The Proper Approach To God in Prayer

John 15:7
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

2 Kings 19:19

Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.

One of these days we are going to find ourselves in a tough situation. Its going to be as hard as the day the armies of Sennacherib, King of Assyria surrounded the city of God's people. But for most of you, life may very well pass by with little tough times. No matter. Prayer is the daily focus we must have in our lives if we are to be close to the Lord.

God's people often pray hard when there is something hard to pray about. Yet no matter what our level of difficulties are, prayer needs to be just as serious, deep, sincere and directed in our most prosperous day as in our most perilous day!

When I think of prayer I think about King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 19. The situation was grim. The opposing armies encamped around the city were fierce, ready, willing to destroy just as they had done all the neighboring city states in the area. They were bold to brag on two points, 1. They did it all themselves, 2. They conquered all the gods who were supposed to be mightier than they.

Now when you come to a situation in life that looms just like Hezekiah's enemies, what shall we do. Here is the formula, and is not a magic one or any such thing, its just the proper response to tribulation before our God, lest we try to handle it ourselves.

Let's see the problem,

1. Assyria was the most powerful nation at the time, eating up as many vulnerable people they could.

2. They had all the means to carry out all their threats.

3. They taunted anyone with any allies other than themselves

4. They outnumbered any opposing force

5. They described in detail what they would do to anyone who was for them or against them

In Short, they wanted to be ruler over everything.

Let's see the players

1. Sennacherib, devout worshipper of Nisroch, the god of the Assyrians, confident in himself and his power.

2. Hezekiah, devout worshipper of the Jehovah God, the God of all Creation, confident in HIM and and HIS power

What did Hezekiah do?

1. He heard the taunting of Rabshekah and Sennacherib.

2. He received the letters and took them to the house of God

3. On His Knees--No, the text doesn't say it, but anyone who is submissive to God does so, thus He laid the accusations out before the Lord

4. He desired that all the world would know by the defeat of the most powerful army, that it was THE LORD who is God alone in the Earth.

5. He was confident in the answer given him by the prophet Isaiah.

So how does all this relate today,

Simply, Satan is still Satan. When we find ourselves in tribulation, his first move is to try to dethrone our image of God and His power in our lives. This is what life on his end is all about, to discredit God wherever he can and cause God's people to turn from Him. This is what the Assyrians did, they stood outside the city walls and attempted to demoralize the people to weaken their resolve to fight. Satan will attack us, cause fear and doubt to surround us on all sides and let us "know" its hopeless, God has left us, there is no use to call on Him or anyone to save you or me. I have first hand knowledge of this and I have faltered listening to Satan. Interestingly noted that Hezekiah instructed the people not to answer the taunting of the enemy. Such we are taught in Scripture to resist the Devil and he will flee from you, James 4:7

The problems we face are real, just as the army encamped were real. The problems are not going to go away on their own unless God acts on our behalf. Here is where we get down to business. Hezekiah did the right thing, the thing we oft neglect, he took all the care cast upon him and went straight to the Source, God, the Only One who could ever help them.

We should do like wise. Hezekiah poured out before the Lord in this fashion and so should we:

1. Came before God in the proper manner, Humbled

2. Admitted the peoples weakness and the enemies strength

3. Acknowledged God's power and His control

4. Desired for God's glory to be the greatest reason for their deliverance

When we come to God with a problem just as similar we need to do theses things too. We cannot come on our own strength. We cannot come on our own terms. We must be Humble. We cannot bargain, barter, negotiate! We must come just as we always have been, Helpless and Humble before God. We do so and acknowledge His Sovereign Power and Authority. You see it is through the WEAK He glorifies Himself. Sennacherib thought Power came through might. He was wrong.

Sennacherib's largest mistake was to proclaim himself mightier than the God who made him, and it cost him literally everything.

So what happened to the vulnerable weak people of God? The Lord heard Hezekiah's heartfelt faithful prayer. Thus Israel never drew a sword, notched an arrow, or threw a stone. The next morning Sennacherib noticed God walked through his camp last night. All that the pagan king trusted in, was now laid dead by the hand of the angel of the Lord. To be exact, 185,000 slaughtered with no effort whatsoever. That is our God! He is Powerful, Strong To Save and is more than able to Deliver.

Look to Him in faith, knowing that no matter how fierce the adversary looks, God is Greater. Its so hard and we are tested sorely, but this life is not the end. Our Home and Hope is with Him, YET know that IN THIS LIFE, our God does Deliver, He does Save, He does do Miracles!!! To deny that, we must take a knife and remove 2 Kings 19 from the only Book God ever wrote! When you consider how God delivers and His power to heal, what Joy should be ours. I will be the first to admit that its hard even difficult to take our eyes off the visible and put it on Him. Destruction seems so real and hope so vanished. Let us encourage one another to trust in our God who delivers and come to Him Properly in Prayer. God delights in our Faith in Him (Heb. 11:6). May our chief aim be that of Hezekiah, to desire the whole world See our God by seeing the Hand of His Miraculous Deliverance. May it be so with us today, whatever we are facing, and as I write this we are facing hard times. I don't know when someone will read this, but when you do, know that our God is Greater and Stronger than all who oppose us. May we trust in His ark of Safety.

Lord, we need your Help! We are vulnerable to the attacks of the world, sickness and Satan. We come before You with humble hearts acknowledging Yourself as the only God and that we are looking to You for our deliverance as did Hezekiah. May our chief desire to be through our Deliverance is that Your Name which is above all will be clearly seen and believed on by a watching world. Make haste to help us. Cleanse our hearts from sin and may we be found abiding in You always we pray, Amen.

The First LIGHT of Morning

Scripture Reading:  1 Corinthians 15:12-23

When you hear the word, Resurrection, you probably are drawn to the Easter account.  When you hear the word Light, you may think its the opposite of darkness.  Lastly, when you hear the word "morning" you think of that which follows night.  All three words have in common Jesus Christ.  

