“Praying” Favorites

There is a very dangerous mindset that many Christians fall into– that somehow, God has “favorites” among His children. That He listens to and answers prayer for certain people “better” or more often than others. As someone who has pursued a lifestyle of prayer for more than fifty years, I can categorically state that this is false. Time after time, the Bible teaches us that God does NOT play favorites. He listens to each of us and loves each of us with a boundless and eternal Love!

Yet, I often hear people say, “Please pray for me. You are a prayer warrior. God will listen to you.” Is this wrong? Is it wrong to ask others to pray for us?

Of course not. And it is good to find other Christians who are devoted to praying for others. We ARE “prayer warriors!” But that doesn’t mean that God listens to any of us more than anyone else, or that some prayers are somehow better or more powerful than others.

There are three aspects of this mindset that I think are particularly dangerous:

First– we can feel that our prayers are not important; that they are not “good enough.” Satan loves to have us wallow in our inadequacies and focus on our faults and shortcomings. Maybe I have trouble finding the “right” words when I pray. Maybe I don’t feel comfortable praying aloud in a group. And I hear someone else who sounds eloquent and polished. While that may impress or intimidate me, it cannot make a difference to God! NONE of us is “good enough” to impress God! He loves to hear from each unique and precious child! If we believe that God somehow has “favorites” in prayer, we will believe that He has favorites in other areas, too. That our gifts aren’t as “holy” as someone else’s, or that our faith depends on us working harder or doing “more.” And this is idolatry–saying that God’s grace is not sufficient for Him to accept us and bless us without some extra effort on our part.

Secondly– we can feel that prayer is for “other” people. If there are special people whose prayer lives are strong, then we can let them do the “heavy lifting” of praying, while we concentrate on giving or preaching, etc.. We SHOULD develop the particular gifts that God has given us– that is true– but prayer, just like spending time in worship, studying God’s word, practicing fellowship, and showing grace, is something everyone should be practicing. The Apostle Paul compared the Christian life to being an athlete or a soldier. We are ALL in training and part of a team. Prayer is not specialized training– it is basic and fundamental to the Christian Walk.

Finally–“Prayer Warriors” are fellow workers, not specialized saints. Some people practice prayer because they have more time to do so. Many of those who are considered “prayer warriors” are widows or widowers, retired, or even bedridden. Many of us are prayer warriors for a season. When we believe that God has “favorites” in prayer, we may elevate them beyond what we should. Once again, Satan loves to have us compare ourselves with others, rather than focus on how we can each serve God.

There are some Bible verses that speak to this, and many of them, taken out of context, can reinforce the wrong mindset. For example: James 5:16 says that the “fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” But the context is that of people praying for one another, not a single man doing the praying. It says more about passionate and persistent prayer than any identity as a prayer warrior among other “lesser” pray-ers.

First John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” That applies to any of us!

“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22

There are only two things that the Bible says about “better” or more effective prayers. We must pray in FAITH, and in OBEDIENCE, (or praying within the will of God). NOTHING else is required for God to listen and respond. We are all “prayer warriors.” Prayer is part of our warfare against the enemy. And while it is wonderful to come together and know that others are praying for you, it is also important to remember that God has no favorites. His Grace, Power, Protection, and Love are equally available to anyone who asks in faith! There may be millions of pray-ers, but only one Sovereign, All-Powerful, Majestic and Loving God!

October 10, 2025 0

From Fiery Furnace to “The Dew of Heaven”

God is all-powerful. He is sovereign over all the universe for all eternity. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Yet, in His majesty, He is merciful; unwilling that any should perish.

In the book if Daniel, we encountered the familiar story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were thrown into a fiery furnace for failing to bow down to a giant statue commissioned by King Nebuchadnezzar. The mighty king of Babylon was an absolute ruler, and failure to obey one of his decrees could result in death. That it did not end in death for the three young men baffled and impressed their king. But it didn’t change him.

The very next story in the book of Daniel is one that is less familiar– it is another curious interjection into a book of (seemingly) disjointed stories. In chapter three, Daniel narrates his friends’ story, in which he is curiously absent. In chapter four, Nebuchadnezzar is the narrator, Daniel is one of the characters, and his three friends are never mentioned. (Because Nebuchadnezzar is narrating, he uses Daniel’s Babylonian name, Belteshazzar.)

