himself the crushing weight of the sins of the world, paying the price that should have been ours to pay, and making the gift of eternal life available to all who put their faith in Him. Comfort also comes through the Holy Spirit who reassures our hearts of God’s pardon from sin, who reveals to us His provision of all that we will need, and who reminds us of His promise to never leave us or forsake us.
It is instructive to note that Jesus did not promise comfort to those who fear or to those who despair.
Fear usually affects us in one of two ways. It can either paralyze us or stimulate us to sudden action. Our enemy uses both of these reactions to influence us to move out of God’s will for our lives. When God says wait, fear often motivates us to rush ahead. And when God is urging us forward, the fear of failure or the fear of other's opinions often holds us back. That’s why Jesus often said, "Fear not..." This was a reassurance to His disciples, but it was also a command. Fear prevents us from receiving God’s comfort.
Those who despair have lost all hope that anything or anyone will be able to change their situation for the better. As I’ve written before, hope that is real will endure. Otherwise, it is merely wishful thinking. What causes hope to endure is its object. We pin our hope on all kinds of things: other people, our abilities, luck, the weather. But the only hope that does not disappoint is hope in God. It is vital for us to maintain our hope. If faith is the assurance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1), then when we lose hope, our faith is crippled.
James 1:6-8 says, “he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” Fear and despair cause us to doubt, making it very difficult to for us to receive God’s comfort.
As we pray today, let’s…
· thank God for His comfort.
· ask God to help us deal with any fear or despair we may be feeling.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
The Beatitudes 1
This week I will begin a series based on my study of the Beatitudes. I hope you will find it helpful...
Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus singles out the poor in spirit as possessing the kingdom of heaven. But what did He mean, and to whom was He referring?
During His ministry Jesus spoke much about the poor. But commentators agree that here Jesus was not speaking about those who have little wealth and few worldly possessions. However, we can gain some insight into this passage by comparing the poor in wealth with the poor in spirit.
Those who are poor in wealth have no ability to help themselves. They are utterly dependent on others for their physical survival and well being. Likewise, those who are poor in spirit have realised that they have no ability to improve their spiritual condition. They have resigned themselves to the fact that they are utterly dependent upon God for their spiritual life and well being.
Barnes wrote, “To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God; to be willing to be where God places us, to bear what he lays on us, to go where he bids us, and to die when he commands; to be willing to be in his hands, and to feel that we deserve no favor from him.”
Jesus said of the poor in spirit that, “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The poor in spirit, by definition, have the ability to hear and respond to the gospel of the Kingdom. Gill stated that as the gospel is preached to those that are poor in spirit, “it not only reaches their ears, but their hearts; it enters into them, is applied unto them, they receive and embrace it with the utmost joy and gladness.”
Once they have heard and responded to the gospel, the poor in spirit also receive an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Gill described this inheritance saying, “eternal glory, this is prepared for them, and given to them; they are born heirs of it, have a right unto it, are [being made fit] for it, and shall enjoy it.”
So indeed blessed are the poor in spirit!
As we pray today, let’s remember that we can’t earn the answers to our prayers. Whatever answers we receive are not because we deserve them, but are received because of God’s grace.
Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus singles out the poor in spirit as possessing the kingdom of heaven. But what did He mean, and to whom was He referring?
During His ministry Jesus spoke much about the poor. But commentators agree that here Jesus was not speaking about those who have little wealth and few worldly possessions. However, we can gain some insight into this passage by comparing the poor in wealth with the poor in spirit.
Those who are poor in wealth have no ability to help themselves. They are utterly dependent on others for their physical survival and well being. Likewise, those who are poor in spirit have realised that they have no ability to improve their spiritual condition. They have resigned themselves to the fact that they are utterly dependent upon God for their spiritual life and well being.
Barnes wrote, “To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God; to be willing to be where God places us, to bear what he lays on us, to go where he bids us, and to die when he commands; to be willing to be in his hands, and to feel that we deserve no favor from him.”
Jesus said of the poor in spirit that, “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The poor in spirit, by definition, have the ability to hear and respond to the gospel of the Kingdom. Gill stated that as the gospel is preached to those that are poor in spirit, “it not only reaches their ears, but their hearts; it enters into them, is applied unto them, they receive and embrace it with the utmost joy and gladness.”