Death is a tragedy no matter who is involved.  Some people die and we take little notice, while other die and we never forget.  Some people die and we cheer it and wished it came sooner, while others die and we cannot bear the thought.  The common theme is of course Death.  However, the common theme of Jesus Christ's ministry was Life and it was Light.

The tomb that sealed the body of the Lord was horribly dark.  I don't mean that in a physical sense, though it was dark, but in a spiritual sense.  It would have seemed that Satan had won his victory and that the power of darkness now surrounded the body of the One whom it feared the most.  Yet there was more darkness to be observed...a darkness of hopelessness on the part of discouraged disciples.  They had heard Jesus say that He would raise from the dead, but nobody in that dark upper room really fully believed it.  Then there was the darkness of the curse of sin.  Did Calvary do what Jesus had promised?  Did sin really have a death blow dealt it?  From Friday's events it would not seem so.  

The stage was dressed up for Night, but it was not set correctly.  The Christ was crucified and out of the religious leader's hair.  The body was put in a borrowed tomb and not only shut, but sealed with a detachment of soldiers to guard it.  The disciples were in defeat.  The High Priest was in his glory and Pilate was just glad to be done with the whole matter.  The death of Christ was most grim for those who either chose not to listen or did not understand the reassurance of the Master.  From a human standpoint, all that Jesus was and said had been vanquished.  The cries of "He saved others, but He Himself He cannot save" seem to bore in on the minds of His followers.  Total and absolute darkness of the spiritual kind and lulled in and settled like a heavy fog.  

In my mind, I scan the Upper Room and see many faces.  But look off in the corner, see the man with his head in his hands, the man who had been like this for hours.  The man who was in such despair.  This same man who hours earlier boasted amongst them all, "Lord, if all be offended in thee, I will not!"  Yet a few hours later used words he hadn't used since he met the Master by Galilee's shore, to deny all knowledge of the One whom he would not supposedly be offended at. For the disciples, the darkness hung its most heavy yoke on Peter.

Such a stage that seemed like darkness was about to roll its curtains up for Morning!

Two women, the most devout of the whole group, went early to the Garden Tomb to bring spices to anoint the dead body.  Just how they were to enter I know not, for Rome made it secure with a contingent of soldiers and the great seal of Pontius Pilate.  Yet they came.  Faithful.  Devoted.  Caring.  The scene was not what they expected.  There were no soldiers, no seal, no body!  Mary Magdalene supposed someone, perhaps the Gardner had taken the body of the Lord.  The two women in Luke's account approached the tomb and found two men clothed in white.  These divine messengers were living up to their job.  

The message:  HE IS RISEN, just as He said.  Go and tell His disciples.

All the chains of darkness.  All the supposed victories of evil.  All the shroud of ungodliness now found themselves bruised under the heel of Christ.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ and its meaning to the spiritual forces of darkness is not quite understood by mortal men.  What happened that day, spelled the doom  on those who were most satisfied to have doom pronounced on God Himself.  The Apostle Paul said it best, "Oh Death where is thy sting, Oh Grave where is thy victory?" No one in the ranks of Hell could now lift up their heads, but the sentence of eternal defeat, damnation, condemnation and separation now abode and abides on them to this day.  You see when God defeats an enemy, the enemy never, never recovers.  The evil which had been long in place now was abolished.

Now for us, the mortals, the benefactors of the Resurrection.  Had there been no resurrection, evil will still have its kingdom.  Paul says if there be no resurrection, then what do, believe and have in Christ would be in vain, or simply, would not exist anywhere.  But you may think that the world is full of evil and increasing every day.  Yes, that is true.  The Lord allows evil its space only because there are those of its ranks who have never trusted Christ's finished work to save them and God is willing that none should perish and gives the condemned a chance to repent before the judgement.  During the time of grace, evil is present.  However, God never looks at our timeline as we do.  Evil to God is a forgotten foe.  Just as God already sees the believer in our glorified state, He sees evil in its ruined state.  Of course God knows that evil thrives.  After all He is coming again to finalize its destruction, but note....evil at the morning of the Resurrection is already destroyed in the eyes of God.  We left standing who have trusted in Christ are the grateful and most blessed victims of once being evil, now being redeemed, pardoned, restored and glorified.  The Resurrection of Christ in one act guarantees all of this for those who will trust in Him.  It is not enough to receive Christ death for sins, you must also receive His Resurrection too, for therein lies the power of God over your sin.  With no Resurrection there is no hope of pardon.

One more item.  The Resurrection not only guarantees the pardon of corporate sin of the whole people, but the pardon for each and every individual sin of the person.

Do you remember Peter in the Upper Room?  Wonder what must have went through his mind as he contemplated what he had done.  Judas had sold out Christ, but Peter had denied Him. However, in all of this we see the tenderness and personal attention to the heart of Christ.  You will recall that Christ had the angel in Mark 16:6-7 tell, "Go, tell my disciples, and Peter, I am risen." There was no sharp rebuke or lingering bitterness on the part of Christ.  He knew Peter was hurting the greatest of the eleven for his acts.  We see later that Christ forgave Peter and restored Him on the shore of Galilee in John 21:4-20.  He made it a point to tell Peter the Good News so that Peter himself would not languish another moment in guilt that swallowed him.  Such is the heart of Jesus Christ for you and for me.  The Resurrection shows victory to those engulfed in sin, for sin was paid for on Calvary, and new life began in Gethsemane.  

Whenever I go to a cemetery for Memorial day or some other occasion I am reminded that Christ is the victor over death.  Had he swooned or was stolen and then impersonated it would not be the same.  He shared the same grave with all those whom you see lying underneath the sod.  Christ is the firstfruits of the dead.  All those buried bodies, who in life committed their souls to the Bishop of Souls--Christ Jesus will leave their graves as He did that morning.  The graves will be opened that had not seen the light of day since the funeral home placed the dirt over them.  GLORIOUS as we shall see all those who lived, was dead, and now lives forevermore, just exactly as the Saviour, the forerunner, the pathfinder, the fiery pillar, the sea parter, the Resurrected Christ has done.  This is the hope we have in Him that none can take away, for there is none now who opposes Him because of the Resurrection.  

