Tag Archives: Proverbs

Being honest in our prayers to God

Posted on April 1, 2014 by | Comments Off on Being honest in our prayers to God

man-praying

Yesterday I had the opportunity to sit outside on one of the concrete tables near the building where I teach my history classes.  It was a nice, cool, and sunny day and the feel of the sun was something that I have really missed over the winter months.  I pulled out my pocket-sized Bible and began reading through Psalms when I had a student approach me to ask me some questions about a recent assignment.  When she saw that I was reading the Bible, she began to ask me questions about my faith, how I “fit it in” my life, and some other questions.  I explained to her that I do not define my faith; my faith defines me, she immediately began to ask questions about my understanding about prayer.

Since 2006, I have become more serious about my faith in God.  I also began to take literally the things that I read in the Bible so that I will not have to stand ashamed of my life in front of an Holy God. When she asked me that question, the first verse that came into my mind was: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (I Peter 3:15). Although the apostle Peter was referring to the times when Christians will be brought before kings and judges to explain their holding to the faith in Jesus Christ, I believe that this verse has an application that we are always, as Christians, to be ready to explain any aspect of our faith to those that genuinely ask for understanding.  In this case, this student was asking about my understanding of prayer; as a Christian, I owed her the explanation of my understanding.

I began (as I will begin here) to explain that God does not hear every prayer but only hears the prayers of those who have, through faith, been redeemed. While the world holds on to the erroneous belief that God hears all prayers, this is not the case, as taught by Solomon as he was led by the Spirit of God to write: The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29).  Even the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah understood that God will not hear the prayers of the wicked and unredeemed: Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them (Jeremiah 11:11) The first prayer that God hears from anyone (except the Lord Jesus Christ when he was on Earth) is the prayer of repentance.  The apostle Paul understood this: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13) and That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9).

God does hear our prayers, but that we have to first understand the condition of our heart.  David, a man after God’s own heart, understood this as he was led by the Spirit of God to write, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me (Psalms 66:18).  Another Old Testament prophet, Micah, explained why God would not hear the Jewish people, although they were his own chosen people: Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings (Micah 3:4). This is not just an Old Testament principle that has no relevance to today’s New Testament believer; the apostle James explained to the Christians of his day why their prayers were appearing not to be answered: Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (James 4:3). During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he also taught there was another reason why prayers to God seemingly go unanswered: And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Matthew 21:22).

Continued on next page.

Pages: 1 2

Comments Off on Being honest in our prayers to God

Posted in Discipleship, Our relationship with God

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saved but longing for your old self?

Posted on March 27, 2014 by | Comments Off on Saved but longing for your old self?

Cross-Easter

Earlier this week, every daily Bible reading seemed to focus to a single theme – Christians who, after experiencing the grace of God begin to mourn the loss of their old lifestyle.  In the past, I have come across a lot of Christians that will eagerly share, with much excitement, the old life that God called them from.  Now while sharing a testimony of how the Lord found you is a powerful personal evangelism/witnessing tool, for a handful of Christians there is that attitude of “them were the days…” or “wow, those were some parties back in the day…”  I once knew a gentleman that actually told me that since he had become a Christian, he missed the camaraderie and fellowship that he had with his lost friends.

Even the apostle Paul was confounded by Christians who longed for their old lives. He even wrote to the early Christians at Galatia, Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? (Galatians 4:8-9).  There were Christians in that church that not only longed for the “good old days” but also longed to worship the old gods through the old faith.  Maybe it is because of a lack of discipleship or maybe their acceptance of Christ was from the head and not the heart, but they truly felt that they better understood their old faith – a religious system created by man – than the liberating force and faith that Christianity truly is.

Even Solomon, the wisest of all Jewish kings, wrote, As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly (Proverbs 26:11).  The apostle Peter understood this proverb and even used it as a part in his discussion on those who make a profession of faith and then long for the old life: These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire (II Peter 2:17-22).

Peter refers to these people as being “wells without water” because of the impact they can have on other people.  By still hanging on to the things of the world and of the flesh as a Christian, they are not only causing a crisis of faith for weaker Christians, but they are also deceiving themselves.  As a Christian, our sins are forgiven – And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses (Colossians 2:13) – but it does not give a license for us to continue to willfully live and seek out the pleasures of sin.  Even the apostle Paul explained this to the Christians and early church in Rome: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid (Romans 6:14-15). We should never willfully seek to disregard the grace of God!