Once they have heard and responded to the gospel, the poor in spirit also receive an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Gill described this inheritance saying, “eternal glory, this is prepared for them, and given to them; they are born heirs of it, have a right unto it, are [being made fit] for it, and shall enjoy it.”
So indeed blessed are the poor in spirit!
As we pray today, let’s remember that we can’t earn the answers to our prayers. Whatever answers we receive are not because we deserve them, but are received because of God’s grace.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Prayers of Paul 12
This will be the final reflection on the prayers of Paul. I hope you’ve enjoyed them and that they have been helpful.
1 Thessalonians 1
2We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.
Paul begins his first letter to the Thessalonian church by telling them how grateful he is to God for them. He goes on to list the reasons for his gratitude. Their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father” has made an indelible impression on him.
Faith, hope and love—sound familiar? 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Faith, hope and love are enduring, and anything obtained or accomplished through faith, hope and love will last for eternity. Conversely, anything obtained or accomplished through independence, greed and selfishness may satisfy momentarily, but will not last.
Therefore, the reason Paul is so grateful for the Thessalonian church is the fact that they are actively investing their time and energy into that which will yield an eternal reward. I am using the word ‘actively’ for good reason. Faith, hope and love do not exist in a vacuum. Each must be put into action in order to be effective. That is why Paul emphasizes the action of their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope.” Let’s look at each one individually.
James tells us that faith without works is dead. But the faith of the Thessalonian believers must have been very much alive for Paul to make special mention of their “work of faith.” How active is our faith? Would Paul see enough evidence in our lives to commend us as he did the Thessalonian church?
We’ve all heard someone say, “That was a real labour of love!” It usually indicates that they have done something for someone that was unpleasant or that required great sacrifice. The point being that their love for that someone outweighed any personal cost associated with what was done. Jesus performed the ultimate labour of love for us. Hebrews tells us that Jesus, “for the joy set before him endured the cross.” Every day we are presented with many opportunities to perform labours of love. The degree of love in our hearts determines whether or not we will take those opportunities.
Hope that is real will endure. Otherwise, it is merely wishful thinking. What causes hope to endure is its object. Paul identifies “our Lord Jesus Christ” as the object the Thessalonian believers’ unshakable hope. We pin our hope on all kinds of things: other people, our abilities, luck, the weather. But the only hope that does not disappoint is hope in God. We also hope for many things: to win the lottery, for our team to win the championship, to pass a test. But only our hope for God to fulfil His promises is certain.
Today let’s pray:
That our faith will be characterised by action.
That God would fill our hearts with self-sacrificing love.
That our hope would be in God alone.
1 Thessalonians 1
2We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.
Paul begins his first letter to the Thessalonian church by telling them how grateful he is to God for them. He goes on to list the reasons for his gratitude. Their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father” has made an indelible impression on him.
Faith, hope and love—sound familiar? 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Faith, hope and love are enduring, and anything obtained or accomplished through faith, hope and love will last for eternity. Conversely, anything obtained or accomplished through independence, greed and selfishness may satisfy momentarily, but will not last.
Therefore, the reason Paul is so grateful for the Thessalonian church is the fact that they are actively investing their time and energy into that which will yield an eternal reward. I am using the word ‘actively’ for good reason. Faith, hope and love do not exist in a vacuum. Each must be put into action in order to be effective. That is why Paul emphasizes the action of their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope.” Let’s look at each one individually.
James tells us that faith without works is dead. But the faith of the Thessalonian believers must have been very much alive for Paul to make special mention of their “work of faith.” How active is our faith? Would Paul see enough evidence in our lives to commend us as he did the Thessalonian church?
We’ve all heard someone say, “That was a real labour of love!” It usually indicates that they have done something for someone that was unpleasant or that required great sacrifice. The point being that their love for that someone outweighed any personal cost associated with what was done. Jesus performed the ultimate labour of love for us. Hebrews tells us that Jesus, “for the joy set before him endured the cross.” Every day we are presented with many opportunities to perform labours of love. The degree of love in our hearts determines whether or not we will take those opportunities.