Simply put, Light dispels Darkness.  When Christ arose, that which held us prisoner fled for fear from the Almighty.  No darkness stands in the way of Christ's Light.

If you know Jesus Christ as you personal Lord and Saviour, for you, THE FIRST LIGHT, even Jesus Christ, lives within you and has replaced the night of sin in your hearts, with the glorious rays of Morning  and Hope.  

Praise His name for what He has done.  

Look for His soon return.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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Lest Darkness Overtake Poem

Scripture Reading:  John 12:25

Hello all, 

As you who subscribe know, I normally don't do two postings a week.  However, regarding the storms we had last night in WV, I found myself without power as thousands did.  I used to live in a rural area and was quite used to total darkness after all the lights were out.  Now living in a city where there is some form of light always shining, it was sort of weird to experience a total black out, not able to see the hand in front of my face.  It was sort of disconcerting spending a night in total darkness.  But I am reminded that this is what every person without Jesus Christ will experience forever.  10 hours was bad enough for me (of course I had candles and flashlights) but just imagine eternity (no ending) where no Light is and no Help or Hope.  So in all this, I used to write poems a lot and sort of fell off from doing it, but I felt compelled to form these words in the wake of our power outage due to the storms. Excuse my meter and literary inabilities, this is just what flows from my head.  I would like to share it with you.  

PS

Please take time to read the Scripture passage above too.

LEST DARKNESS OVERTAKE

By Jon Browning

Have mercy on a sinner Lord

  A sinner in darkness indeed.

Life's work and life's credits

  Are man's selfish creed.

Fill me with they Grace and Love

   Sweep o'er me Thy Power.

Save me from the wicked one,

   And the darkness abiding in the evil hour.

Should darkness come and a soul overtake,

   Lord what hope is there

Where no Light of Yours doth break?

   Light from Heaven dispels the darkest sea,

Ever shining, ever pointing towards

Our Hope, Our Salvation, Our Eternity.

Run swiftly towards this Light O searching soul,

  For the Light is visible and fading fast.

Bask in its glory and let it fill you complete and whole,

Cast away sin's garments with darkness did it thee infect,

  Lest darkness find you helpless for eternity,

For so great a salvation you did neglect.

O Light of Christ thou art my glory sure.

  From darkness I did flee

My soul will never walk its dark paths evermore.

Keep shining for my brethren even just a little while,

  Plead with them tenderly 

To sail from this world's despairing isle.

Let me have a lantern and fill it with thy Light so free

  Call to others in the darkness

For they to come and with us spend eternity.

When The Lights Go OUT!!!!

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:14-16

Years ago, before blogs and such, I started writing stuff like you have been reading. I used to send it via email directly to folks in my list. Well, computers change and address lists get lost and so does time and I lapsed into not writing for a while. Actually it wasn't right for me just to send everyone that I had an email address for a copy of my theological opinion, people need to be asked first. I guess back then I was sort of a "Spiritual Spammer." I just want to briefly say "thank you" for your reading and reception to these postings. I trust with God's help and guidance I will be able to continue this, and please forward them on to your friends if you feel you can do so.

Having said all that, the title this week, not really dealing with New Years, is one from my old email devotionals. I used to live on a dark road in Logan, WV. We did have one street light but it never burned all the time, so there were periods we would go without light out there at night. When Christmas time came most everyone on the road put out a lot of lights. We would put out those big large bulbs sort of from the fifties, plus we would put out our ancient lighted nativity which we still put out. Anyway, all this light made the road brighter and dispelled the darkness. Then came New Year's Day and everyone began turning off their lights for good. The street became pitch black again. As I stood outside one night just looking around it occurred to me that this once well lit area, now dark, is symbolic of what will happen when the Church is raptured out of the world. The Light of our witness will be gone.

Of course we are not the Light, as John wrote of himself, but we are the carriers of the Light. No matter how the world treats you, it does not know how valuable the Christian is, until the Light they have taken for granted is removed from their sphere of existence. There will be of course 144,000 Jewish evangelists in the world during the Tribulation, yet in all this it will not be as bright in the world as it is today.

As I think about this subject again, I am sitting here looking at our wonderful Christmas tree. God has blessed us with a 9 foot artificial beauty that has about 600 lights on it. The tree glows in the darkness and illuminates all the corners of the room. This is how you and I are to be in the world we live in today. Let's look at some ways our Light of Christ impacts our world. In reading this also think of how it will be when these impacting forces are removed.

First, our Light illuminates man's sin. Now I'll admit this is not a seemingly great opening point. Seemingly no, but in reality, most definitely yes. Man feels it cruel and judgemental to have his or her sin pointed out. When done lovingly that is the best news however they can ever hear since it does not end there but gives way to hope. If hope were not present, we would be the worst lot of depressive doom talkers that ever walked. People don't seem to care to be revealed in that manner of knowing they are sinful. Man would rather be comfortable in the dark where no one sees, rather than change. Or, man feels that he will not be condemned because he doesn't believe in sin's penalty according to the Scriptures.
Dr. Charles Stanley, my favorite Bible teacher, once remarked profoundly and simply, (paraphrase) "Man cannot change God's Truth. When God says something will come to pass it is not dependent on what man believes. God's promises will come to pass as He said, it makes no difference whether we choose to believe it or not."
I don't like to go to doctors. But if there is something wrong with me that I know can be cured, the diagnosis would not be as scary or fearful to hear as it would be if there were no cure to be found. Such is true with our Light. The Light of the Gospel does reveal bad things, but it produces a cure all in the same manner. Far better it is to be cured than to live and then to die of what was easily preventable. Think what will happen when the free witness of man's sinful condition will be not heard of when the Lights go out.

