The Ones Jesus Didn’t “Save”

(Please note–I have been on vacation. This is an older post from a couple of years ago. I will return with new posts later this week.)

“For God so loved the World, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting Life.”
John 3:16 (KJV)

This is probably the most well-known verse in the Christian Bible. It has given hope to millions, as it explains that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ allows anyone to find forgiveness, faith, and new/eternal life. But what about those who don’t believe; those loved ones (and others) who die without the hope of salvation? Doesn’t God care about them? Why does he let them die without hope? Why do they go to eternal suffering, instead of being forgiven?

I can’t give a complete answer to those questions…I don’t comprehend the entirety of God’s plan or His mind. But I do know this– God understands our heartbreak and our grief over our unsaved loved ones. After all, Jesus spent three years preaching and announcing the Gospel, yet He was betrayed by one of His closest friends. Jesus– God in the Flesh; Emmanuel; the Perfect Son of God–didn’t “save” everyone He knew. We have the wonderful story of the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus– what about others who didn’t “see the light?” There may have been hundreds, even thousands who heard Jesus preach; who watched Him hanging on the Cross; who heard the rumors that He had risen, only to reject His message–what about them? Jesus had met them. Maybe He had healed them, or eaten at their house, or studied with them at the Temple when they were younger. Some may have been His brothers, or cousins, or mentors and teachers.

On the night before He was crucified, Jesus was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was in anguish about what He would have to face, but some of His anguish and grief had to be in knowing that, while His death and resurrection would save so many, there were still others who would choose to turn away and reject the Life and Hope and Peace that He suffered to bring.

Even during His ministry, Jesus didn’t heal everyone who was diseased or lame or blind. He even made reference at one point to the kinds of disasters that often leave us questioning God’s mercy:

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Luke 13:1-5 (ESV)

Jesus could have “saved” those Galileans from having their sacrifices desecrated; He could have provided a miracle to save those who were killed by the tower that fell in Siloam. And just as we grieve today for the senseless loss of life in places like Afghanistan and Haiti, or New York City on 9/11/2001, Jesus felt the loss of innocent strangers. Just as we plead with friends and loved ones to repent and seek God’s face, Jesus preached the need for all people to confess and seek forgiveness.

Jesus could have forced Judas to turn from his plan to betray the Master. He had the authority to cast out demons and demand that angels come to honor, protect, or comfort Him. He has the authority to make every knee bow down and every tongue confess that He is the Sovereign Lord of the Universe. And someday, He will! But Jesus won’t save people against their will– even those close to him. He doesn’t compel grudging obedience, or demand abject servitude. There are some who choose to serve Him in that way, but that is not His desire. Instead, He compels us with His mercy. We choose to love Him because He first Loved us– sacrificially, unreservedly, without limits or conditions. (See 1 John 4:19)

Jesus patiently spoke to Nicodemus in the dead of night. He chased Saul down on the road to Damascus and gave him three days of blindness to reconsider the direction of his life. He called His disciples and asked them to Follow Him– even Judas. He invited Himself to the house of Zacchaeus. He spoke with compassion to those who were broken, and outcast, and lost. And just like Judas, they had to make choices– some of His friends and followers abandoned Him when He needed them most. Some of them stumbled. But they HAD followed Jesus. They had learned from Him, and they came back and persevered.

Being loved by God comes without conditions and without reservations. Being “saved” by Christ’s atoning blood comes with a price–not just the price He paid on the cross, but the price of our repentance and acceptance of His Lordship, and yes, even the mysteries of His Grace.

As Jesus hung on the Cross, He was positioned between two convicts who were justly condemned. Both were sinners; both were paying the penalty for their crimes. One cried out to a dying Savior, and was saved. The other mocked and cursed. Jesus had the power to save him. He did not desire that the other man should suffer. But the other man chose to reject who Jesus was, and so rejected all the mercy and power He could have shown.

Jesus died to save “whosoever” would believe. He did not die to save “howsoever.” We may not fully understand why He chose to offer Salvation in this way, but we believe it to our everlasting joy, or reject it to our everlasting anguish.

September 30, 2024 0

God’s Mysterious Ways

I write about prayer as a pursuit. Prayer is, at once, both simple and mysteriously complex.

It is a simple thing to pray–to direct one’s thoughts and words toward God. It is no more difficult than having a conversation with another person.