Hope that is real will endure. Otherwise, it is merely wishful thinking. What causes hope to endure is its object. Paul identifies “our Lord Jesus Christ” as the object the Thessalonian believers’ unshakable hope. We pin our hope on all kinds of things: other people, our abilities, luck, the weather. But the only hope that does not disappoint is hope in God. We also hope for many things: to win the lottery, for our team to win the championship, to pass a test. But only our hope for God to fulfil His promises is certain.
Today let’s pray:
That our faith will be characterised by action.
That God would fill our hearts with self-sacrificing love.
That our hope would be in God alone.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Prayers of Paul 11
2 Thessalonians 1 - continued
11Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember from last week that Paul is writing to encourage the Thessalonian believers in the persecution and hardship they are facing. And his prayer gives us some insight into Paul’s understanding of what they must have been thinking and feeling as they endured great suffering at the hands of unbelievers. First, Paul redirects the Thessalonian believers’ focus from their present suffering to an eternal perspective on their position as citizens of God’s Kingdom.
Next, Paul focuses on God’s character and power. In the midst of their suffering Paul knew that the Thessalonian believers would be tempted to doubt two things. First, they may begin to doubt God’s goodness, and second, they may doubt the effectiveness of their faith. Therefore, Paul emphasizes in his prayer that God is accomplishing something good through them, and that God will use their faith in combination with His power to accomplish it.
We can learn much from this section of Paul’s prayer. Often, Christians who are suffering ask two questions. Probably the most common question is, “How can a God who is good allow this suffering?” Someone once taught me a principle that I’ve never forgotten and that I have applied often. He said, “When you are confused about what God is allowing to happen, and you are tempted to doubt His goodness, go back to what you know to be true about His character.” The Bible tells us that, among other things, God is good, just, faithful, trustworthy, loving and kind. And He will “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness” in you no matter what your circumstances.
Probably the second most common question asked by suffering Christians is, “What is wrong with my faith that God is not answering my prayers to end this suffering?” Another important principle applies here. Our faith in God does not guarantee that we will not suffer, but it does guarantee that we have available all that we need in order to endure until the suffering comes to an end. I believe that this is the “work of faith with power” to which Paul was referring.
Paul concludes his prayer by disclosing the ultimate purpose behind everything that the Thessalonian Christians are going through, and the ultimate purpose behind the suffering for the Gospel experienced by any Christian— “that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him.” Because God is the One who will “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,” He is the One who will receive the glory. And those who suffer will receive glory from Him, “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Today, let’s pray for those who are suffering:
That they will trust in God’s goodness.
That they will not waver in their faith.
That God will be glorified in them.
11Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember from last week that Paul is writing to encourage the Thessalonian believers in the persecution and hardship they are facing. And his prayer gives us some insight into Paul’s understanding of what they must have been thinking and feeling as they endured great suffering at the hands of unbelievers. First, Paul redirects the Thessalonian believers’ focus from their present suffering to an eternal perspective on their position as citizens of God’s Kingdom.
Next, Paul focuses on God’s character and power. In the midst of their suffering Paul knew that the Thessalonian believers would be tempted to doubt two things. First, they may begin to doubt God’s goodness, and second, they may doubt the effectiveness of their faith. Therefore, Paul emphasizes in his prayer that God is accomplishing something good through them, and that God will use their faith in combination with His power to accomplish it.
We can learn much from this section of Paul’s prayer. Often, Christians who are suffering ask two questions. Probably the most common question is, “How can a God who is good allow this suffering?” Someone once taught me a principle that I’ve never forgotten and that I have applied often. He said, “When you are confused about what God is allowing to happen, and you are tempted to doubt His goodness, go back to what you know to be true about His character.” The Bible tells us that, among other things, God is good, just, faithful, trustworthy, loving and kind. And He will “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness” in you no matter what your circumstances.
Probably the second most common question asked by suffering Christians is, “What is wrong with my faith that God is not answering my prayers to end this suffering?” Another important principle applies here. Our faith in God does not guarantee that we will not suffer, but it does guarantee that we have available all that we need in order to endure until the suffering comes to an end. I believe that this is the “work of faith with power” to which Paul was referring.