Second, our Light draws the curious and the needy. For some folks, the Light of the Gospel does not intimidate them. Light always draws a crowd. Just look at the gnats in the summer and how they flock to a light bulb shining in the darkness. Folks who come seeking know on the surface at least that the Light of God's Truth is different than what they are used to. Out of curiosity here they come. This is wonderful. Folks who are unsaved ask questions inwardly and outwardly as they observe believers. They wonder in themselves how can Jesus transform me? They see the Light and want it for themselves. Hard to do when a majority of this Light is gone away from them one day. Then there is the needy. Jesus encountered the needy on a regular basis. Many came to Jesus with all sorts of needs. They knew He could relieve them of sickness and burdens. People today do the same and more so when they know their needs are deep in the soul. People feel unwanted, unloved, unattached, etc. They may have been divorced, hurt, grieving, in poverty, etc. This is the open door to shine the Light of Christ in. Christians need to help the needy understand that Jesus will help them with their problems if they put their faith in Him. Just as people stranded in a cave come running to a source of light for hope of escape, it is precisely what a non-believer does inwardly when you show Christ to them. Someone you know may not seem curious or needy now, but they will be one day and you can stand, never in pride, but in love ready to help them. That is until the Lights go out of the world.

Third, our Light warms and comforts the broken. Light has so many qualities. I think there is no greater fitting than for Jesus Christ to be clothed in glorious Light. We read how Light draws but it can also warm and restore. Think of a campfire or bonfire on a cold fall night. It is refreshing for its Light that helps us see, but mostly for its heat to warm our body. We gravitate towards light because it comforts us. There is so much to say here on this point. But distinctly, Light makes the grand difference in a person's health and their soul's destiny. One who is constantly exposed to physical darkness are more depressed, their bodies do not function well, and their attitudes are usually negative. People walk into my church every week with great weight upon their hearts. If the church of our Lord were no different and our message was no different then we rank no better than a secular counsellor. People don't go to a dentist when they are having stomach pains. Likewise, the Light is where they need to go, where they know there is help, comfort, relief, and acceptance. Not so easy when the Light goes out of the world.

Lastly, our Light gives an eternal hope that no one else gives. It is true that people come to church for hand outs, be it monetary, food, or something else. That is fine, Jesus did not turn these people away. BUT. our kind of Light does not promise dollars on trees, but is far more concerned with what is about to come in a person's life, namely eternity, and will outlast the problems of this life without blinking. Yes people need groceries and power bills payed. But deep down they (even the wealthy) know there needs to be more. Nothing we earn or do can assure us of our spiritual needs. When Jesus encountered people, yes He saw their immediate needs, but He saw their souls within the body. He came as a Shepherd to guide the wayward flock out of the prairies of disillusion to the Delectable Mountains of His grace. The forgiveness of an eternal condemnation is worth more than all the money in the world. We will clearly see that more profoundly when we cross over and see the glories of God in us. People yearn for this. They may not do it properly or with religious piety, but they desperately want someone to lead them out of their darkness. This is our job. A job coming at an end, quickly.

Do you remember the dark void left by turning off the lights? Do we take for granted the freedom we have to be expressers of the Light of God? Have you considered how dark the world around you will be, when no Light is to be found.

We need the desire afresh from God to be working in the fields while it is yet day, for night comes, when NO one can work. Value the Light God has put with in you, then share it with others in some way. We cannot make people come to Christ, but while we are here we can help lead the way. What a horrible thing it will be for those who scoff at the Light to plunged into eternal darkness! Hell is that place. The main characteristic of Hell is darkness. This should tell us how important our Light is.

Remember, one small candle is enough to fill a whole dark empty space. Wherever there is the True Light of Christ, darkness cannot co-exist.

Father, please help me and all who read this to use our time wisely for You. As 2009 arises, our Light may be raptured out soon. What a glorious day for us, but a horrible day for the unbeliever. Help us to shine brightly as a beacon of Your Hope in the days ahead. In Your Name, Amen.

Image by Santa Lane

Central Is Never Busy

Scripture Reading: Psalm 69:30-34

In my last post I mentioned I like old things, particularly old hymns and songs that are mostly forgotten. Out of these hymns there are certain phrases that makes wonderful sermon and teaching topics. Cliff Barrows, the choir and song leader for Billy Graham, once remarked that good hymnology makes wonderful theology. Though a lot of songs are not completely theologically structured, they have good references to Biblical principles. The reference we are going to look at today is one of prayer.

The old hymn we're looking at is "The Royal Telephone." by Frederick Lehman 1919.

The lyrics are extremely clever in their analogy to our open line of communication to our Father in Heaven. We as Christians have an always "open line" direct with Heaven at any time or any place in the world. The question is, how often do we use it or take advantage of such a privilege? Let's look at some privileges and one urgent suggestion that we should appreciate about our "connection" to Heaven.

First of all, we have no intermediate operator. It used to be back before even the dial telephones that one would have to call the operator to speak to whoever they wished. Later on there were, and I suppose still are, direct line phones. When I think of such, I am reminded of the "red" phone that you would see in the movies of the 60's era, where some secret service man would pick it up and the call without dialing would go immediately to the Oval Office of the President. This "hot line" is exactly what we have with God. We need no priest, no pastor, not anyone to connect us with God. That is one of the greatest blessings we have over all other false religions. You can talk to God anytime without any interference or anyone listening in. Prayer is a personal matter and is not limited by the greatest joy of the soul to the greatest sorrow of the heart. Direct line always.

Secondly, there are no busy signals. Before the advent of "call waiting." we would be constantly annoyed and upset when the buzzing of a busy signal was heard. This was due to either the phone being off the hook purposely or accidentally, or, the person on the other end talking only to someone else. Maybe today you feel like God hands you a busy signal or has too many voices to listen to. We cannot judge God with human means. We cannot understand how He can listens to millions of voices every second and yet heed and understand each one as if they were singularly it. But He does. God stands open and willing to listen to you the believer. You're not bothering Him. The sum of all the world's urgent needs are but a trifle to His Omnipotence. God has never had more than He can handle. The line is open.