The chapter begins almost as a mirror image of chapter 2, except the writing style is very different–more formalized, and written more as a proclamation. (https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Dan%204) Nebuchadnezzar is being troubled by a recurring dream. Once again, he calls in all the astrologers, sorcerers, etc., to interpret the dream. However (whether because Nebuchadnezzar is narrating, or because he has learned a little self-control), this time there are no threats involved, and when the lesser wise men fail, Nebuchadnezzar himself sends for Daniel, confident that Daniel can provide an answer. Nebuchadnezzar actually flatters Daniel as he asks for an interpretation, but Daniel is still cautious. This dream is more disturbing than the first, because it is more personal and immediate. God is warning Nebuchadnezzar directly that his pride has gotten out of control and God is about to step in a pronounce judgment on it. God will teach Nebuchadnezzar about humility by causing him to lose everything, including his mind!

Daniel carefully gives Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation and the warning from God, and adds his own wish that his king might escape punishment by humbling himself before the Almighty God. But in a year’s time, Nebuchadnezzar forgets. In the very act of praising himself, Nebuchadnezzar hears the voice of God, who drives him away from his kingdom, from society, and from rationality. For seven years, Nebuchadnezzar lives as a beast, eating grass, roaming outdoors, and covered with “the dew of heaven”. At the end of that time, he comes to his senses and is restored to his mighty kingdom a wiser, humbler, and grateful monarch.

What a contrast between these two rulers! Nebuchadnezzar demanded total loyalty and obedience. When it wasn’t given, the reaction was instant fury and a sentence of death. God is the One who ultimately deserves our total loyalty and obedience. When it isn’t given, the sentence is death (Romans 6:23a). But God, who has the complete authority to pronounce the death sentence, is more interested in deliverance than in destruction. Make no mistake, God will punish Sin; God will destroy those who persist in evil and rebel against Him. But God’s heart is reconciliation and redemption. God did not kill Nebuchadnezzar; He didn’t strike out at him in fury and cast him immediately into the fiery furnace of Hell–though He had the power and authority to do so. God had given Nebuchadnezzar his life, his power and his kingdom. He took it away. And then he restored it. God took away Nebuchadnezzar’s ability to reason– and he restored that too. And while Nebuchadnezzar was living as a brute beast– in the middle of his punishment– he was covered with “the dew of heaven.”

Curiously, this phrase, “the dew of heaven” is used all the way back in the book of Genesis. It is used by Isaac as he blesses his son Jacob (disguised as Esau). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+27%3A+27-29&version=ESV Even as Jacob was practicing deception that would have dire consequences, God’s blessing was being poured out on him by his father. And centuries later, in his midst of punishment, Nebuchadnezzar was blessed by God, who provided for his needs, and ended up giving back all that had been lost because of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride.

God punishes– He punishes those He loves! He teaches, humbles, and disciplines. But He is not in the business of destruction. He was with Nebuchadnezzar throughout his period of madness and humiliation, ready to restore (and even increase) all that he had lost.

May we honor this God of grace and mercy– his mercies are greater than his wrath, and his grace is greater than all our sin! Nebuchadnezzar finally learned to praise, worship, honor, and obey the “Most High God.” May we do the same.

September 3, 2025 0

ACT-ing On Prayer

Pursuing a lifestyle of prayer means more than just coming to God with a list of requests and a couple of scattered “Thank You’s” every now and again. Prayer is a discipline– that means being a disciple of prayer! How can I learn to pray for effectively? Commune with God in a richer and more satisfying way? There are many tools and methods that can help with this. One of them is called the ACTS method.