Paul concludes his prayer by disclosing the ultimate purpose behind everything that the Thessalonian Christians are going through, and the ultimate purpose behind the suffering for the Gospel experienced by any Christian— “that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him.” Because God is the One who will “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,” He is the One who will receive the glory. And those who suffer will receive glory from Him, “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Today, let’s pray for those who are suffering:
That they will trust in God’s goodness.
That they will not waver in their faith.
That God will be glorified in them.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Prayers of Paul 10
2 Thessalonians 1
11Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was so proud of the Thessalonian church that he boasted of them “among the churches of God for [their] patience and faith in all [their] persecutions and tribulations that [they] endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:4). Paul is writing to encourage them in the persecution and hardship they are facing. And his prayer for them gives us some insight into Paul’s understanding of what they must have been thinking and feeling as they endured their suffering at the hands of unbelievers.
First, Paul redirected the Thessalonian believers’ focus from their present suffering to an eternal perspective on their position as citizens of God’s Kingdom. He encouraged them to live in light of this perspective by reminding them that upon Christ’s return He will “give you who are troubled rest” (2 Thessalonians 1:7) and will “repay with tribulation those who trouble you” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). And in light of this eternal perspective he prayed, “that our God would count you worthy of this calling.” The calling to which Paul is referring here is the same one about which he wrote to the Philippian church saying, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Paul is praying that the Thessalonian believers will remain faithful to the end and will not disqualify themselves through unbelief.
In the midst of suffering it is easy for us to lose sight of the eternal perspective and to focus only on our current unpleasant circumstances. This is especially true when our suffering is the result of the malicious words or deeds of another person or group. Our minds go toward thoughts of revenge for the injustice of our situation. Therefore, we need to heed Paul’s reminder that vengeance belongs to God, and that our responsibility in a situation in which we are suffering is to maintain our intimate walk with God and to guard our hearts from growing cold.
Let’s pray for:
Those whose hearts have grown cold as a result of their suffering.
Those who are being persecuted for their faith.
Those who are persecuting Christians.
11Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was so proud of the Thessalonian church that he boasted of them “among the churches of God for [their] patience and faith in all [their] persecutions and tribulations that [they] endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:4). Paul is writing to encourage them in the persecution and hardship they are facing. And his prayer for them gives us some insight into Paul’s understanding of what they must have been thinking and feeling as they endured their suffering at the hands of unbelievers.
First, Paul redirected the Thessalonian believers’ focus from their present suffering to an eternal perspective on their position as citizens of God’s Kingdom. He encouraged them to live in light of this perspective by reminding them that upon Christ’s return He will “give you who are troubled rest” (2 Thessalonians 1:7) and will “repay with tribulation those who trouble you” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). And in light of this eternal perspective he prayed, “that our God would count you worthy of this calling.” The calling to which Paul is referring here is the same one about which he wrote to the Philippian church saying, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Paul is praying that the Thessalonian believers will remain faithful to the end and will not disqualify themselves through unbelief.
In the midst of suffering it is easy for us to lose sight of the eternal perspective and to focus only on our current unpleasant circumstances. This is especially true when our suffering is the result of the malicious words or deeds of another person or group. Our minds go toward thoughts of revenge for the injustice of our situation. Therefore, we need to heed Paul’s reminder that vengeance belongs to God, and that our responsibility in a situation in which we are suffering is to maintain our intimate walk with God and to guard our hearts from growing cold.
Let’s pray for:
Those whose hearts have grown cold as a result of their suffering.
Those who are being persecuted for their faith.
Those who are persecuting Christians.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Prayers of Paul 09
Romans 15
30Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
Paul prayed for believers in the churches that he and the other apostles had planted. Paul prayed for unbelievers to come to Christ. But Paul also prayed for himself, and he shared his need for prayer with others so that they could also pray for him.
Paul is writing to the Roman believers from Corinth during his third missionary journey. His plans are to travel from Corinth to Jerusalem to deliver an offering from the Gentile churches to the poor among the believers there. Then from Jerusalem he hopes to visit Rome on his way to Spain. Therefore, he is asking the Roman believers to join with him in praying for three things.
First, he asks them to pray “that [he] may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe.” This request is perfectly understandable when you remember that Paul used to be a Pharisee. The Jews in Judea would know all too well that the man they knew as Saul had turned his back on their devotion to the Law of Moses to embrace the new ‘heresy’ being spread by the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. This made him an enemy in their eyes worthy of being stoned to death. In spite of this, Paul made his plans to travel to Jerusalem.
