Never Alone - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. -2 Timothy 4:16
You can look to people for comfort, but I have to warn you: You will be disappointed. Yes, people will help you at times. People will encourage you at times. And indeed, God will work through people to do these things for you.
We may sometimes look with envy on the lives of the rich, the famous, the powerful, and the beautiful. But I would rather be in the worst place imaginable with the Lord than in the greatest place imaginable without Him.
Writing of the apostle Paul, the great preacher C. H. Spurgeon said, "If all else forsook him, Jesus was company enough; if all despised him, Jesus' smile was patronage enough; if the good cause seemed to be in danger, in the presence of the Master victory was sure. The Lord who stood for him at the cross now stood by him in prison."
We don't read of the local Christians coming to Paul's aid at this point. In fact, there were a lot of times when people let Paul down. Have you ever felt that way? Has it ever seemed as though everyone has abandoned you? Sometimes we even falsely think that God has let us down.
Don't look to people for answers; look to God. Ultimately it will come down to this: God is with you, even if others have forsaken you. This you can be sure of: God is with you.
That is how David was able to get through his valleys. He said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4). He knew that God was there.
God can compensate, by His own loving presence, for every earthly loss.
Our Ultimate Future and Hope - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. -Hebrews 13:14
We tend to think of life on Earth as the real thing and Heaven as the surreal thing. But it is the opposite. Heaven is the real thing. All that precedes it is but a glimpse of things to come. Earth is a pale version of Heaven, not the other way around.
Whatever great joys you have on Earth, as wonderful as they are, will be better in Heaven. Maybe you will have all the things you hoped for and more. Then again, maybe there will be things that surpass your wildest dreams.
Heaven is the real thing, and Earth is effectively the copy. We are told in Hebrews, "They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven" (8:5).
C.S. Lewis wrote, "The hills and valleys of Heaven will be to those you now experience not as a copy is to an original, nor as a substitute is to the genuine article, but as the flower to the root, or the diamond to the coal."
As my friend Randy Alcorn pointed out, the problem is that "we tend to start with Earth and reason up toward Heaven, when instead we should start with Heaven and reason down toward Earth."
Heaven is the real deal, the eternal dwelling place. Earth is the copy, the temporary dwelling place. Heaven is the ultimate future and hope for the Christian. I am not suggesting, however, that life is miserable. Life can be wonderful. You can be going through a bad thing today that will be turned into a good thing tomorrow. There will be many wonderful, joyful moments on Earth, too. But the ultimate joy will come when we see the Lord in Heaven. We must not lose sight of that.
Our Source of Courage - By Greg Laurie -
That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, "Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well." -Acts 23:11
Have you ever been discouraged? Have you ever felt as though your life were a failure? Or, have you have been frightened about the future?
None other than the apostle Paul experienced discouragement. After he said an emotional goodbye to the elders of Ephesus, he made his way to Caesarea, where he stayed with Philip the evangelist. Philip had a visitor named Agabus, a prophet. Agabus felt very impressed by the Lord that Paul should not go to Jerusalem. If he did, he would be arrested and bound.
To illustrate his point, Agabus bound his own hands and feet in Paul's belt and said, "So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles" (Acts 21:11).
Well, Paul made his journey to Jerusalem anyway. And sure enough, just as Agabus had prophesied, he was arrested and incarcerated.
There was Paul, sitting in a prison-again. And it would appear from the circumstances that Paul was down. He was discouraged. He was concerned about his future. But then we're told, "That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, 'Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well' " (Acts 23:11). Jesus was saying to Paul, "Be of good courage."
It takes courage to follow Jesus Christ and to share our faith with others. Where do we get that courage? God has all the power we need to face whatever might come our way. He won't necessarily give us that power before we need it. But we can be certain that He will give us all the power we need when we need it. So trust the Lord. His power gives courage.