ACTS is an acronym for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. And praying in this order can radically transform the way we enter into prayer and the way we respond to God’s answers. On a busy day, I often start prayer with my supplications– my requests, my needs, my hopes and desires. I may be approaching God, but my thoughts and heart are all about “what’s in this relationship for me!” “I want healing for ______, and protection for my family, and a resolution to this problem at work, and…”

But the ACTS method flips this order–it starts with Adoration. It begins by coming to God and acknowledging who HE IS. Worship will outweigh worry. Adoration accentuates God’s Ability and His Authority over whatever is on our mind. It also leads naturally into

Confession. Not the kind that masks false humility– “Woe is me, I’m so unworthy. I am a worm, and I don’t deserve to be happy or free or victorious in Christ.” Rather, confession comes as we recognize who we are in relation to God. We are not worthy of God’s blessings in our own righteousness, but IN CHRIST, we are able to come boldly before God in dependence and joyful acceptance of HIS righteousness. And we can’t accept it if we are still hanging on to old habits and sinful ways of thinking. We must agree with God, let go of whatever is holding us back, and gladly prepare to move forward!

Now we are in Thanksgiving mode. We are reminded of God’s mercy, and His faithful care of us. He has been faithful to answer prayers in the past, and to be with us, even in times of trouble and seeming silence. He IS there. He DOES listen. His mercies are new every morning! (Lamentations 2:22-23)

NOW, we are ready to present our Supplications. In fact, we are ready to follow the direction of the Apostle Paul, when he told the Philippian believers: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV).

There are many times when we pray in desperation or in a hurry about a specific need, when this approach can be modified. But for deep prayers during a quiet time, or in a small group, the ACTS method can really boost our connection with the Holy Spirit. We begin by thinking we are praying about “something,” and are amazed to re-discover that prayer is really about “someone!”

I have found that such prayers also cause me to more readily ACT in the matters I bring up for request. I’m not just turning them over to God because I am helpless and He is my last resort. Even when I “know” that is not the case, when I focus on the problem and not the Provider and Protector, I forget that He can give me the power to “do all things” (see Philippians 4:13) in Christ’s strength and for His Glory!

May 28, 2025 0

Almighty!

I’ve been looking at the Names of God lately. In my last post, I meditated on “Adonai”– The LORD. God has the ultimate authority over all things. He is the Master; the King; the Ruler; the One LORD of All.

Today, I want to explore a related Name– Almighty. It is often used in conjunction with LORD. God is the LORD ALMIGHTY. Whereas LORD refers to God’s ultimate authority, Almighty refers to His Absolute Ability. He is all-powerful, all-wise– able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or imagine (see Ephesians 3:20). There is literally nothing that God cannot do. There are many things He WILL not do– He will never leave or forsake those who are His; He will never be untrue to His own Word or break His promises; He will never change His nature or be untrue to it– but He CAN do whatever He wants.

And this is where we sometimes fail to grasp the fullness of His name, Almighty. We know that He is Mighty; that He is mightier than we are, at least. But He is the source of Everything! He is mightier than Nature–He spoke all of it into being! He is mightier than Time– He is unbound by time or age or deterioration. He is mightier than Sin and Death– He proved that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! He is mightier than the dark emptiness of space– He holds the entire Universe in His Hands!

And that brings me to the subconscious wonder of the name, Almighty. God is not JUST all-powerful and eternally capable. His Almighty nature is GOOD! All of His power is regulated and matched by Mercy and Grace! He has the authority (as LORD) and the power (as the Almighty) to be a terrible enemy. In fact, Job speaks of this repeatedly when he feels that God is punishing him unfairly (see Job 27). I can’t argue against God and win; I can’t grapple with God and defeat Him (Jacob tried that in Genesis 32). I am powerless against God– physically, mentally, spiritually–I cannot “win” against God by fighting, arguing, cajoling, bargaining, or using any weapon. There is no army, no spirit, no power that can budge God from His plans.

But God is NOT my enemy or my rival! Only Sin and my own rebellion and pride can make me an enemy of God. In fact, He wants a relationship with me; He wants me to live in peace and harmony with Him! He has moved Heaven and Earth to reconcile me to Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! He is like a mama bear or a lioness with their cubs, jealously guarding me from Sin and Death. He is my Father, my protector, my provider, and my Shepherd– the ALMIGHTY! And yet He cares about the smallest details of my life– He numbers the hairs on my head and keeps track of any injustice that has ever been done to me (or by me!) to be settled and made perfect on the Day of Judgment.