Second, Paul asks them to pray “that [his] service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints.” Paul’s “service” consisted of delivering an offering from the Gentile churches to the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. At first it seems strange that Paul would be concerned that this offering might not be accepted. Surely the Christians in Jerusalem wouldn’t be that ungrateful! But Bible commentators give two possible explanations for this concern. First, the Jewish believers in Jerusalem may still have harboured some degree of prejudice toward the Gentiles. And second, the Jewish believers in Jerusalem had probably heard that Paul advocated against the Gentile believers having to obey all of the Law, even preventing them from being circumcised. These two factors may have caused them to reject both the gift and the one delivering it.
Finally, Paul asks the Roman believers to pray that he “may come to [them] with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with [them].” We can assume that Paul read and studied the Scriptures regularly, and we know that he prayed constantly. But the journey ahead would be difficult and that he was in for a tough time during his visit to Jerusalem. He knew that by the time he left Jerusalem he would be in need of some refreshment, and he was looking forward to being refreshed not by private study and prayer, but by sharing in fellowship and worship with the believers in Rome.
This week let’s pray:
That we would follow Paul’s example by sharing our burdens and needs with others who will pray for us.
That we would be faithful in prayer for others who need our prayers.
That we would recognise and take advantage of the refreshing that comes from sharing in fellowship and worship with other believers.
30Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
Paul prayed for believers in the churches that he and the other apostles had planted. Paul prayed for unbelievers to come to Christ. But Paul also prayed for himself, and he shared his need for prayer with others so that they could also pray for him.
Paul is writing to the Roman believers from Corinth during his third missionary journey. His plans are to travel from Corinth to Jerusalem to deliver an offering from the Gentile churches to the poor among the believers there. Then from Jerusalem he hopes to visit Rome on his way to Spain. Therefore, he is asking the Roman believers to join with him in praying for three things.
First, he asks them to pray “that [he] may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe.” This request is perfectly understandable when you remember that Paul used to be a Pharisee. The Jews in Judea would know all too well that the man they knew as Saul had turned his back on their devotion to the Law of Moses to embrace the new ‘heresy’ being spread by the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. This made him an enemy in their eyes worthy of being stoned to death. In spite of this, Paul made his plans to travel to Jerusalem.
Second, Paul asks them to pray “that [his] service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints.” Paul’s “service” consisted of delivering an offering from the Gentile churches to the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. At first it seems strange that Paul would be concerned that this offering might not be accepted. Surely the Christians in Jerusalem wouldn’t be that ungrateful! But Bible commentators give two possible explanations for this concern. First, the Jewish believers in Jerusalem may still have harboured some degree of prejudice toward the Gentiles. And second, the Jewish believers in Jerusalem had probably heard that Paul advocated against the Gentile believers having to obey all of the Law, even preventing them from being circumcised. These two factors may have caused them to reject both the gift and the one delivering it.
Finally, Paul asks the Roman believers to pray that he “may come to [them] with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with [them].” We can assume that Paul read and studied the Scriptures regularly, and we know that he prayed constantly. But the journey ahead would be difficult and that he was in for a tough time during his visit to Jerusalem. He knew that by the time he left Jerusalem he would be in need of some refreshment, and he was looking forward to being refreshed not by private study and prayer, but by sharing in fellowship and worship with the believers in Rome.
This week let’s pray:
That we would follow Paul’s example by sharing our burdens and needs with others who will pray for us.
That we would be faithful in prayer for others who need our prayers.
That we would recognise and take advantage of the refreshing that comes from sharing in fellowship and worship with other believers.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Prayers of Paul 08
1 Thessalonians 3
9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
Paul wants the Thessalonian believers to be complete in their faith. The Greek work translated as “supply” means to complete thoroughly. He prays a similar thing for the Corinthian believers in 2 Corinthians 13:9, “And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.” Evidently, even Epaphras, one of Paul’s team members, had picked up Paul’s heart, since in his letter to the Colossians Paul writes, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
A building is only as strong as its foundation. Before a building can be completed its foundation must be secure. The same can be said of believers. Before a believer can grow to maturity, his or her spiritual foundation must also be secure. In preparation for Paul’s visit, during which he hopes to build into the lives of the Thessalonian believers, Paul prays for their foundations to be strengthened in two ways.