And yet it is not the same as talking to another person. God’s ways are not our ways. He is Holy, Sovereign, and Almighty. We come to God in need, but God has no “needs.” He has no need to confide in us, or ask for our help, or plead with us. Instead, He chooses to share with us His promises and His plans. He allows us to be part of His great work, and asks us to be His hands and feet and voice in this world. He pleads with us to come and spend time with Him and walk in relationship with Him.

I spent some time recently reviewing the life of George Muller. https://www.georgemuller.org/ George Muller was born over 200 years ago. He was, by his own admission, a liar and a thief in his early years. But when we came to Christ, his life changed dramatically. His life was a series of miracles that attested to his great faith and active practice of prayer. Muller founded several orphanages in England, and he did all of it through prayer. He never did traditional fund-raising: he never asked anyone for money or donations, he didn’t take out loans, he didn’t find “partners” or “sponsors” to pay for any of the needs. He simply prayed. He prayed for money to buy buildings. He prayed that God would send workers. He prayed for food and clothing and furniture that the children would need. And he vowed to take in any (and as many) children who came.

The stories of George Muller’s faith are legendary. He prayed for money to start one orphanage– he ended up with enough for several! He prayed for supplies– people came and gave furniture. Milk wagons broke down and the milk was donated to the orphanage. One story states that there was no food one morning. Muller prayed. Shortly afterward, he went to the door, and there, on the doorstep, lay a 50-lb. bag of rice. No one knows who left it or how it got there. God showed up in miracle after miracle in Muller’s life. And that doesn’t mean that his life was without struggle or heartache. He agonized over friends who were unsaved; he prayed for them over a period of years. One close friend remained unsaved until after Muller’s death. He experienced the heartbreak of losing his wife. But he was consistent in his witness about the power of prayer.

Muller prayed about everything– as we all should, all the time. (Philippians 4:6, 1Thessalonians 5:17) Little, seemingly unimportant things; huge, seemingly impossible things. God cares about them all. He is the Almighty– there is nothing so big (or so tiny) that He cannot do it! There is no heartache or struggle that He doesn’t want to hear about! Nothing can separate us from His Love (Romans 8:38). No matter what we’re going through, we can bring it to God.

But God’s ways– powerful, compassionate, miraculous– remain mysterious. We can trust that God will hear our prayers. But we cannot predict how, or when, or if He will let us see the answers we seek. Nor can we predict how God will use our simple prayers to impact the world around us! George Muller’s orphanages helped more than 2,000 homeless children survive, grow, and in many cases thrive and contribute to the lives of countless others. And the stories of his faith and the hundreds of small but significant miracles he experienced have inspired generations of people for more than a century and a half! And his story is not unique–we have an amazing “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) throughout history testifying to the power of God to hear and answer prayer in mysterious, miraculous, even mischievous ways! From finding lost keys to feeding multitudes; from protecting kittens to rescuing captives; from stretching budgets to saving souls– God’s ways are mysterious, Holy, and wholly good.

Prayer can be such a simple thing– and it can have eternal impact!

September 23, 2024 0

“We Hold These Truths…”

Earlier this week, we celebrated Constitution Day in the United States. It went largely unheralded. The United States Constitution– the document on which all other laws are supposed to be based in this country– is relatively small. It takes about a half-hour to read it through, including all 27 amendments. It takes much longer to understand and make sense of it. One document that helps define and explain the Constitution is the Declaration of Independence.

One of the key phrases in the Declaration is this: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

But looking around today, it seems that not all American hold ANY truths to be self-evident– indeed, many people don’t hold any truths to be true! We like to pay lip-service to one phrase– “All men are created equal…” but even here, we cringe and rephrase it. “It’s not just ‘men’ who are equal– all genders are equal” “Everybody is equal.” But what do we mean by this new phrase? It is self-evident (I would argue) that everyone is NOT equal in all ways. Some of us are taller than others, or healthier or wealthier than others; some of us live longer than others. Some of us work in offices; others work in the wind and rain and snow. Some of us live in large mansions, while others live in motor homes, apartments, hospital rooms, or even homeless shelters. The “Truth” is that we are CREATED equal– we are equally valued by our Creator, and equally entitled to dignity, life, liberty, and the “pursuit of happiness” under the laws of the land. Our laws are not supposed to create an artificial “equality” of outcome or circumstance, but provide for equal protection and opportunities for everyone to live, experience freedom, and pursue their individual purpose and dignity.