Godly Provision
“The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” (Psalm 34:7-9)
“The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” (Psalm 34:7-9)
What marvelous promises! These are promises for today, not for the hereafter. We are protected. We are blessed. We are satisfied. Much of what God does for His precious saints is veiled in the Old Testament—often hinted at in poetic sections like the Psalms or wrapped up in the principles contained in mighty miracles displayed in God’s sovereign care for Israel.
But the New Testament is replete with direct promises and insights. The first three chapters of Ephesians reveal the inexhaustible resources that we have at our disposal as the children of the King. Jesus promises that we need not worry about tomorrow or about our needs; the heavenly Father already knows what we need and is anxious to give us “good gifts” (Matthew 7:7-11). Paul told the Philippian church that he knew that he could “do all things through Christ which stregtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). He also understood that God “shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
“The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing” (Psalm 34:10). HMM III
Avoiding Compromise
Although the temptation to compromise threatens every believer, we don't have to give in. If we're aware of the danger and understand the downward progression and ultimate consequences, we can determine to be vigilant in obedience to the Lord.
The first step in learning how to avoid compromise is understanding why it is so tempting. When others pressure us to take part in in what we know God has forbidden, it's easy to give in because we don't want to feel rejected. But anyone who's committed to living a godly life must be willing to stand alone and face ridicule or even persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). At other times, we consent to activities that violate our conscience just to avoid conflict, but peace at any price means we have to sacrifice obedience to God.
However, the temptation to compromise doesn't always originate with others. In fact, James 1:14 says we are tempted when we're carried away by our own lusts. How many Christians have fallen into sexual immorality or pornography by desiring a second look? Greed is another motivation that drives us to compromise. If you fudge on your income tax or take a few things home from the office, you've stepped over the line of obedience to God. Our choices should be based on scriptural truth, not on our feelings and desires.
In order to stand firm against compromise, we must make God's Word the standard for our conduct. If you begin each day with the Lord in His Word, He will guide your way. Then when the Spirit gives a warning, obey immediately, because giving consideration to the temptation opens a door for Satan.
Godly Seeking
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:4-6)
Seeking the Lord is a familiar theme throughout the prayers and songs of the Psalms, and the phrase “seek the LORD” appears 26 times in the Old Testament. Always, with no exceptions, both the term and the phrase imply an intense focus, a singular purpose to find the Lord. “But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).
Please note the other action terms: the one who seeks also “looked” and “cried” while seeking. Both of the additional concepts imply a conscious awareness of the biblical reason for our prayer. “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18). “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee; O let me not wander from thy commandments” (Psalm 119:9-10). “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7). If we are to find the Lord, we must seek him with the intensity and singularity of purpose represented in these passages. HMM III
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:4-6)
Obedience or Preference Matthew 26:36-42
Every believer must choose whether he will live by the principle of obedience or follow his preferences. When a person commits to doing the Lord’s will, then every situation and decision is sifted through the standard of "God said it, so I’m going to do it--and that’s the end of it." He may complain, weep, or try to argue. But in the end he will be obedient, no matter what.
I recall being invited years ago to interview with a church in Atlanta. During the entire road trip, I told the Lord that I didn’t want to move. I fussed and carried on a good while, but I knew Atlanta would be my new home. I didn’t like the idea, but the alternative was unimaginable: there are few things more unpleasant than living with the nagging anxiety that you missed out on something good.
The Lord certainly understands our need to question, cry out, and petition Him for the strength to do what He asks. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that we have a high priest who can sympathize with us. Jesus wasn’t excited or happy about the cross. He grieved over the coming separation from His Father. Nevertheless, He was committed to following God’s will (Matt. 26:39). No one took Christ’s life from Him; He laid it down (John 10:18).
Our lives are about fulfilling God’s purpose. Many people miss His awesome plan for them because they choose to follow their preferences. Obedience is sometimes hard, but the struggle and sacrifice are worth it. There is joy and peace for the believer who pleases the Lord and lives by His principles.
The Sovereignty of God and Prayerby John Piper
“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm 34:1-3)
This is an open praise. David is “bragging” about God to anybody who will listen. The boast that his soul is making is broadcast so that everyone will know of his joy. The Hebrew word translated “boast” in this passage is halal, from which hallelujah is developed. Halal is most often used to convey the idea of excitement or delight.