First, Paul prays, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else.” It’s no surprise that Paul considers love to be an important part of a believer’s foundation. Jesus summed up the whole of the law in one word, “Love.” But there are two interesting aspects to Paul’s prayer regarding love. First, he identifies God as the source of love—not the believers. God lays this foundation in us. It is not something we can manufacture ourselves. Second, he prays that the Lord would make their love increase and overflow. The bigger the foundation, the bigger the building that can be built. Paul wants large capacity believers, so he prays for large foundations.
Second, Paul prays, “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” Again, he identifies God as the source—this time of strength. Foundations need to be strong, first to support the weight of what is built on top of them, and then to resist the storms that will threaten to destroy the building. The Greek word translated as "heart" means the thoughts or feelings. Our mind is a powerful gift from God. What we think and feel determines our response to adversity. But we can be angry and not sin. We can be disappointed without becoming hopeless. We can be sad without becoming lost in depression. All these are possible, not in our own strength, but as God strengthens our hearts.
Today, let’s pray that…
Our foundation of love will increase to overflowing.
Our hearts would be strengthened and able to withstand every storm.
God will finish His work in us, making us complete and mature.
9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
Paul wants the Thessalonian believers to be complete in their faith. The Greek work translated as “supply” means to complete thoroughly. He prays a similar thing for the Corinthian believers in 2 Corinthians 13:9, “And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.” Evidently, even Epaphras, one of Paul’s team members, had picked up Paul’s heart, since in his letter to the Colossians Paul writes, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
A building is only as strong as its foundation. Before a building can be completed its foundation must be secure. The same can be said of believers. Before a believer can grow to maturity, his or her spiritual foundation must also be secure. In preparation for Paul’s visit, during which he hopes to build into the lives of the Thessalonian believers, Paul prays for their foundations to be strengthened in two ways.
First, Paul prays, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else.” It’s no surprise that Paul considers love to be an important part of a believer’s foundation. Jesus summed up the whole of the law in one word, “Love.” But there are two interesting aspects to Paul’s prayer regarding love. First, he identifies God as the source of love—not the believers. God lays this foundation in us. It is not something we can manufacture ourselves. Second, he prays that the Lord would make their love increase and overflow. The bigger the foundation, the bigger the building that can be built. Paul wants large capacity believers, so he prays for large foundations.
Second, Paul prays, “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” Again, he identifies God as the source—this time of strength. Foundations need to be strong, first to support the weight of what is built on top of them, and then to resist the storms that will threaten to destroy the building. The Greek word translated as "heart" means the thoughts or feelings. Our mind is a powerful gift from God. What we think and feel determines our response to adversity. But we can be angry and not sin. We can be disappointed without becoming hopeless. We can be sad without becoming lost in depression. All these are possible, not in our own strength, but as God strengthens our hearts.
Today, let’s pray that…
Our foundation of love will increase to overflowing.
Our hearts would be strengthened and able to withstand every storm.
God will finish His work in us, making us complete and mature.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Prayers of Paul 07
All of us want to please God. But did you know that the Bible tells us exactly how to please Him? Colossians 1:9-12 says…
9For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Before doing anything, we first need to know God’s will. Paul prays that the Colossian believers may not only know His will, but that they will “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Paul wants his readers to be complete in their knowledge and understanding of God’s will for them. There’s no room for doubt or uncertainty when one is filled with this knowledge.
Once they’ve fully understood God’s will, Paul then wants his readers to walk appropriately in it. Paul says that this will not only be pleasing to God, but that it will fully please Him. Stop and think about that for a moment. We don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love, but we can do something to make Him fully pleased with us! Paul goes on to pray about three elements that must be present in order for us to fully please God.
First, Paul prays that his readers may please God by “being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” It’s not enough for us to know God’s will. We have to do it. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” And when we walk in the works that God has prepared for us, He will make sure we are fruitful. Part of God’s will for us is to know Him more and more. In order to do this we MUST read and study the Bible. There is no adequate substitute for regular, personal delving into God’s Word.