And we are losing the self-evident truth that Government should derive its just powers from the consent of the governed– not the arbitrary will of unelected bureaucrats appointed without public consent and answerable to no one.

We have lost the self-evident Truth, and replaced it with clever and complicated ideals.

None of this is new, however. All the way back in the days of ancient Israel, the people lost the self-evident Truth about their nation and its unique covenant with God. The Covenant was simple. It did not take a long time to read through. There were Ten Commandments and several “amendments” of ceremonial and social rules. God gave Moses a list of promises– blessings and curses–if the nation of Israel would (or would not) uphold their portion of the covenant. God would be their ruler, and they would be His People.

But after the death of Moses and his successor, Joshua, the people abandoned the law and the covenant, until chaos reigned, and God invoked many of the curses against His own people. By the end of the book of Judges, we learn that, “..in those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own sight.” (Judges 21:25)

Such conduct led to Israel being invaded, defeated, and oppressed. Worse, they approached their religious leader, Samuel the Priest/Prophet, and asked for a human king in order to be just like the other nations– nations God had called out for being wicked, violent, and unjust. The reign of kings failed, too, and the nation was again invaded, dragged off to exile, and oppressed.

“We hold these truths..” is more than just a phrase in a national document. It is a guideline for justice, peace, and prosperity.

WE– It doesn’t work for the people of any nation to be divided about what constitutes Truth. “My truth,” “Your truth,” and “their truth” can’t live together in harmony.

HOLD– We must be firm in our commitment to the Truth, or we will be swept away by the latest philosophy, moral standard, or faddish practices of the world around us. That doesn’t mean that we can never admit a need for change– that’s what the amendment process is for– but when we keep letting go of standards which have preserved safety and guaranteed opportunity, replacing them with temporary power grabs and loosely defined concessions to the loudest complainers, we are headed for nationwide injustice, violence, and oppression

THESE– There are other “truths” we could have adopted back at the founding of our nation. We could have set up another monarchy. We could have developed an oligarchy, made up of a ruling class. We could have argued that only land-owners were “equal.” That life was not an “unalienable” right. That representative government was inefficient, and therefore not necessary.

TRUTHS– Not suggestions. Not prevailing opinions of the day. TRUTHS. Immutable, unchanging, solid, objective.

And what goes for the United States should be a warning for Christians everywhere. We are citizens of Heaven. There are truths that we should hold to– truths that should be self-evident in the life of every Christian.
Jesus is LORD– not just a pal; not just a guru or a good teacher. He is the LORD.
God doesn’t change– What He said a thousand years ago about loving God and loving your neighbor still applies today. He hasn’t changed His mind about life, or liberty, or the pursuit of righteousness… He hasn’t become less powerful or less Holy, that we should just do “whatever is right in our own eyes..”
God’s Word hasn’t changed–His promises still hold; His warnings are still meant to be heeded; His will is still evident.
God’s grace is sufficient! God is HOLY and JUST. And He is full of Mercy and Love. He will forgive; He will empower us to do His will; He will continue to transform us as we follow Him.
God is Greater than Government. Whatever system of Government we live under in this life, God’s Kingdom is greater, more just, and everlasting.

These are truths worth holding! No matter what happens to the United States or its Constitution, I will continue to hold to the Truth of the Bible above all. May God in His Grace give us the strength, wisdom, and will to hold fast to what is true, and not just what is “American.”

September 20, 2024 0

Nacho Prayers

Have you ever ordered nachos at a restaurant? I’m not talking about just tortilla chips with sauce– I mean the loaded, deluxe, supreme nachos that some with everything but the kitchen sink. There are several layers of goodness: crispy tortilla chips, smothered in rich, gooey nacho cheese sauce, and piled with spiced meat, tomatoes, green onion, black olives, salsa, chilies, beans, more cheese (shredded), maybe even some mango or avocado, and sour cream. Each flavor is distinct– different textures, different temperatures–yet they come together as they land on your taste buds. And each bite is just a little different– a different ratio of cheese to meat to veggies to chips in each taste.

And that means that my nacho is “not ‘cho” nacho. Even with all the same ingredients, my nacho experience will never be exactly the same as yours.

In a strange way, prayers are kind of like nachos. Prayers have many distinct “ingredients”– confession, praise, anguish, supplication, thankfulness, even questions. And many people can pray with the same ingredients and still offer up unique prayers. My prayer is “nacho” prayer– and your prayer is not mine; even when we are praying together about the same thing.