Our boast is designed to magnify and exalt the Lord so that we can halal together. “Magnify” (Hebrew gadal) is an imperative verb that demands us to “make great” or elevate to “great importance” the memory of the Lord. “Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty” (Psalm 104:1). With similar emphasis, “exalt” (Hebrew ruwm) demands that we “raise up” the name of the Lord above everything else. “I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth” (Isaiah 25:1).
Our church environment often connects the idea of praise with musical episodes during our worship or moments of celebration (clapping, vocal response, etc.). Although these may contain elements of magnification or exaltation, they are not the focus of David’s request. The boasting that David is speaking of brings about body language that is unmistakable. “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; . . . as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10). HMM III
The Unfailing Presence
“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” (Genesis 28:15)
This is the first of many promises of God’s unfailing presence with those who trust Him. The words of our text were spoken to Jacob on his flight from the unwarranted wrath of Esau. Those expositors who unjustifiably accuse Jacob of fraud when he secured the birthright promised to him by God before his birth (Genesis 25:23) should note that God never rebuked Jacob but instead promised His perpetual protecting presence.
Note also God’s promise to Joshua: “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:5).
There is also His promise to His chosen people, Israel: “For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people” (1 Samuel 12:22). There are many other such assurances in the Scriptures. One that especially reveals God’s heart is Isaiah 41:17: “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.”
The most precious of all, however, is the assurance to all New Testament believers that “I will never [literally ‘never, never, never’] leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Paul teaches after an exhausting list of possibilities that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). “Lo, I am with you alway,” Jesus said, “even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). HMM
The Wisdom of Right Relationships
Hebrews 10:23-24
The subject of positive relationships is near to my heart because God has provided me with such good friends. These are the people who challenge me to do more for the Lord. My friends love me, but they certainly aren’t content to let me stay as I am! If they spot a sin in my life or see something I could do better, they say so.
Paul gave relationships a high priority too. The apostle surrounded himself with people who could help him achieve two things: fulfillment of his God-given mission and conformity to Christlikeness. While Paul was pouring himself into the lives of others, he was being built up and strengthened by his fellow believers. That, in brief, is the Lord’s plan for every one of His children.
What about you? Do you have certain relationships that motivate you to pursue God more fervently? It does matter whom we allow to influence our lives. The Father equips your brothers and sisters to invest in you--to encourage you, to pray for you, and to prod you toward a more complete faith--so that you are prepared to devote yourself to serving others. Good relationships with people who build each other up can help believers fulfill God’s plan for their lives.
The finest relationships are between people who want to see each other succeed in faith and therefore “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24, niv). In other words, our best friends are those who love us as we are but never cease to challenge us to be better for the Lord.
Sudden Creation
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Even a superficial reading of the account of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 impresses the reader with the idea of suddenness. God simply called the universe into existence from nothing and then quickly set about the rapid formation of certain features, interspersed with other direct creative acts. All of the events, whether creative or formative, seem to have happened over a brief period of time, such as the formation of the plants (Genesis 1:12), the animals (v. 20), and the sun and stars (v. 16).
Even aspects that were evidently formed by a process such as the continents and oceans (v. 10) and humankind (2:7, 22) seemingly took no great length of time.
This is especially true of the creation of light. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (1:3). No slow and sporadic arrival of light from distant stars is mentioned, nor a gradual heating up of the sun as interstellar gas collapsed and fused. Some evangelical advocates of the old-earth concept hold that God slowly cleared the atmosphere of leftover interstellar dust that allowed the light from the sun and stars to penetrate to the earth.