Thirdly, there are no charges to be paid. Ever since there were telephones, there have been monthly fees. Now with cell phones, those fees include roaming and data charges too. It can be expensive if not overwhelming. The Devil would like to discourage us with the lie that because we are not as Holy as God, or, because we did not do a great job in the Christian life yesterday, that God cannot and will not hear us. We have to work our way back and earn His trust and ear. No. Do we sin? Yes we do. Does God forgive? Yes He will. Does God act like a tyrant in keeping us down with earning anything? No He does not.

A completely interesting side note about the lies of Satan. Whenever Satan accuses God of being whatever, fill in the blank, and tries to discredit what God says and promises, Satan is only trying to mask himself, because his discrediting accusations towards God is really and truly the way he acts towards his own children, the unbelievers.

The blood of Jesus Christ takes away our need to pay for our sins and earn confidence with God. God sees us as He sees Christ, pure and blameless. He sees us as we will be apart from the world and these fleshly bodies. The Bible does say that we must repent of our sinful practices to restore our fellowship with God, but that is a far cry from trying to win it back. You are His freely, and He is yours freely.

Fourthly, there are no dropped calls. This sort of correlates with what we just talked about with the difference that God is not in the business of "hanging up" or losing you because of anger or some hostility. Cell phones are notorious for losing a call right in the middle of usually something important. One moment you have a full signal, the next you might as well be in a cave. As you talk to God in prayer you have His full undivided attention. In fact, God delights in us talking to Him. He wants a personal dialogue with us. So He will not drop you or leave you stranded. Once you are connected to Him in Christ through salvation, its like having a heavy anchor chain from His throne to the depths of your world. No element, no trial, no doubt or no sin can sever the connection.

Finally, the urgent warning. Prayer is a privilege, and being constantly connected like a line telephone is a great privilege. However, the greatest tragedy of prayer is that its only seemingly used when disaster strikes. This speaks and smells of deep carnality on the part of the believer. Of course, we can freely and always should turn to God in prayer when a tragedy strikes, there is never any shame in that at all. What I am saying is, prayer is supposed to be a constant connection in the good times as well as bad. We are never in need of more prayer to God for us than when we find ourselves in the times of prosperity and plenty. It is such times that we sort of feel free from depending and thanking God for all we are and have. When times are easy we sort of feel like we can do this thing called "life" on our own with no Divine Assistance. How awful we treat God by not giving Him but a sentence prayer in the fields of plenty, but give Him a screaming scroll in the times of agony. How great His love is! This was case with Israel so often. In fact if the Old Testament could be summed up in one thought it would be that God tried and tried for Israel to acknowledge Him and His love everyday, and the same from them to Him.

Spend every day thanking Him, Praising Him for Who He is towards you, Bless Him with praises of song, and speak to Him words of your love as you hear words of His.

Central Is Never Busy.

Father, help me and all who read this to appreciate this awesome privilege of prayer. We can't fathom its full blessing, but we do know what it is like to feel lonely and cut off by people in the world. Thank you that You do not treat us this way and that we can come to your listening Ear and that You not only desire to hear us, but delight in it as well. We hold the attention of the God of all that is, help us to fully realize this everyday. Thank you for not being too busy to talk to us. In your Name, Amen.

A Bench Called SELAH

Scripture Reading: Psalm 89

A great way to exercise and talk to God is in the beauty of a forest trail. Many of our state parks offer such trails with differing degrees of difficulty and travel time. There is a particular trail I remember in South Carolina I used to walk. I lived in Greenville for nearly a decade and not too far from me was Paris Mountain State Park. The trail was quite long if you traversed the whole distance. It started in a large parking area and did a great winding loop up the mountain and then down the other side of the mountain to your point of origin. Along the way there was a large pond and waterfall, dark areas of pine and laurel thickets, another stream and a very narrow winding shelf up the side of the mountain before reaching the top and your journey downward. There were places that were steep and places that were nice and rolling. All in all a person in good shape made the whole trip in about an hour and a half. Along the way at various points of the trail there were small benches. These benches were just rough hewn half logs nailed together, but to a weary traveler (like me) they offered a great place for rest and to drink some water I carried. Even if you could walk the whole trail without the need to sit down a while it was still nice to sit and reflect on the surroundings and God's world.

The Psalms offer such a resting point in the word called "Selah." The word itself means to think about what was just said. To borrow a personal interpretation, "when you come to this word, STOP, REREAD, THINK, THINK AGAIN, then go ahead." So much of the Psalms have this word in it and generally it occurs after an attribute of God has just been described, or a great event in the future will occur that only God can perform.

The word "Selah" helps us to reflect on the majesty and power of God. So many times we read the Scriptures in a hurried fashion. Sometimes we feel an obligation to read a passage of Scripture just to check off a list. It is a good thing to read the Bible on a schedule, but take time to read it. Reading several chapters at a sitting will get you through the Bible but does it get you into the Bible? What I mean is that when we speed read or take too big a bite of Scriptural reading we lose the important details in wash of too much information. Every verse is profound in some fashion. However, especially in Psalms, we hike through a large section of reading and we need to pause to get our "breath" and to focus on the territory just covered. When you read about God's singular act of setting the stars and planets in their courses, or the consideration of God towards lowly man, or even His sovereign plan for time and eternity that no one can change, does this awe and inspire you? The "selah" is there to help remind us to reflect and not take for granted the unspeakable power of God. We grow to used to hearing Biblical teaching and the display of God's power that our hearts get a bit hardened and cold in our recited knowledge. Let us not grow too knowledgeable that we become too untouchable. Selah.