God loves the variety and uniqueness of our individual prayers. He never tires of “nacho” prayers. And He never compares my “nacho” prayers with yours, or your prayers with mine. Indeed, He loves tasting the individual ingredients in their unique ratio of flavors and elements. He loves hearing our gooey, cheesy emotions, as well as our crisp list of needs; He appreciates the savory outpouring of our praise, as well as the spicy and even bitter tang of our grief.

Can you imagine the tantalizing aroma of our prayers as they rise to Heaven? What satisfaction it brings to God as we pour out our thoughts and concerns to the One who loves us best? God isn’t looking for gourmet prayers. Our prayers may be neatly arranged or completely sloppy. They may contain lumps of worry, or be soggy with emotion; they may be spiced with urgency, or smothered in majestic outpourings of praise. God is still hungry to hear from us!

September 18, 2024 0

Praying in the Dark

(This post is an updated version of one that first appeared three years ago, during the COVID pandemic. I have updated a few of the references to reflect the change. There is still a lot of darkness and confusion in the world, but some of the sources have changed a bit.)

The past few days have been a dark place for me. I don’t mean that something horrible has happened, or that my life has been upended. But things seem dim and indistinct. Some things I took for granted turn out to be less than sure. Events have been chaotic and tinged with evil and sadness. The present economy seems far from certain, and rumors swirl around the upcoming elections. Many places around the world are at war, and there is violence, unrest, crime, and uncertainty nearly everywhere. Even traditionally “safe” institutions like the family and the Church are under constant attack. It is difficult to know who or what to trust– everything seems shadowed and indistinct.

I read a novel a while ago, set in the early days of World War II in London. Because of the threat of air raids from Germany, the people were required to “black out” their windows at night, and drive with no headlights. People who had driven or walked around the streets of London with confidence just weeks before were being injured or even killed because they could no longer trust the once familiar streets. Craters and rubble from bombing raids, or hastily built ditches and barricades; hidden dangers filled neighborhoods. And people could not count on streetlights, headlights, or lights in windows to guide them safely home. At the same time, thousands of people, fearing that the Germans would use deadly gas, were carrying around gas masks (just in case!), and leaving them on buses or at pubs or train stations, because they were unused to the extra responsibility. Suddenly, the gas mask they were depending on was lost, and all the extra preparation turned out to be useless, anyway.

It reminds me how often I would see people just a couple of years ago, getting ready to enter a store, only to return to their car for their required mask. Many people wore them “the wrong way:” others wore them for months longer than necessary. Still others wore the same mask for several days but failed to wash their hands. Some people stayed in their homes for weeks, even when they could have spent some time getting fresh air at a park or one their porch or stoop. Others took great risks going to stores where other customers were sick. And many workers had no choice but to report to work, knowing they would be exposed to COVID. Many people refused to get the vaccines once they became available, while others were demanding that everyone had to get the vaccine or be charged with a crime. No one was sure if they were “safe”– even with masks, vaccines, and other protocols. It was a very dark time.

Hard times and difficult situations can cause us to shift our focus and have to learn new routines–even new vocabulary! At certain times, life almost seems “normal.” At others, we seem to be tossed by every new wave that comes along. It can be easy to lose one’s way in the fog and darkness of chaos and changing times.

The Psalmist and King, David, had words of wisdom for times like these: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119: 105 KJV)

Even when things seem dark and it feels like I’ve lost my way, God is right beside me. If I have no other “light” to see by, God’s word will be enough to guide me on. When I pray– even in the dark–God sees me clearly, and knows the way ahead.

And I needed to be reminded of that again this week.

September 16, 2024 0

Pharisee Prayers

⁹He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ¹⁰“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed^[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 19:9-14 (ESV)

I study prayer. I write about prayer. But I am not an “expert” on prayer. That is not to say that one cannot become proficient in prayer or learn to pray “better.” But prayer is ultimately the pursuit of a relationship. I can pray eloquently in public. I can pray earnestly at home. I can pray fervently every day. And I will still pursue prayer– “more” “deeper” “better” prayer.

But it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that my relationship with God is based on my own efforts. That the “more” or “better” I pray, the more God will listen; the more God will accept me. That is a lie. God doesn’t want my “best.” He wants my all. He wants me to come to Him “just as I am”– not in an idealized version of myself.