But, if Scripture alone is our authority, then it happened suddenly and spectacularly. As discussed in our text, it happened just as suddenly and just as supernaturally as a new creature is created out of a dead creature at the moment of salvation. Sanctification may be a lifelong matter, but “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17), literally creation. No more time is required for the transformation than for darkness to turn into light at the Creator’s command. JDM
What We Can Always Know - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
Every believer must choose whether he will live by the principle of obedience or follow his preferences. When a person commits to doing the Lord’s will, then every situation and decision is sifted through the standard of "God said it, so I’m going to do it--and that’s the end of it." He may complain, weep, or try to argue. But in the end he will be obedient, no matter what.
I recall being invited years ago to interview with a church in Atlanta. During the entire road trip, I told the Lord that I didn’t want to move. I fussed and carried on a good while, but I knew Atlanta would be my new home. I didn’t like the idea, but the alternative was unimaginable: there are few things more unpleasant than living with the nagging anxiety that you missed out on something good.
The Lord certainly understands our need to question, cry out, and petition Him for the strength to do what He asks. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that we have a high priest who can sympathize with us. Jesus wasn’t excited or happy about the cross. He grieved over the coming separation from His Father. Nevertheless, He was committed to following God’s will (Matt. 26:39). No one took Christ’s life from Him; He laid it down (John 10:18).
Our lives are about fulfilling God’s purpose. Many people miss His awesome plan for them because they choose to follow their preferences. Obedience is sometimes hard, but the struggle and sacrifice are worth it. There is joy and peace for the believer who pleases the Lord and lives by His principles.
The Sovereignty of God and Prayerby John Piper
I am often asked, "If you believe God works all things according to the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11) and that his knowledge of all things past, present, and future is infallible, then what is the point of praying that anything happen?" Usually this question is asked in relation to human decision: "If God has predestined some to be his sons and chosen them before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4,Ephesians 1:5), then what's the point in praying for anyone's conversion?" The implicit argument here is that if prayer is to be possible at all man must have the power of self-determination. That is, all man's decisions must ultimately belong to himself, not God. For otherwise he is determined by God and all his decisions are really fixed in God's eternal counsel. Let's examine the reasonableness of this argument by reflecting on the example cited above.
1. "Why pray for anyone's conversion if God has chosen before the foundation of the world who will be his sons?" A person in need of conversion is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1); he is "enslaved to sin" (Romans 6:17; John 8:34 ; "the god of this world has blinded his mind that he might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4); his heart is hardened against God (Ephesians 4:18) so that he is hostile to God and in rebellion against God's will (Romans 8:7).
Now I would like to turn the question back to my questioner: If you insist that this man must have the power of ultimate self-determination, what is the point of praying for him? What do you want God to do for Him? You can't ask that God overcome the man's rebellion, for rebellion is precisely what the man is now choosing, so that would mean God overcame his choice and took away his power of self-determination. But how can God save this man unless he act so as to change the man's heart from hard hostility to tender trust?
Will you pray that God enlighten his mind so that he truly see the beauty of Christ and believe? If you pray this, you are in effect asking God no longer to leave the determination of the man's will in his own power. You are asking God to do something within the man's mind (or heart) so that he will surely see and believe. That is, you are conceding that the ultimate determination of the man's decision to trust Christ is God's, not merely his.
What I am saying is that it is not the doctrine of God's sovereignty which thwarts prayer for the conversion of sinners. On the contrary, it is the unbiblical notion of self-determination which would consistently put an end to all prayers for the lost. Prayer is a request that God do something. But the only thing God can do to save a lost sinner is to overcome his resistance to God. If you insist that he retain his self-determination, then you are insisting that he remain without Christ. For "no one can come to Christ unless it is given him from the Father" (John 6:65,John 6:44).
Only the person who rejects human self-determination can consistently pray for God to save the lost. My prayer for unbelievers is that God will do for them what He did for Lydia: He opened her heart so that she gave heed to what Paul said (Acts 16:14). I will pray that God, who once said, "Let there be light!", will by that same creative power "shine in their hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (II Corinthians 4:6). I will pray that He will "take out their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). I will pray that they be born not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God (John 1:13). And with all my praying I will try to "be kind and to teach and correct with gentleness and patience, if perhaps God may grant them repentance and freedom from Satan's snare" (II Timothy 2:24-26).