What a humbling thought! What a joyous reality! The Almighty LOVES ME! He LOVES YOU! And His Love is all-powerful and eternal. The ALMIGHTY IS LOVE! How can I not praise Him! How can I not see Him in every moment!

April 11, 2025 0

Sacrificial Prayer

I call this blog “Pursuing Prayer.” I believe prayer is a pursuit; a discipline that one can learn from, grow into, and practice faithfully in life. But prayer is also a sacrifice. It involves giving of time, space, and honest reflection.

Sometimes, prayer is a willing and joyful sacrifice. I want to come and spend time with My Father in praise and worship, adoration, and even asking for His guidance and wisdom. But sometimes, the sacrifice is hard. I may dread coming to God when I know I have been dishonest or unfaithful. Like any relationship, I cherish the easy times, the relaxing times, and the expectations of challenges met and conquered. I don’t look forward to the hard work, the waiting, or the corrections that God may have for me.

One type of sacrifice that doesn’t belong in the prayer of a believer is the Sin sacrifice. As described in the Old Testament books, the sin sacrifice had to be given to cover over the sins of individuals, priests and even the entire nation. The Israelites even had to give a sin offering for unintentional or accidental sins!

Unfortunately, I sometimes make the mistake of thinking that I must make a similar “sin sacrifice” in my prayer life– that I have to rehearse and recount all my past sins before God will hear me or act on my behalf. And that is NOT Biblical. If we are truly trusting in Jesus’ finished work on the cross, we are not obligated to offer token sacrifices as a means of covering over our past. Christ’s blood IS sufficient! (See 1 John 2:2, 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24, and Romans 5:9 among others)

So when I talk about prayer of confession, I’m not talking about pouring out long laundry lists of sins I committed last week or thirty years ago. God already knows– in fact He knew about them before they happened!–and He has already forgiven me. That doesn’t mean that He wants me to pretend they never happened or that He doesn’t want me to feel the regret or understand the consequences of what I have done. Instead, He wants me to understand and rejoice in His overwhelming Mercy and Grace! My sacrifice, when I confess my sins, is a sacrifice of praise for God’s willingness to offer what I can never earn or deserve or atone for– complete forgiveness and restoration! I am agreeing with God about who I am and what I’ve done, AND about what He has done for me!

There are other times when prayer can be a difficult sacrifice. Sometimes, I am compelled to pray for those who have hurt me, or those whose actions have hurt others. I am commanded to pray for leaders– that may include church leaders who have sinned, or national leaders who have broken their promises or caused great damage. I am commanded to love my enemies, even if they never repent for things they have done.

Once again, I should be reminded of the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. He didn’t just die for my Sin; He died for the sins that were committed against me. I may still feel the pain and consequences of that Sin for as long as I live on this earth. But I can trust and be confident that God has dealt with it. And that causes me to rejoice, because I can’t turn back time; I can’t undo the bad things that have happened; I can’t create perfect justice to punish my enemy. But I can let go of the burden of trying to make things “as they should be.” God will do it; He has promised! I can stop wallowing in the “what ifs” or the “what-could-have-beens;” the endless “whys” and “why me’s” that take up so much of my time and focus. Instead, I can leave them as a sacrifice on the altar of prayer, pledging my trust in the Almighty to heal and help me forgive as I have been forgiven.

We don’t practice the old animal sacrifices of the Old Testament. And we don’t have to! But sacrifice is more than just bleeding sheep and burning incense. Sacrifice is offering all of who we are to the One who created us, sustains us, forgives us, and gives us abundant life!

February 21, 2025 0

Mr. Teeter’s Song

When I was growing up, there was a man in our church named Mr. Teeter. He seemed impossibly old when I was a child– he’d been born in the 1800s! And he and his wife often looked like they were still living in the previous century. Mrs. Teeter wore dark-colored dresses that came past her calf, sturdy shoes, and a white cap over her carefully arranged, long white hair. Mr. Teeter always wore a suit to church, complete with a gray fedora. Mr. and Mrs. Teeter were both short–he was probably no taller than 5’4″, and she barely cleared five feet in height.