Jesus spoke of this kind of prayer in the parable of the Pharisee and the Sinner. The Pharisee knows how to pray eloquently about himself. He is confident in his own righteousness. He does not need to ask God for anything. He really doesn’t need to thank God for anything. He has secured his own righteousness in his own eyes, and he wants to thank God for noticing (and surely rewarding?) his goodness.

We are sinners saved by grace. Yet we often act like sinners saved by our own cleverness in accepting God’s gracious gifts. Sure, Jesus paid a price for our sin on Calvary– but that was nearly 2,000 years ago. We are saved! We are justified! We “get it.” And our prayers are offered up in pride and self-confidence. God will hear us. God loves us. God will be impressed by our discipline and our fervor. When we do this, we are like the arrogant Pharisee in the parable. Such prayers do not honor God. They do not honor the work of the Cross. They do not reflect a right relationship with our LORD and Savior.

However, we are not exactly like the Sinner in this parable, either. If we have confessed our sins, and believe on Jesus Christ, our sins HAVE BEEN forgiven, and we have been justified. We do not need to offer sacrifices or beg for mercy over and over again for our past offenses. Our guilt has been washed away. We come humbly, but we come as sons and daughters of the King– co-heirs with Jesus.

God does not want wimpy, doubtful prayers. He does not want us to waver or hide from Him. He wants us to come boldly to the throne of Grace (See Hebrews 4;14-16). But we do so knowing that it is Jesus’ righteousness that gives us the right and His love that gives us the desire to come. It is the finished work of the Resurrection that makes us confident. We should pray honestly and humbly–whether in thanksgiving or confession of new sins– but with confidence and joy in our restored relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Let us never forget that we pray to an all-powerful, Holy God, who is also gracious and merciful. We can come with TRUE thanksgiving for what God has done; for who He is; and for who we are IN Him.

“Lord, I thank you that YOU are not like other men and women. I thank you that You have made a way for me to be cleansed. I thank you that no matter what I have done, or what I do, Your love for me never changes. And I thank you that You listen to, and answer my prayers! You are Holy, Faithful, and True.”

September 13, 2024 0

Intelligent Fools

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
there is none who does good.
Psalm 14:1 (ESV)

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!
Psalm 53:1 (NLT)

One thing that seems to surprise many intellectuals is the discovery that other intellectuals are Christians! There is a certain class of thinkers who believe that only ignorant people “need” to believe in God. Many of them posit that the concept of “god” is outdated and primitive, steeped in superstition, and unnecessary for anyone. Others claim that any belief in a supreme deity, a Sovereign God who has authority over all humankind, and all of nature, is actually dangerous

If God could be discovered by intellect alone, this might be disturbing for those of us who are not certified “geniuses.” If mere knowledge about God could save us, we could trust intellectuals to be our “saviors” and spiritual guides. But just because someone is intelligent and learned doesn’t mean that they have attained wisdom. Wisdom is a gift of God, and it begins with acknowledging a simple fact– God exists. This does not come automatically with knowledge about God–such knowledge can be dismissed, twisted, and even lost. If God exists– not just as a concept or a long-lost myth–certain other truths must be acknowledged. Chief among these is the truth that I am NOT God.

Fools come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and intellects. There are people of limited intellectual capacity who are very wise. There are intelligent people who live as fools. Foolishness comes when we deny God– whether we deny His very existence, or His authority over our lives– and live as though we are the supreme authority in our own lives.

“The Fool says in his HEART, ‘There is no God.'” Foolishness doesn’t begin in the brain. It begins in the heart. The more I believe that I KNOW better than others–including God–the less I will listen to instruction, advice, and wisdom. The more I will do what I want– and justify it, even if others get hurt. The Apostle Paul–no intellectual slouch himself– warns us in 1 Corinthians 8:1 that “Knowledge puffs up..” Not all intellectuals are snobs, but it is easy to become hardened to others if they believe they know more or better than everyone they meet. And Paul’s warning is to believers! Just because we believe that God exists, we can be foolishly puffed up by our very knowledge of scripture, and ignore God’s sovereign call to love our neighbors! We can be foolish “Christians” who acknowledge that Christ exists, but deny His Lordship in our lives.