In short, I do not ask God to sit back and wait for my neighbor to decide to change. I do not suggest to God that He keep his distance lest his beauty become irresistible and violate my neighbor's power of self-determination. No! I pray that he ravish my unbelieving neighbor with his beauty, that he unshackle the enslaved will, that he make the dead alive and that he suffer no resistance to stop him lest my neighbor perish.
2. If someone now says, "O.K., granted that a person's conversion is ultimately determined by God' I still don't see the point of your prayer. If God chose before the foundation of the world who would be converted, what function does your prayer have?" My answer is that it has a function like that of preaching: How shall the lost believe in whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach unless they are sent (Romans 10:14f.)? Belief in Christ is a gift of God (John 6:65; II Timothy 2:25 Ephesians 2:8 , but God has ordained that the means by which men believe on Jesus is through the preaching of men. It is simply naive to say that if no one spread the gospel all those predestined to be sons of God (Ephesians 1:5) would be converted anyway. The reason this is naive is because it overlooks the fact that the preaching of the gospel is just as predestined as is the believing of the gospel: Paul was set apart for his preaching ministry before he was born (Galatians 1:15), as was Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5). Therefore, to ask, "If we don't evangelize, will the elect be saved?" is like asking, "If there is no predestination, will the predestined be saved?" God knows those who are his and he will raise up messengers to win them. If someone refuses to be a part of that plan, because he dislikes the idea of being tampered with before he was born, then he will be the loser, not God and not the elect. "You will certainly carry out God's purpose however you act but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John." (Problem of Pain chapter 7, Anthology, p 910, cf. p 80)
Prayer is like preaching in that it is a human act also. It is a human act that God has ordained and which he delights in because it reflects the dependence of his creatures upon Him. He has promised to respond to prayer, and his response is just as contingent upon our prayer as our prayer is in accordance with his will. "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (I John 5:14). When we don't know how to pray according to God's will but desire it earnestly, "the Spirit of God intercedes for us according to the will of God" (Romans 8:27).
In other words, just as God will see to it that His Word is proclaimed as a means to saving the elect, so He will see to it that all those prayers are prayed which He has promised to respond to. I think Paul's words in Romans 15:18 would apply equally well to his preaching and his praying ministry: "I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles." Even our prayers are a gift from the one who "works in us that which is pleasing in his sight" (Hebrews 13:21). Oh, how grateful we should be that He has chosen us to be employed in this high service! How eager we should be to spend much time in prayer!
Godly Boasting1. "Why pray for anyone's conversion if God has chosen before the foundation of the world who will be his sons?" A person in need of conversion is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1); he is "enslaved to sin" (Romans 6:17; John 8:34 ; "the god of this world has blinded his mind that he might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4); his heart is hardened against God (Ephesians 4:18) so that he is hostile to God and in rebellion against God's will (Romans 8:7).
Now I would like to turn the question back to my questioner: If you insist that this man must have the power of ultimate self-determination, what is the point of praying for him? What do you want God to do for Him? You can't ask that God overcome the man's rebellion, for rebellion is precisely what the man is now choosing, so that would mean God overcame his choice and took away his power of self-determination. But how can God save this man unless he act so as to change the man's heart from hard hostility to tender trust?
Will you pray that God enlighten his mind so that he truly see the beauty of Christ and believe? If you pray this, you are in effect asking God no longer to leave the determination of the man's will in his own power. You are asking God to do something within the man's mind (or heart) so that he will surely see and believe. That is, you are conceding that the ultimate determination of the man's decision to trust Christ is God's, not merely his.
What I am saying is that it is not the doctrine of God's sovereignty which thwarts prayer for the conversion of sinners. On the contrary, it is the unbiblical notion of self-determination which would consistently put an end to all prayers for the lost. Prayer is a request that God do something. But the only thing God can do to save a lost sinner is to overcome his resistance to God. If you insist that he retain his self-determination, then you are insisting that he remain without Christ. For "no one can come to Christ unless it is given him from the Father" (John 6:65,John 6:44).