The word "Selah" used to help us reflect can also cause us to take notice. Many times in a Psalm there is given warnings for mankind. Take for example verse 47-48 of today's reading. David warns that our bodies will see death. He communicates that life on this earth can't be spent in frivolity always. There will come a day when the sober moments come. David warns us to prepare our souls for death by trusting in God. Such passages you might say are not only rest benches but danger signs. Notice that plenty of warning is given throughout Scripture to avert any calamity before that calamity comes. Likewise, a road sign saying "Bridge Out" doesn't come once you try to start crossing the bridge. Many times we prance on our way or rush things too much to look at the warning signs. So God mercifully in His Word places them along in the Scriptures to warn us. Mark those places and thank God they are there. Thank God He cares enough about us to tell us. Selah.

Lastly, the word "Selah" is there for us to pause and be comforted. Generally speaking the Psalms are for our comfort and encouragement. David who wrote many of them knew the heart of God, because He was in pursuit of it for himself. Many times "selah" is placed after a selection of comfort. When we seek comfort from Scripture we generally do not rush through the passages, however, the Scriptures itself are a bench to rest on. The Scriptures are a surety in a world where nothing is sure. Life deals us hard blows. Sometimes even God seems so distant from us, however, he reminds us in verses 33-37 that He will not utterly forsake us when we sin, nor can He take back what He has promised! Selah. What a comfort to know that death will not condemn the believer in Jesus Christ! What a surety it is to be walking through the forest and seeing the evidence of God's omnipotence and then read in His Word that He is Lord over all the creation (vs 5-9). All this for our benefit, God, who is rich in mercy, thinks about us. Selah.

The next time you are taking a stroll amidst the Creation and you see a place of rest, remember the Psalms. When you are reading the Psalms and you come to a place of rest, remember to reflect, take notice, and be comforted. When we need a thought to rest our minds on, whether we have our Bibles open or not, Remember and Rest on the words of Christ to the believer in Luke 10:20, the believer's names are registered in Heaven.

Father, thank You that there are such resting places in Your Word and that we may rest upon them as long as we like. Help us to be places of rest to others to encourage them and comfort them. May Lord you comfort us and make us aware of Your presence always. In your Wonderful name, the only Name that matters, the name of Jesus. Amen.

Pass this along to a friend and remember always to keep your eyes upon the skies, Jesus is coming soon!

When New Becomes NEW

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:3-5

We live in an age where when something breaks we throw it out. My grandpa, now with the Lord, came from the era when something broke, you repaired it back to its new condition. You know we really don't see many "fix it" shops anymore. Throw away technology has done away with those. So as a culture we are inundated with stuff that replaces its former name bearer. Everything is upgraded, but nothing is really new. King Solomon made this wise assessment when he proclaimed there is nothing new under the sun. Even though Solomon would have been blown away with a digital camera or an IPhone, the principle he expressed still remains true.

In today's reading, there is a phrase that I believe is mostly overlooked not so much intentionally, but relationally. The phrase, "the former things are passed away," is so astounding in its concept and reality. We read that and we superficially know that Heaven will be much better than anything we experience on Earth, but do we stop and think of the details? I believe personally that if this phrase was no where to be found in the Scriptures that our hope would be of a lesser state than what it is.

Think about this. If something is really "new," how does it become so? Can you have something that is new when remnants of the old remain? Well, we know that Paul tells us that the new man of Christ is dwelling in us, but the old man of sin still remains. We are becoming "newer" everyday, but we are not totally new. That does not mean we're sort of saved or that we are half partakers of glory, I just mean that we are not completely and totally what we shall be in Glory. Why? Simply because the former things (future past tense in our understanding today) are not passed away yet. We still struggle with sin, our bodies still get sick and easily succumb to failure, our world is on the brink of war where it is not so engaged already, our societal morals are gone, and we could go on being depressed describing what's wrong in life. It all points back to this verse and the hope is found in it. So how does the state of being truly "new" change our perspective on life today and eternity someday?

First, the most obvious point is that being "new" eradicates the old. This is not an oversimplification. Oh no friend this is the culmination of hope in a few words. Imagine never visiting a hospital again, never gazing at a casket, never getting hot and sweaty, never worrying if you can make the bill payment, never concerned where your kids are or what they are watching, never fretting over what might happen in a fallen world. No sickness or pain for the old body is gone. No more troublesome thoughts because the mind is perfectly in tune with Christ. No more fear of enemies because now we are immortal. Never fearing separation of death because all that ended when God closed the book on this thing called Sin, or simply the former things.

Second, a different set of rules, environment, and relationship now apply. We live by societal norms. We tend to dress according to the way our environment dictates. We tend to be less than ourselves for fear of relational disembarrment. Not so in Heaven. Christ is the rule, He is Just and Fair, and the creator of those two adjectives. Our environment will be fresh and without defilement. The finest of gold most prized on Earth is the most basic element of Heaven. Our relationship to Christ as Brother and Savior will have just begun in its literal state never to end. All the saints of all the ages of this world will be most eager to swap stories of Divinity in action. Best of all, your new found family and friends will never be gone from your side. What a contrast to what we have now. The same old muggy hot air. The same old decaying moral governments. The same old cloak and dagger trying to impress techniques on people....all gone to usher in the New.

Thirdly, it completely forms the foundation of all we hope in. Paul tells us if we have hope of Christ in this life only we are the most miserable people to have ever lived. I firmly believe that if Heaven were only half of what it is described to be, you and I may fairly have some reservations about in Whom we are trusting. Suppose you were in your new Heavenly home and you called one morning on the Apostle James. You greet him and notice he is rubbing his neck. You ask him what's the matter. He replies, "well it where that sword severed my head on Earth, oh I am not complaining, but still it is a bit sore." You would wonder. If earthly conditions follow us, then quite frankly there is no end to the doubt that could arise in us. Christ has to eradicate completely all that was in the past to make the future glorious. If there was no guarantee of complete change, then there would be no reason to trust in Christ as Savior. This change, both inwardly and someday outwardly makes Jesus Christ the unparalleled difference from all the "help" of this world.

Fourthly and finally, God's "New" never gets old again. I like to look at old cars. Echoes of former glory. What once sat brand spanking new on a showroom floor in 1952 somehow doesn't have the identical lustre in 2008 that it once had. This is the greatest part of this truth--everything in glory stays exactly in its fresh new state a million years from the day it was created. What on earth have we that so compares?