There are many intelligent Atheists. Some of them lead moral lives, and do many things that we might see as “good.” They give to charities, advocate for healthful living, a clean environment, and world peace. So why does the Bible use such strong language to denounce them as fools, who are corrupt and even abominable? Doesn’t God see their good works? Doesn’t God give them “credit” for doing the “right” things (sometimes more than their Christian neighbors!)?

God sees us from a different perspective– He looks on the heart. The heart of someone who denies God is the heart of someone in rebellion. It may be a quiet rebellion; it may be vocal and even violent. But once a person denies the very one who created her/him, their heart is corrupted and opposed to giving God His proper place. Even “good” deeds done in defiance of the God of all goodness will become twisted by the selfishness and pride of the doers. The smartest among us may have many great ideas for achieving world peace, but they do not have the power to control all of humanity, nor the authority to force others to accept their “brilliant” ideas. In the end, they will either face disillusionment and despair, or they will become tyrannical in their efforts to “fix” the world’s problems according to their own plans.

God asks us, first and foremost, to trust Him. Second, we are to obey Him. Third, we are to live with, and love, others– to share the love and wisdom He gives! Fools may know about God, but they stop short of trusting Him, obeying Him, and learning to serve others. They deny His wisdom; they deny His Grace, and their need for it. They deny themselves the joy of relationship with the God of Love. There is nothing wrong with learning and intelligence– they, too, are gifts from God–but when we depend on them ahead of leaning on God’s wisdom, we become fools.

Father, I don’t want to be a fool. Help me to acknowledge You in everything I say and do. Help me to recognize Your wisdom, and cling to it. And help me to appreciate the wisdom of Your Word in guiding my intellect and learning.

September 11, 2024 0

Our Advocate

I write often about praying for others. I sometime write about others praying. But I don’t often write about Jesus praying– except during His ministry on Earth. But Jesus continues to pray–without ceasing– for us in Heaven. (See Hebrews 7:25 and Romans 8:24). The Bible tells us that Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father and making intercession for us. Not only is He praying; He is praying FOR US.

Jesus didn’t just die to keep us out of Heaven and then move on and leave us to struggle on our own. Nor did He send the Holy Spirit to live with us so that He could sit down and do nothing. Jesus is still passionately advocating on your behalf– every minute!

And that is a great comfort in a world where we sometimes feel abandoned and friendless. Even if the whole world is lined up to do me great harm, Jesus is on my side. If you have trusted Him with your life, He is faithful to advocate for you– for your growth as a Christian; for your protection from the schemes of the Enemy; for abundant and productive LIFE for you, both now and through Eternity.

If you have not trusted Jesus as your LORD and Savior, He is still advocating– for another opportunity, for more time, for circumstances (good or bad) to help you seek (and FIND!) Him. For those who have not heard the Gospel, He is pleading with the Father (and sending the Spirit to urge believers) to open their eyes, ears, and hearts to God’s will and trust Him.

Jesus advocates on our behalf because of His great Love and Compassion. We don’t deserve to have someone else plead our case before the Righteous Throne of God. And we are not qualified to plead our own case– we are guilty in the sight of a perfectly Holy God.

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Hebrews 5:8-11 ESV

You will never, NEVER pray alone! And who better to have as a prayer partner than the very Son of God Himself! He is our Savior, our Champion, and our Advocate!

September 9, 2024 0

Please Pray for Me

How do I respond when someone asks me to pray for them? That may seem like a silly question. It seems obvious that if someone asks for prayer, my response would be to pray. But is that what I am really doing?

I caught myself a few years ago on Facebook saying one thing and doing another. Someone would post a prayer request. I would reply in the comment section that I would pray, that I was “sending prayers”, or that I was praying for them– but then I wouldn’t. I would forget; or I would sort of send up a quick, “God help so-and-so” and move on. It doesn’t mean that I never prayed at all about their situation. But I felt that my comments were more about being “seen” as a prayer warrior than actually being faithful in prayer.

There are many people who have said they are praying for me at certain times in my life. And maybe all of them have. But there are some people who stop whatever they’re doing and pray NOW. They don’t just pray FOR me, they pray WITH me. And they enter into my situation. They pray specifics. They pray for God’s will to be done– even if it isn’t pretty or easy. They pray for my growth and not just for my immediate relief.

I don’t always pray that way for others. I can’t always drop what I’m doing to enter into someone else’s situation. But I’ve stopped being so glib on Facebook. If I have the time to comment, I have the time to stop and say more than a quick prayer. I may not know specifics and details, but when I do, I can lift those up to God. And I can always spend time lovingly asking God to work His Perfect Will in the lives of those who are seeking prayer support. After all, God knows ALL the details, and far better than I do!