Only the person who rejects human self-determination can consistently pray for God to save the lost. My prayer for unbelievers is that God will do for them what He did for Lydia: He opened her heart so that she gave heed to what Paul said (Acts 16:14). I will pray that God, who once said, "Let there be light!", will by that same creative power "shine in their hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (II Corinthians 4:6). I will pray that He will "take out their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). I will pray that they be born not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God (John 1:13). And with all my praying I will try to "be kind and to teach and correct with gentleness and patience, if perhaps God may grant them repentance and freedom from Satan's snare" (II Timothy 2:24-26).
In short, I do not ask God to sit back and wait for my neighbor to decide to change. I do not suggest to God that He keep his distance lest his beauty become irresistible and violate my neighbor's power of self-determination. No! I pray that he ravish my unbelieving neighbor with his beauty, that he unshackle the enslaved will, that he make the dead alive and that he suffer no resistance to stop him lest my neighbor perish.
2. If someone now says, "O.K., granted that a person's conversion is ultimately determined by God' I still don't see the point of your prayer. If God chose before the foundation of the world who would be converted, what function does your prayer have?" My answer is that it has a function like that of preaching: How shall the lost believe in whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach unless they are sent (Romans 10:14f.)? Belief in Christ is a gift of God (John 6:65; II Timothy 2:25 Ephesians 2:8 , but God has ordained that the means by which men believe on Jesus is through the preaching of men. It is simply naive to say that if no one spread the gospel all those predestined to be sons of God (Ephesians 1:5) would be converted anyway. The reason this is naive is because it overlooks the fact that the preaching of the gospel is just as predestined as is the believing of the gospel: Paul was set apart for his preaching ministry before he was born (Galatians 1:15), as was Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5). Therefore, to ask, "If we don't evangelize, will the elect be saved?" is like asking, "If there is no predestination, will the predestined be saved?" God knows those who are his and he will raise up messengers to win them. If someone refuses to be a part of that plan, because he dislikes the idea of being tampered with before he was born, then he will be the loser, not God and not the elect. "You will certainly carry out God's purpose however you act but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John." (Problem of Pain chapter 7, Anthology, p 910, cf. p 80)
Prayer is like preaching in that it is a human act also. It is a human act that God has ordained and which he delights in because it reflects the dependence of his creatures upon Him. He has promised to respond to prayer, and his response is just as contingent upon our prayer as our prayer is in accordance with his will. "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (I John 5:14). When we don't know how to pray according to God's will but desire it earnestly, "the Spirit of God intercedes for us according to the will of God" (Romans 8:27).
In other words, just as God will see to it that His Word is proclaimed as a means to saving the elect, so He will see to it that all those prayers are prayed which He has promised to respond to. I think Paul's words in Romans 15:18 would apply equally well to his preaching and his praying ministry: "I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles." Even our prayers are a gift from the one who "works in us that which is pleasing in his sight" (Hebrews 13:21). Oh, how grateful we should be that He has chosen us to be employed in this high service! How eager we should be to spend much time in prayer!
“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm 34:1-3)
The Unfailing Presence
“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” (Genesis 28:15)
The Wisdom of Right Relationships
Hebrews 10:23-24
The subject of positive relationships is near to my heart because God has provided me with such good friends. These are the people who challenge me to do more for the Lord. My friends love me, but they certainly aren’t content to let me stay as I am! If they spot a sin in my life or see something I could do better, they say so.
Paul gave relationships a high priority too. The apostle surrounded himself with people who could help him achieve two things: fulfillment of his God-given mission and conformity to Christlikeness. While Paul was pouring himself into the lives of others, he was being built up and strengthened by his fellow believers. That, in brief, is the Lord’s plan for every one of His children.
What about you? Do you have certain relationships that motivate you to pursue God more fervently? It does matter whom we allow to influence our lives. The Father equips your brothers and sisters to invest in you--to encourage you, to pray for you, and to prod you toward a more complete faith--so that you are prepared to devote yourself to serving others. Good relationships with people who build each other up can help believers fulfill God’s plan for their lives.