The Lord Jesus Christ was not silent on this very topic either.  During one of Jesus’ many travels during his earthly ministry, he had a conversation with a few members of the crowd that followed after him: And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:57-62). I think that it is telling that each man that approached Jesus wanted to follow him, but only after they did one more thing before they could go.  Jesus then gives us his view on those who accept salvation then longs for their old life, with its sin and depravity.  Jesus tells us they are not fit for the kingdom of God.  I often have wondered if that is because their salvation was not real and they are actually lost but had become caught up in the emotion of the moment or if they are the ones that will be in Heaven, but upon understanding God’s grace, will weep out of their own embarrassment and shame before Jesus wipes away their tears.

As Christians, when we choose to live a carnal life much like we did before we accepted Christ as our Savoir, we remove ourselves from a place of blessings and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  I often wonder why would anyone want to turn back to their old life, because before they knew God, they lost to his grace.  The apostle Paul states, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23), and with this in mind, an eternal separation from God to be cast into the lake of fire for eternity does not sound like much cause for rejoicing or celebrating.  In fact, Jesus gives a description of what it will be like: And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:45). What a bleak outlook for anyone that has never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior! Why would any blood-bought Christian want to hold onto the old fleshly nature knowing what their eternal destination would have been if not for the grace of God?

Comments Off on Saved but longing for your old self?

Posted in Chrisitian Philosophy, Standards

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Learning from a winter storm

Posted on March 4, 2014 by | Comments Off on Learning from a winter storm

Winter 004

In my hometown of Henderson, Kentucky, we’ve had another round of winter weather.  While the winter storm is long gone, the snow and ice still remain. While many people see the snow and ice as an inconvenience, for me, I welcome the lessons that God teaches me through something as simple as a winter storm.  Being a bit hard-headed in my early Christian walk, I had to learn the hard way that God does not use a loud and booming voice to communicate to us.  In fact, I feel in good company.  I Kings records the lesson that God had to teach the prophet Elijah: And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice (I Kings 19:11-12)

Oftentimes, we miss the methods that God uses to teach us because we are not waiting to hear the still small voice.  We claim that if God would just speak to us, give us some physical sign and with that we would listen and be obedient to Him. Jesus taught on this very thing that big wondrous signs will not make a difference.  In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead (Luke 16:27-31). Although Jesus is talking about the lost coming to God, there is still a similar theme to these two passages of scripture.  In both, God loudly proclaims that it is not through great and mighty miracles where He does His work of touching the hearts of people.  Even if He did allow Lazarus to go and witness to the rich man’s family, they would not believe that God had done such a miracle and would demand that God do another.  Look at the number of miracles the crowds saw Jesus doing; look at the numbers of followers that remained near him on Golgotha.

It is through our quiet time that God truly speaks to our hearts.  We cannot expect to hear the still small voice that God chooses to use if we are doing so amid the distractions of the television, traffic, and the other experiences of day-to-day chaos?  Solomon wrote, Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee (Proverbs 7:15). In other words, it’s never going to be during the “normal routine” of the day where we actually can hear the voice of God.  It is only when, in the case of Ezekiel, where we diligently seek to hear his voice that we will find Him. The apostle Paul understood this very thing too, writing to the Jewish Christian converts of his lifetime, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). Again, this idea of only through our diligent efforts will we hear God speak and reward us.  In my own experiences, the times where I diligently sought after the Lord, I had to come to an end of my own understanding of the situation and had to truly seek out God’s counsel.

As the winter storm began to hit Sunday morning around 6:30, I began to think how the storm would cause people to slow down; perhaps that was what I and others within the tri-state area affected by the storm needed.  Often times we allow life to run ahead of us and we forget what it is like to simply slow down and wait upon God. David understood this as the Holy Spirit led him to write, Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass (Psalms 37:7). Again, this idea of waiting, of diligently seeking Him and waiting patiently for Him is something that does not come natural to us in this microwaved, smart-phoned, and multi-tasking generation.  We want instant results and when, as in the case of a winter storm, life requires us to slow down and to be patient, many of us have a hard time doing that.  Let the electricity and cable television go out, and our problems are even worse. The lesson from this winter storm:  slow down and enjoy the time with friends, family, and the Lord.

Comments Off on Learning from a winter storm

Posted in Chrisitian Philosophy, My Walk

Tagged , , , ,