Keeping a prayer journal really helps. Especially when I keep it close at hand. I can easily jot down the name or request of the person who has asked for prayer. And having it in my journal means that I will see it again; I will revisit the request, pray about it again, or write in how it was answered (if I know).

So what?

None of this makes me a better person or a better prayer warrior than my neighbor. That’s not the point. The point is it makes me a better prayer warrior than I was before. It helps me see how interconnected we all are– we ALL need prayer, and we ALL need to seek help sometimes. It helps me to be more consistent and disciplined in my prayer life. It keeps me grateful– grateful that I can do something to help others; grateful for the gifts and blessings I have; grateful that God listens and answers prayer; grateful that God has given me so many friends and family to love. And it helps me to be more transparent about my own needs and struggles.

On that note, I am asking for prayer today, as David and I have some decisions to make as we get older. Some decisions are about finances; others relate to our health and lifestyle changes we may need to make. We want to honor God with our “golden” years, whether that involves continuing to live upstairs above our store, or moving and selling the store.

So please pray for me.
Thank you.

September 6, 2024 0

Shibboleth

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15 KJV)
Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves. (Matthew 10:16)
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:1-6 NKJV)

Hucksters, charlatans, con-artists, false prophets– we’ve all seen or heard them. Some are easy to spot; while others seem sincere. They “talk the talk”–they “Praise the Lord,” they pray, they quote scripture. They speak about Love and compassion; about joy and peace; about caring and service to others. How can we tell if they are “wolves in sheep’s clothing?”

In the Old Testament book of Judges, two tribal groups had a battle. Afterwards, the victors set up a “test” for soldiers trying to cross the Jordan River. The Ephraimites spoke a dialect that did not contain the “sh” sound. When asked to say the word, Shibboleth, they could not pronounce it correctly, and so were unable to hide their identity as enemy soldiers, even though they looked just like the others waiting to cross.

There is an old Irish prayer that says, “May those who love us, love us; and those who don’t love us, may God turn their hearts; and if He doesn’t turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so we’ll know them by their limping.” God doesn’t always “turn their ankles,” but He will give us the wisdom to discern false prophets– If we ask and listen. Even those who “talk the talk” will speak with a worldly “accent” that gives them away. They will fail the test of “Shibboleth.” Their talk will be filled with spiritual-sounding words and phrases, but it will deflect honor away from the only One truly worthy of our worship. Their teaching is described in 2 Timothy as “having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” (2 Timothy 3:5 NIV) Beware of teaching that proclaims the power of the Human Spirit over that of God’s Spirit; or speaks of God’s power being demonstrated only in terms of worldly success. They may not “limp,” but they will “lisp.”

When the Gileadites used the “Shibboleth” test, they were looking for a specific mistake in pronunciation to identify their enemies. When we are testing Christian teachers, we should also look for specific “mis-pronouncements.” And just as important, we should look for words that don’t match actions and attitudes. For example, anyone who wants to call themselves a Christian or Christ-follower, but won’t proclaim Jesus Christ– His ministry, life, death, and resurrection– should be suspect. Many people want to proclaim a Jesus who will appeal to the masses– a Jesus who will be your pal, your guru, your cheerleader, or your “life coach,” but NOT your Lord. Others will present Him as a Savior who is distant, whose love is conditional on abject obedience and blind trust. Neither of these are accurate pictures of the biblical Jesus Christ. We must also beware the teachers who present a Jesus whose lifestyle is nothing like the one they practice. None of us is perfect, but we should be living a life that testifies to God’s faithfulness, not our own popularity or power or purse.

The best way to learn to detect imposters and false teachers is to spend time each day with “the real thing.” When I spend time reading scripture each day, it become easier for me to detect a “lisp” when someone misquotes it or takes it out of context. When I spend time asking God to reveal more of his character, I will learn to spot His character (or absence!) in those around me.

Father, may I have ears to discern Your voice and Your power today. May I be wise as I listen to those who speak of You. And may all that I do and say reflect Your Truth and Your Glory. Thank You for Your wise counsel, Your examples throughout Scripture and in those who desire to follow You faithfully, and for Your Spirit, who reveals Truth.

September 4, 2024 0

Author: Ljfair