The finest relationships are between people who want to see each other succeed in faith and therefore “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24, niv). In other words, our best friends are those who love us as we are but never cease to challenge us to be better for the Lord.
Sudden Creation
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
What We Can Always Know - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. -Acts 23:12
If you could know everything about your future, would you want to? If you could know about every plot or every bad thing that anyone ever made against you or said about you, would you want to have that information in your head? I wouldn't. I think it would be quite disillusioning.
In Acts 23 we read that while Paul was in Roman custody, "The Lord appeared to [him] and said, 'Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well' " (verse 11). The Lord came to him in his hour of need because He knew Paul needed this special touch.
Paul didn't know there were forty men who had taken an oath to not eat or drink until they had killed Paul. He wasn't aware of it because he didn't need to know.
In the military they have a term for this. An officer might tell a subordinate, "It's on a need-to-know basis. You don't need to know."
In the same way, sometimes we come to God and say, "What is going on with this thing in my life?"
And God says, in effect, "Well, that is on a need-to-know basis. You don't need to know right now. But in time I will make it known to you."
The Bible says, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28).
We can't always see how things are working together for our good, but we can always know. God will let us know as much as we need to know when we need to know. Until that time, we must trust Him.
Our Growth as Christians
There's a goal to the Christian life, which God expresses this way: "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). This refining process is called sanctification. And there are several identifiable stages en route to this goal, but sadly, most believers are unfamiliar with them. Let me offer some definitions so you can identify where you are on the journey and understand what to expect.
Salvation is the first stage of the Christian life. This describes our redemption from sinfulness through Jesus' atoning sacrifice. What results is forgiveness of sin, which lets us have a relationship with Almighty God.
Next, God gives us opportunity to serve (Eph. 2:10). We were created to do good works in Jesus' name.
But at some point, we notice something isn't working. This is the start to stage three: frustrated inadequacy. This unpleasant but necessary part of the journey can last varying amounts of time. Without it, we'd undoubtedly experience self-sufficiency and pride. But we should recognize this difficult phase as beautiful because it leads us into the best part of our spiritual lives: total dependency upon Jesus as Lord of our life. And we will be fulfilling our ultimate goal: becoming a reflection of Christ.
Sadly, many Christians don't reach a point of complete reliance on the Lord. Pride, discouragement, and distraction can ruin focus and perseverance. Paul reminds us to fix our eyes on the goal of maturity in Christ (Phil. 3:14). Learning to die to self is painful, but ironically, it's the only true way to life.
Godly Pursuit
�Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.� (Psalm 34:11-15
�Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.� (Psalm 34:11-15
This is a marvelous list of righteous behavior traits. David is known as a man who had a heart for God. It is passages like these words in song that reveal his love for his Creator.
If we want to enjoy the blessings of our Lord, if we desire His fellowship and His hand on our efforts, if we are to maintain confidence in our relationship with the One in whom is �no darkness at all� (1 John 1:5), then we must �walk in the light, as he is in the light� (1 John 1:7).
This is such a simple concept, yet it is at the root of much of the conflict in the Christian life. So many today appear to desire the approval of the world�s philosophy or its adherents, attempting to compromise the clear messages of the Word of God with the views and lifestyles of the wicked.
Note the action terms: �desire� life; �love� your time as a child of the King; �keep� your tongue from evil talk; �depart� from evil behavior; �do good: seek peace, and pursue it.� Simple enough to understand, far more difficult to execute consistently. �He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?� (Micah 6:8). HMM III
Making Disciples
Scripture teaches us to tell others about Jesus Christ. And while sharing the gospel is awesome, it is simply not enough. We should continue to encourage and invest in new believers. Many don't know where to begin reading in the Bible or how to spend time with their heavenly Father.
Of course, God takes each person's spiritual journey seriously, and He won't leave a seeking heart unsatisfied. At the same time, we have a responsibility to invest in the lives of spiritual brothers and sisters by sharing our understanding and experience.