One of the weekly church meetings we attended was mid-week prayer meeting. Sometimes, we would start with worship and singing. Various people would call out old favorite hymns. Sometimes we had a pianist; sometimes we sang a Capella. And almost invariably, Mr. Teeter would request the same old hymn. He liked other hymns–“What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” or “He Lives! He Lives! I know He lives; He lives within my heart.” But his clear favorite was “I Love to Tell the Story.”

As a child, I found this frustrating. First of all, I liked to sing a variety of songs; this one was NOT one of my favorites, and I thought we were “wasting time” by always singing the same old songs. Secondly, because of his age, everyone deferred to Mr. Teeter, so even if other songs were called out, it was a given that his choice would probably win out.

But one evening, Mr. Teeter explained WHY he loved this old hymn so much. He said he had lived a rough life in his younger years– he drank more than he should, and he had a short temper. I was shocked. I could not imagine this tiny, wrinkled, gentle man as being anything other than how I knew him. He was dapper, soft-spoken, kind, and wise. When his wife suffered a stroke, he patiently and lovingly cared for her. He was generous and compassionate, even if I thought his musical taste was more limited than it might have been.

Instead of singing the song, he read it aloud. And after a couple of phrases, he would linger and talk about how, all these years later, he was still in love with the simple Gospel message– that Christ died for sinners, rose again and offered forgiveness and redemption to all who believed in Him. Mr. Teeter had never forgotten the joy and wonder of his Salvation. He never tired of “the old, old story” because it had changed his life in a dramatic and eternally satisfying way. Mr. Teeter died when I was still a teenager. He had cared for his wife until she died, and he was at peace when it came time to leave his life on earth. In fact, his face almost glowed as he lay in his casket. He was absent from the body, and ready to sing the “new, new song.”

There was nothing slick or intellectually challenging about Mr. Teeter’s testimony, but it was very real and powerfully moving. There was nothing musically exciting about the song he loved, but the message was eternally true, and worth singing over and over again. So many years later, whenever I hear this timeless hymn, I am reminded of how Jesus changed my life, and how grateful I am to sing His praises.

Today, as I remember Mr. Teeter and his faithful witness of God’s love and mercy, I pray that you know the simple and enduring truth of Christ’s love for you. And I pray that we would be as faithful in proclaiming the “Old, Old story of Jesus and His Love” as we go through life.

January 24, 2025 0

Christmas Prayer

Father, this Christmas, I want to

Confess that I have not really comprehended what Christmas really means. There are times throughout this year when I have not made “room in the inn;” I have not welcomed Christ in the “least of these.” I have not followed the star, or listened to the message of the angels. I have not come to the manger with gifts. I have been like the people of Bethlehem– asleep and unaware of the miracles taking place under my nose. I have not acknowledged that you are

Here. Not just that you came. Not just that you lived, and died, and rose again. But that you are present with me–Now! Every moment! Forever. Here. Not just beside me, but indwelling…living in me and working through me, flawed and cracked vessel that I am. Living in and working through other ordinary people You send into my life (as You send me into theirs).

Righteous Redeemer, help me to understand better Your Wisdom, Your Power, Your Glory, and Your Holiness. You did not come to rescue us from some failed plan or cosmic mistake. You are altogether perfect in Your plan of Salvation. Even when I cannot understand Your ways, they are higher and better than anything I can imagine. And Christmas, with all its wonder and glory and contradiction was never a surprise to YOU. It wasn’t Plan B. It was timed down to the minute, scripted to the very last detail, and part of the eternal plan of Salvation.

Inspire me again with the wonder of Your Mercy and Grace. Help me to experience the Joy of the Shepherds, the Awe of the Magi, and the Hush of Heaven as You left Your throne to become a little lower than the angels who shouted Your Glory into the darkness.

Send me, as you sent the Shepherds, to make known Your wonders, as you sent the Angels to tell of Your Good News of Great Joy, and as you sent Your Son into the world to make reconciliation. Strengthen me as an instrument of Your Grace, as a Witness of Your Might, and as an Ambassador of Your Love.