Second, Paul prays that his readers may please God by being “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” God’s strength is available to all believers. So why don’t all believers walk in His strength? The answer is that many believers are so often too busy trying to walk in their own strength. It’s a subtle trap. As long as everything is going well, we can be fruitful in what we are doing without much reliance on God. But the real test comes in bad times. Then, only if we have trained ourselves to rely on God’s limitless strength, will we be able to have the patience and longsuffering to remain fruitful even during the most intense trials.
Finally, Paul prays that his readers may please God by “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” All believers have received an inheritance from the Father—eternal life. We benefit from this inheritance when we walk “in the light.” In the light we can see the good works that He has prepared for us; we can see Him and get to know Him more; and we can see His presence and power in the midst of our trails. This enables us to be thankful in the good as well as the bad.
Let’s pray for the following…
That we will be filled with the knowledge of His will for our lives.
That we will be fruitful in the works He has prepared for us.
For every opportunity we have to know Him more.
That we will be strong in Him, not try to cope in our own strength.
And finally, let’s give Him thanks for all that we have received from Him.
9For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Before doing anything, we first need to know God’s will. Paul prays that the Colossian believers may not only know His will, but that they will “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Paul wants his readers to be complete in their knowledge and understanding of God’s will for them. There’s no room for doubt or uncertainty when one is filled with this knowledge.
Once they’ve fully understood God’s will, Paul then wants his readers to walk appropriately in it. Paul says that this will not only be pleasing to God, but that it will fully please Him. Stop and think about that for a moment. We don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love, but we can do something to make Him fully pleased with us! Paul goes on to pray about three elements that must be present in order for us to fully please God.
First, Paul prays that his readers may please God by “being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” It’s not enough for us to know God’s will. We have to do it. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” And when we walk in the works that God has prepared for us, He will make sure we are fruitful. Part of God’s will for us is to know Him more and more. In order to do this we MUST read and study the Bible. There is no adequate substitute for regular, personal delving into God’s Word.
Second, Paul prays that his readers may please God by being “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” God’s strength is available to all believers. So why don’t all believers walk in His strength? The answer is that many believers are so often too busy trying to walk in their own strength. It’s a subtle trap. As long as everything is going well, we can be fruitful in what we are doing without much reliance on God. But the real test comes in bad times. Then, only if we have trained ourselves to rely on God’s limitless strength, will we be able to have the patience and longsuffering to remain fruitful even during the most intense trials.
Finally, Paul prays that his readers may please God by “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” All believers have received an inheritance from the Father—eternal life. We benefit from this inheritance when we walk “in the light.” In the light we can see the good works that He has prepared for us; we can see Him and get to know Him more; and we can see His presence and power in the midst of our trails. This enables us to be thankful in the good as well as the bad.
Let’s pray for the following…
That we will be filled with the knowledge of His will for our lives.
That we will be fruitful in the works He has prepared for us.
For every opportunity we have to know Him more.
That we will be strong in Him, not try to cope in our own strength.
And finally, let’s give Him thanks for all that we have received from Him.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Prayers of Paul 06
Ephesians 3
14For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
What a prayer! Paul is covering every way available for us to experience God’s complete and perfect presence in our lives. He prays to the Father; asks for the strengthening of the Holy Spirit; and desires for Christ to take up residence within believers. Paul wants believers to be strengthened in their inner man; to have hearts that are fit to be dwelling places for Christ; and to have minds that can grasp and possess the multi-dimensional and infinite love of God. In short, he wants the believers to be complete in God through experiencing (or being filled by) His fullness. But how can we as finite beings contain all of God’s infinite fullness? It seems impossible!
The answer lies in the fact that Paul is praying to a God “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” This infinite God loves us so much that He actually made a Way for weak, finite, sinful humans to become acceptable vessels to contain His presence and power. What Way?… through simple faith in Jesus Christ.
But there’s a catch! No individual believer or group of believers can comprehend all that is God. It will require “all the saints” to contain all that God wants to give of Himself. In other words, it is in the Church universal, the Bride of Christ, which God has chosen to deposit His divine attributes. This is not the flawed and divided form of the Church that is currently visible. It is the pure, spotless Church that Jesus Himself is building and for which He will ultimately return.
Let’s praise God for indwelling us with His presence and power!