This type of teaching is called discipleship, and it is both an honor and a great responsibility. As you commence this type of relationship, consider the following points.
First, make sure to continually spend time with the Lord so that you are growing and in tune with His Spirit. Second, be prepared with a plan. Your friend needs to understand the basics, such as how to read the Bible, what prayer is, and where to find fellowship. New believers will have questions--answers are important, as is your ability to find resources when you are unsure of how to reply. Third, help the individual understand generally what to expect as he embarks on his Christian walk. Tomorrow, we will explore the stages of a believer's journey.
Most of us learned, struggled, and learned some more till we began to understand the basics of life in Christ. Godly mentors can be a tremendous help. And remember, no matter how long we've believed, we never stop needing advice and encouragement from those farther along in the journey.
Godly Resistance
�The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.� (Psalm 34:16)
�The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.� (Psalm 34:16)
This is another clear, basic, often-repeated message of Scripture. Why is it that many of God�s people try to get around this fact? God does not tolerate evil. He does not approve or overlook the deeds of wickedness. Although God demonstrated His incomprehensible and gracious love for us �while we were yet sinners� (Romans 5:8), He is �not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity� (Psalm 5:4-5).
We are never to think that God�s love for the world extends beyond His provision through Jesus Christ on the cross. Those who respond to His love are �created in righteousness and true holiness� (Ephesians 4:24). Jesus said that those who do not accept His atonement and do not believe His Word �shall die in your sins� (John 8:24).
This is why the New Testament makes such a strong case for the change in the life of the believer. We are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) and are now a �new man� (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10). We are set free from sin (Romans 6:6-7) and free from sin�s law in our body (Romans 8:2). Indeed, we are set at liberty not only from the control of sin in our lives, but set free to perform the righteous works that God has decreed that we should do (Galatians 5:1, 13; Ephesians 2:10). If we are God�s chosen, we will live like God�s chosen.
�And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?� (Luke 6:46). HMM III
Don't Get Lost in Your Troubles Our minds cannot be full of God at the same time they are full of fear! Don�t get lost in your troubles. Lift up your eyes! �He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! (Isaiah 26:3 TLB).
Are you troubled, restless, sleepless? Then rejoice in the Lord�s Sovereignty. I dare you. I double-dog dare you--to expose your worries to an hour of worship. Your concerns will melt like ice on an August sidewalk!
Jeremiah draws a direct connection between faith and peace. �Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV).
The Work of the Believer
Are you troubled, restless, sleepless? Then rejoice in the Lord�s Sovereignty. I dare you. I double-dog dare you--to expose your worries to an hour of worship. Your concerns will melt like ice on an August sidewalk!
Jeremiah draws a direct connection between faith and peace. �Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV).
The Work of the Believer
The world's definition of success differs greatly from God's. Take the role of a pastor, for example--it would be easy to accept accolades for church growth, as many people equate high attendance numbers with a minister's effectiveness. But the Lord desires that we obey Him with humility. Whether we draw a crowd or not, success is measured by obedience.
This looks different for each believer. Some Christians have very visible jobs, so their efforts are public and obvious. Others serve Christ in quiet, less noticeable ways.
God bestows upon His followers gifts tailored to each one's ordained assignments. The Holy Spirit reveals our calling, and we're to give our best effort. Of course, no matter what the task may be, the result will be worthless unless the Father breathes life into it. In other words, we are entrusted with God-appointed work. He assigns the duty, provides the skills, and causes growth. The Lord deserves all of the glory. We are blessed simply to be a part of His plan.
As mere vessels that God uses, we should be thankful for anything He accomplishes through us. And by giving Him all the credit, we need never feel defeated with disappointment. Rather, in spite of how things may appear, we trust Him to achieve His good purpose.
Honor is misplaced unless it goes directly to the One who creates, sanctifies, and sustains. God created you for specific tasks to further His kingdom. He wants to use your life--and will allow you to watch His powerful hand at work. Listen for His leading, and praise Him for all He accomplishes.
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