Transform my thinking. Build my Trust in You, that I would spend less time fretting about my daily needs and the unforeseen circumstances of my days, and more time praising You for what you have done, and will do, and are doing. Help me to embrace Your

Might, Your Majesty, and Your mystery. That the same voice that spoke galaxies into being and the same right arm that raised up empires was wrapped up in rags and laid in a Manger, meek and tiny. That Your glory was hidden in a cattle stall in a quiet village of a conquered nation. That Your plan to bring us life involved Your own painful death at the hands of people You had raised up to power That all of Eternity could be changed in a single instant, even as the Earth slept.

Accept my adoration, incomplete and uncomprehending as it is. And equip me to Act in ways that bring You Glory and Honor. Advance Your Kingdom, and Thank You for making it possible to be reconciled to You.

Sovereign Savior and Gracious Shepherd, let CHRISTMAS be born in me anew this season. Let me grow in Faith and Obedience. Let me shine like that first star– drawing others to worship You.

Amen.

December 25, 2024 0

Do I Serve or “Deserve?”

It struck me just the other day how similar these two words are in English. To serve is to work for; to perform a duty; to labor on behalf of someone else. A servant performs duties for a master; a worker serves his or her employer; I serve my customers as they visit my shop. To “deserve” is to work in such a way, or to show such qualities as to merit reward (or punishment).

Much of our Christian life here on earth is centered around service. I serve at church; “I serve a risen Savior;” even this blog is a way of serving– sharing the Gospel and what I continue to learn about prayer. Praying for others is a way of serving them.

But much of our culture centers around what we “deserve.” Even our service is often qualified and judged as being more or less worthy than other service. If I serve on a board of directors, it is considered more worthy, more deserving of respect, than if I serve as a janitor, a junior clerk, or a night watchman. If I serve in a public capacity as an elected official or an ambassador, I am considered more deserving than if I serve as a humble citizen. We see some positions as deserving of more money, more power, more respect, and more worth.

But that is NOT the way God sees our service. God gives good gifts, not because we “deserve” them, but because it is His nature to give. God sends the sunshine and the rain to everyone, regardless of whether they have “earned” a sunny day or “deserve” lovely flowers to grow in their garden. Similarly, when God allows for natural disasters, they affect both “good” and “bad” people in a region. Occasionally, God will show His divine favor by sparing a group, as He did with the Israelites in Egypt. The Egyptians were victims of ten plagues, while the Israelites, living in the land of Goshen, were spared. But that wasn’t because the Israelites “deserved” to be spared, nor that every Egyptian was “deserving” of punishment. Rather, the horror of slavery and oppression of the Israelites caused God to show His righteousness and His power to save those who were being unjustly treated. (A lesson our world has yet to fully learn!) And God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would be with their descendants forever, saving them from those who would oppress them. But in daily life around us, innocent people often struggle, while “bad” people seem to prosper. Why doesn’t God give us what we “deserve?”

What we “deserve” in this life is the consequence of our sin and rebellion against God’s holiness–and that is DEATH. A God without any mercy would simply allow for those consequences to take effect without any opportunity to repent or to experience His Blessing. God does NOT give us what we “deserve” here on earth. However, He notices our “service”– our desire and capacity to do good–at every level. He does not give higher value to those who serve in positions of power or authority– in fact, Jesus taught just the opposite:

²⁵But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ²⁶It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,²⁷and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, ²⁸even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28 ESV

Prayer often seems like a humble service– we often pray alone or in small groups. Very few people are praised for being “prayer warriors,” and many pray without anyone even knowing about it. Except God knows. He hears and He delights in our prayers. We don’t pray in order to “earn” God’s favor, or anyone else’s approval. But we pray to a God who gives us far more than we “deserve.” And we serve a God who delights in even the humble acts we do for others. A God who has promised us Eternal life with Him in Heaven! Not as a reward for our service; not based on our worthiness or self-righteousness, but based on the worthiness of Jesus! Heaven is our reward for His great sacrifice. We don’t “deserve” it, but we can rejoice in it, even as we serve quietly and humbly here on earth.

October 4, 2024 1

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

“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

Tag: mercy