I wished I could convey the great meaning of this phrase in words. I know it in my soul as you who are believers also do. To possess something that is truly new, and not an upgrade will in itself be wonderful.

"The former things (all that we know and are used to right now) will be gone." If you do not trust in Christ in this life, the life you face will not only be far worse than your nightmares can conjure, but you will face it completely alone. No ending, no reprieve, no hope. Is this world really worth living for? Right now as you read, its foundations are losing their footing and about to slide into sea of eternal despair. God has His hand of salvation stretched out, take it while you still can.

Christian, we are facing and will face the most difficult times. If this verse was never written, our hope might as well be forgotten. But it was written! One day, this mortality will be put on immortality, and things like death, disease, heartache, abuse, finances, worry, and all that we deal with will disappear. Not pie in the sky theology. Bed rock truth that will not fail, simply because God wrote it and thus it is so.

It Will NOT Come OUT!!!

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:18-20

How many times have you been told in life (mostly the men here) when we spill something on us, usually food, that it won't come out? Of course the morsel of food or the blob of whatever lifts off the fabric, but the footprint it leaves beneath it stays there.

I had the most unique experience I want to share this week. Although I did not think so at the time, this makes for a good illustration. It was Communion night at my church. We have an AV room separate from the main congregation so one of the deacon's brings back the bread and juice to us. I had my bread and juice on the desk in front of me. We could watch on our monitor when it was time to partake. It came to the juice and as I put the plastic cup to my mouth I thought I saw a drip and as I drank, the whole cup was running everywhere. I jumped back and sat the cup down (which puddled out on the desk). The guy beside me said, "Dude, your glass is cracked." I saw all the purple drops on my best shirt and I immediately ran to the staff bathroom to wash the shirt to no avail. You sort of look at grape juice like acid, its dangerous effects are usually permanent, so you handle it carefully. I always cringe as I see a whole platter of grape juice passing down the row. Well, anyway, there I was big wet blob on the shirt from the intense "water treatment" and all these little stains on me. As I was surveying myself in the mirror, the Holy Spirit reminded me just how vital a picture this was to see.

Stains are not usually welcome on our person or our clothes. They denote ugly marks we rather not anyone see for embarrassment sake. All stains except one. We as humans will have up to two stains on our souls. First we were born with the stain of sin. The Bible says that this sin brings death of eternal separation from God on all of us (Romans 6:23). As hard as we try to remove that stain with the solution of good deeds or moral living that stain will not come out! I soaked and soaked myself with water, and the grape juice stain lightened but did not disappear. The Holiness of God requires that ALL the stain be gone, not faded, but removed. We have nothing at all in our power to remove such a stain.

The second stain is the cleansing stain of Christ's blood. Here was the illustration from the broken communion cup. To rid our sins, Christ was to go to the Cross to shed His blood for the forgiveness of them, completing the fulfillment of the Old Testament pattern. The difference was that the blood He shed would be totally sufficient as it would not go away nor wear off in its potency. Grape juice (which we use to represent the blood of Christ shed for sin) has the express quality of not coming out of clothes. When you and I receive Jesus Christ into our hearts, His blood cleanses us from all sin. This is not a one time action. This covering stain lasts forever never coming out of our souls.

There are Christian folk that believe in this cleansing blood, but cannot accept the fact that its permanent. How sad to be tormented by the thought, for just one sin committed, and then death comes and they perish forever in Hell. This is not what the Scriptures teach, but what the deception of Satan shouts. If the blood of Christ is to be a perfect payment for sins, then should it last. Anything that does not last completely, is not perfect. We do not desire to keep sinning, but when we do sin there is no eternal condemnation for it either. You cannot sin your way out of salvation. When Christ "stains" a heart, what really happens is that old stain of sin (that cannot be cleansed by any other means) is removed and the new stain of Christ's blood replaces it. The "stain" of His blood is not an ugly one, but more like a beautifully painted portrait. That portrait is our righteousness and our ONLY pass into Heaven.

Finally, a stain is something we try to hide. I was embarrassed to circulate in the halls of our church due to gigantic blob all over my shirt. I could not hide it. We should not be embarrassed or try to hide or cover up the reality of Jesus in our lives. If the stain were reproachable, certainly we should try to hide, but it isn't. The stain is glorious. The stain is something we should want all to see and hopefully desire to have too. When we try to blend in with the world, we are hiding our stain of Redemption. When we are open about speaking for Jesus in our lives and for what He has done, we are showing Him off. How can we cover up the very thing that completely and utterly changed the course of our lives from destruction to everlasting Hope?

Does the stain of sin still marr your soul? Would you desire to have it removed? Once death comes, either the stain of sin or the stain of Christ's precious blood is set for all eternity. You can lose your sin stain in this life, but you never can lose the redemption of His stain. In a world of absolute uncertainty, one thing is quite certain. A decision to be saved by Christ's blood never changes. Its the permanent stain of Righteousness, and it won't come out!!!

If you're not a believer in Jesus Christ, consider the consequences of your decision not to trust Him. Is it really worth suffering unspeakable torment all alone forever just to live a few years on Earth "enjoying" life which will ultimately betray you? I plead with you, turn your life to Christ.

Would you pray with me,

Dear Jesus, I realize I have a black mark of sin on me. I know that mark means I am not going to Heaven. But I know from what I have read today that my sins can be removed and forgiven by trusting in Jesus. I desire for You to come into my heart and cleanse my sin stain and cover me with your stain of blood of forgiveness and salvation. Thank you Lord that your forgiveness lasts forever,

and forever now I will be with You. In your Name, Amen.

If you received Christ through this posting online or through reading it in an e-mail, please write to me and I want to send you a free booklet to help you on your new Christian walk with Christ. The address is jonbrowning@suddenlink.net

Give and Take Prayers, Part 2 of 2

Last time we were reading together, we were discussing how a majority of our prayers are more request or "taking" oriented. That is OK given the proper attitude. However, in our personal prayer times we should remember the giving as well.