14For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
What a prayer! Paul is covering every way available for us to experience God’s complete and perfect presence in our lives. He prays to the Father; asks for the strengthening of the Holy Spirit; and desires for Christ to take up residence within believers. Paul wants believers to be strengthened in their inner man; to have hearts that are fit to be dwelling places for Christ; and to have minds that can grasp and possess the multi-dimensional and infinite love of God. In short, he wants the believers to be complete in God through experiencing (or being filled by) His fullness. But how can we as finite beings contain all of God’s infinite fullness? It seems impossible!
The answer lies in the fact that Paul is praying to a God “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” This infinite God loves us so much that He actually made a Way for weak, finite, sinful humans to become acceptable vessels to contain His presence and power. What Way?… through simple faith in Jesus Christ.
But there’s a catch! No individual believer or group of believers can comprehend all that is God. It will require “all the saints” to contain all that God wants to give of Himself. In other words, it is in the Church universal, the Bride of Christ, which God has chosen to deposit His divine attributes. This is not the flawed and divided form of the Church that is currently visible. It is the pure, spotless Church that Jesus Himself is building and for which He will ultimately return.
Let’s praise God for indwelling us with His presence and power!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Prayers of Paul 05
Ephesians 1 – continued again
15Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.
In the previous two reflections, we saw that, with their spiritual eyes opened through the gifts of wisdom and revelation, the Ephesian believers will then be able to ‘see’ what The Father has given to them. Paul lists 3 things he wants them to realise that God has given to them: His calling, His inheritance and His power.
The third thing Paul prays for is that they would know “what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Another version puts it this way, “his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Paul is running out of adjectives to describe the immensity of what the Father has made available to them!
This is more than the power and authority that God gives to believers in order to be His witnesses and to establish His Kingdom. This is God’s undiluted power exercised by Him personally on behalf of believers. It cannot be measured, and it cannot be limited. It is God sovereignly interrupting the natural order of things that He has put in place.
The verses that follow are full of references to God actively and effectively exercising His power...
Eph 1:19-20, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Jesus didn’t raise Himself from the dead—the Father raised Him from the dead using the same power that He extends toward us. Imagine the God of the universe actively working on your behalf with the same power He used when He raised Christ from the dead!
How do believers experience this power? It is not something we can conjure up or control. It is not something we can anticipate or predict. It is a supernatural manifestation of God’s will and purpose. It is first experienced when a person responds to the Gospel and is immediately translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Then, as that believer walks in the works that God prepared for him or her, this power is further experienced through God’s divine presence, provision, protection, guidance, encouragement and enabling.
First, Let’s praise God for His mighty power! Then let’s pray that:
We will see God’s power at work in unbelievers coming to Christ.
We will see God’s power at work in our circumstances.
15Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.
In the previous two reflections, we saw that, with their spiritual eyes opened through the gifts of wisdom and revelation, the Ephesian believers will then be able to ‘see’ what The Father has given to them. Paul lists 3 things he wants them to realise that God has given to them: His calling, His inheritance and His power.
The third thing Paul prays for is that they would know “what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Another version puts it this way, “his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Paul is running out of adjectives to describe the immensity of what the Father has made available to them!
This is more than the power and authority that God gives to believers in order to be His witnesses and to establish His Kingdom. This is God’s undiluted power exercised by Him personally on behalf of believers. It cannot be measured, and it cannot be limited. It is God sovereignly interrupting the natural order of things that He has put in place.
The verses that follow are full of references to God actively and effectively exercising His power...
Eph 1:19-20, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Jesus didn’t raise Himself from the dead—the Father raised Him from the dead using the same power that He extends toward us. Imagine the God of the universe actively working on your behalf with the same power He used when He raised Christ from the dead!
How do believers experience this power? It is not something we can conjure up or control. It is not something we can anticipate or predict. It is a supernatural manifestation of God’s will and purpose. It is first experienced when a person responds to the Gospel and is immediately translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Then, as that believer walks in the works that God prepared for him or her, this power is further experienced through God’s divine presence, provision, protection, guidance, encouragement and enabling.
First, Let’s praise God for His mighty power! Then let’s pray that:
We will see God’s power at work in unbelievers coming to Christ.
We will see God’s power at work in our circumstances.
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