In fact, if we were to do anything better in our prayers it should be this attitude and action of Giving. What do we mean by giving? Giving to God? Giving what to God?

Isn't it interesting that we fall so short of seeing God as a genuine person with feelings. We rightfully think of Him as a Sovereign Being with Omnipotence and judgement at His disposal, but we seldom see the nature of His loving heart. He desires we give back to Him. You see the painting here in the article, it is called simply "Grace." This painting (a copy) has hung in my Grandma's house for as long as I can remember. So simple it is in its imagery, yet how profound in its message. The subject of the painting is simply doing what God delights in the most. Giving thanks. All the elements are present: the person, the Word of God, the daily bread, the soup, the utensils for eating, the table, but most importantly the attitude. It is most true that we as Christians can and should give back to God our money, our service, our talents and skills, our lives, but in all that He is more delighted when we give Him our heart of gratitude. When we pray, our hearts should be set on thanking Him for all things. When we do so we are expressing our complete dependence on Him and we are grateful that He so mighty should favor us wonderfully the lowly.

My dad's side of the family at the dinner table, usually at Christmas, would call on me to "return thanks." I always thought that an odd saying, but you know when we pray that is what we do. We return our thankfulness and point it to the ear of the Almighty. As He has allowed others to be thankful for kind deeds we have shown them, so to shall we not all return our thanks for the immense blessings He has given us.

Simply put,

Everything that we are, everything that we have, every possession, every dollar, every skill, every morsel of food, every talent, every good memory, every joy, every hope, every ounce of bodily strength, every idea of mental capacity, every blessing in any form has all passed from His hand to our being. How dare we not acknowledge the Source as the Source has acknowledged us?

Perhaps the Psalmist David is the one most credited for offering praise and Thanksgivings the most to God. But it was the Apostle Paul who reminded us in 2 Corinthians 9:11 that we are Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. In the fourth chapter of this same book Paul speaks of His afflictions with thankfulness to God because it was being used for the sakes of his readers and to redound to the Glory of God.

We have Jesus Christ, need any other excuse in the heart for being downcast be created? I forget, you do too, when things are tough and are more than what we consider to be our fair share of suffering doled out to us, we should remember Christ and His sacrifice on Calvary. What Calvary gives the believer is the supreme guarantee among many things that we are not always going to face illness, pain, loss, hurt, hardship, despair, loneliness, disease, wrongdoing, unprecedented and undeserved torture, etc. that One Day, most assuredly, because we place our trust in Jesus Christ and what He did at Calvary, all the former things Shall be passed away and Eternity holds no fear or trepidation for the saints. All of what we experience shall be swallowed up with death in everlasting hope and glory. Shall we praise God and give Him thanks?

Nothing can be named or spoken that can give God more joy than to hear the true heartfelt thankfulness given from His children's lips. Let's make more of our daily prayer time a simple time of giving.

Father, Thank You, for Jesus Christ our Savior and Hope. Thank you God for supplying all our needs as Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:19. Thank you for us having something to eat today and for our senses and our breathing this earthly air as it is a sign that you love us and are looking out for us. We have so much to give you thanks and praise for, help us not to be slack or vainly ritualistic in our offerings to you. Thank you Father for all the hope we have and the home awaiting us with all the saints for the unending expanse of Eternity. In thy name we praise, Amen.

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When They Ring Those IRON Bells

The Internet being worldwide it is hard to make a relative illustration that fits all cultures. However one that comes very close is the object of a bell, in this case a church bell. Not too long ago I was preaching in an open air meeting in Ohio. The setting was very rural and before our service started, I heard something familiar in the distance--a church bell, its clapper was clanging for all the countryside to know, its the Lord's day, come to His house and worship Him. There are many churches throughout the USA and Europe and other parts of the world that still use the church bell as the call to worship. I have always wanted to be a bell ringer, but never have been in a church that had a steeple or bell tower to take part in that ministry. Yes it is a ministry and a profound if not overlooked one.

The first aspect that draws me to bell ringing is to see the witness in it. Most folks may think it as an antique oddity left over from a century ago and its more entertaining than practical. However, a good sounding bell has a great message behind it. The message is simply, "Jesus is alive, we are meeting to worship and celebrate that in our lives. We want you and all who hear it to come and do the same."

The next part of this message is that by ringing the bell, its echoes are sending a clear distinct call. for hope and deliverance. Many times a weary soul that has been downtrodden with life has been reported uplifted by hearing the clear distinct peals of a bell tower. Now the bell itself gives no hope. Whether they connect it or not however, it is the place of the bell and the One who is worshipped in that place that gives them hope. For example, courthouses and schools all have had bells, these places don't produce a shred of hope. Why? Its not because they aren't a good institution but they are a worldly one. And by that I mean that Jesus Christ is not represented there. They are an institution that has no different message than any other worldly secular influence.

The third aspect of bell ringing is that the message is Loud and Clear. So much of Christianity today has been watered down and compromised to make it more of an "attractive" message. But a bell makes one tone, its deafening for it cares not who complains of its volume. The bell is not muffled but amplified in itself by the shape of its housing. We as Christians are called to be Loud in the sense of being openly vocal with the Message of Christ we are entrusted with. That message must not only be vocalized, but clear. Clarity is the heart of any messages intent. If we do not tell the whole message of Christ, then we are not doing as He asked nor are we pleasing Him. The world deals in half truths. It is looking for the whole truth. We have privilege to tell the whole truth clearly.

If by chance you are in a place that you hear church bell(s) ringing, take note of them and remember to appreciate their tolling. May we also be instruments of God's message ringing loudly and clearly across the miles of our existence the ringing of Hope found only in Jesus Christ.

For a great bell ringing video click below

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FVBh54CLbGI&feature=related

Image on this blog compliments of photographer Ian Britton and http://www.freephoto.com/

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