Daniel: No Prosperity Gospel Here

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(Note: This is the 3rd in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

The Prosperity “False” Gospel

Because the Western Church has been influenced by the prosperity “false” gospel, it seems almost shocking to read that “…the Lord HANDED OVER Jehoiakim, king of Judah…” to Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:2). How could God orchestrate the removal of “…some of the Israelites from the royal family & from nobility…”; like, Daniel & his 3 friends (v.4)? These guys were royalty! They were used to the good life! But, God turned their lives upside down; and, you won’t understand Daniel’s story if you don’t get that! This would be like ISIS “laying siege” to our own country; and, then uprooting you from your family & homeland; and, carrying you off to some middle eastern country you don’t know! You’re forced to learn a new culture; and, a new language!

He Still Trusted God’s Will

That was Daniel; but, he still trusted that it was God’s will to be uprooted from his homeland & dragged off to Babylon. Most bible scholars believe that Daniel & his friends would have been teenagers. There is no mention of their parents! It would have been “customary” for Nebuchadnezzar to have them killed in the siege against Jerusalem; probably, before their very eyes as a “fear” & “control” tactic! Just another layer of hurt & heartache they would have felt! Daniel’s story is the exception— I’m afraid that most children’s church & S.S. curriculum teaches, from Daniel, that God will deliver you from the lions & the fiery furnace if you’re just obedient; and, you have faith! Right? But, as far as we know, Daniel was the only one the lions didn’t munch for lunch; and, his 3 friends were the only ones to escape the fiery furnace! They were the exceptions!

The Faithful Will Suffer

Daniel’s story does NOT teach us that if we live obedient lives God will never let anything bad happen to us! Nowhere in Scripture does God teach that! The so-called “Health, Wealth & Prosperity Gospel” is a perversion of God’s Word.  Scripture does teach us that “…all men who live faithfully in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution…” 2 Timothy 3:12. We have to battle the dominant “Christian Culture” on that one; because the prosperity gospel has trickled down into our doctrine more than we know; and, it’s altered the way we teach bible stories like Daniel! Be encouraged! Daniel wasn’t a Rock Star; and, you don’t need to be either! Fall in love with Jesus; and, run hard after Him! Be faithful! Be available! Be teachable! 

The Real Story

The real story is about Daniel’s unwavering faithfulness to God in a GODLESS CULTURE. In the midst of incredible spiritual darkness, the nation of Israel is compromised by apostasy & idolatry; and, evicted, by God, from the land of promise; and, exiled to an ungodly place! God sought for young men He could use; and, He found Daniel & his 3 friends to be faithful to that calling. In our age— at this very moment— God is looking for a faithful remnant of believers who will be like Daniel in this present age of darkness! If you’ve been trying to write your own story, give it back to God— ALL of it! And, let Him take it from here! Let God write His plan into your life; and, enjoy the eternal rewards of His “…well done good & faithful servant…” Your greatest happiness comes, not from wealth & prosperity; but from obedience to God’s will!

Daniel’s Story Is About Exile

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(Note: This is the 2nd in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Babylon Came To Jerusalem

The Book of Daniel begins with these haunting words:  “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it.  The Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God” Daniel 1:1-2.  And, v.6 states that Daniel, among others, was exiled from his home, in Israel, to the land of Babylon. This would be God’s story about Daniel; and, hopefully, you find comfort in knowing that God is also writing your story! Just like Daniel’s story, there is a purpose to the story of your life!

Nothing Is Random

There is NOTHING random about it! God is in the details! Just like any great writer takes you through all kinds of twists & unexpected turns until the end, when he ties up all the loose ends & it all makes sense, God does the same thing as He writes our stories. We can have faith, like Daniel, that God is writing all the twists & turns, the heartaches & the disappointments, into the stories of our lives & at the end He’ll bring closure to it all & make sense of it! We may not know how He’s going to make it work; but, trust Him, He will.  It was the truth of God’s Word that sustained Daniel because his story was birthed in pain, suffering, and separation.

Nebuchadnezzar Was A Bad Man

Daniel’s story is about EXILE— that’s where chapter 1 begins.  Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, was not a very nice man. History records him as one of the most brutal, powerful, and ambitious kings the world has ever known! He was arrogant and egotistical! Babylon has such an ungodly reputation, in the Bible, that it seems to be used as a metaphor— in the Book of Revelation— for the evil world system that anti-Christ will control, in the last days, before Jesus returns. This is what God writes into Daniel’s story. 

Why Would God Allow This?

Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon “laid siege” to Jerusalem. That’s a military term describing an operation employed, by an army, to capture a fortified place by surrounding it;  and by cutting off all communications & supplies; and by deploying weapons against it! Why would God allow this? That’s the kind of question we continue to struggle with today, don’t we? We wonder aloud why God would allow the pain and suffering and disappointments that we face in life. We wonder aloud why God would allow our nation to become more and more corrupt. We wonder aloud why it seems that evil men rise to leadership and why good men are seldom elevated.

God Choreographed All Of It

For Daniel & Israel, we wonder why God wrote this into their story. The siege was the result of God’s judgment for disobedience. When God gave Israel the land of Canaan, as an inheritance, He warned them that they were being used by God to drive out the wickedness in the land; and, that He would also drive them out of the land if they behaved like the nations they dispossessed! And, despite multiple warnings, they disobeyed & worshiped idols! They dishonored God’s Sabbath! Though there were times of revival & a brief return to God, the gradualism of sin & wickedness overtook every level of the nation from kings to priests to citizens. They preferred darkness over light; so, God judged them. He didn’t just ALLOW it, “…the LORD HANDED Jehoiakim, King of Judah, over to him…” God WROTE it into the story!

Daniel: Designated Survivor

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Taking Some Vacation Time: Next Post May 31

(Note: This is the 1st in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

I Quickly Became A “Fan” Of Daniel

I love action movies! That’s where I browse when I’m looking for something to watch on Netflix— action movies, thrillers & drama!  I love reading that kind of book too— the Joel Rosenberg political & prophetic thrillers; and, almost anything Ted Dekker! I quickly became a “fan” of Daniel, the Old Testament Bible character, after I became a follower of Jesus in Junior High. Who can resist the stories of Daniel in the “lion’s den”; and, his three friends being thrown into the “fiery furnace”? I remember sitting by the record player— do you remember those?— and, listening over & over to a recording of the action highlights, of the book of Daniel, being dramatized! I loved it! I couldn’t imagine a more action-packed story!

A New Way Of Looking At Daniel

Then, when I went off to Bible college, I was introduced to a whole new way of looking at the book of Daniel— END TIMES Prophecy! I remember evangelists coming to chapel & using the book of Daniel to show us where we were on God’s prophetic calendar.   Through my years of study in God’s Word, since Bible college days, I’ve discovered, however, that there’s another storyline that weaves through Daniel’s book that was hardly broached by either my Sunday School teachers; or, my Bible college professors. It’s the “back story” to the lion’s den & the fiery furnace. It’s the narrative of Daniel’s faith in God; and, how he lived out his faith in one of the most wicked environments the world has ever known!

The Faith Of Daniel & His 3 Friends

It’s my purpose, over the next few weeks, to introduce you to THAT faith— a faith that was never promised deliverance from hungry lions; or, a fiery furnace! Daniel & friends had no expectations of being rescued— that’s the point of their faith! We tend to miss that point; and, focus on God’s deliverance from danger & persecution “if we just have enough faith.” That’s how we usually teach it, isn’t it? But, we completely miss the point of the text if we teach that Daniel’s faith hinged on God’s deliverance. NO! Daniel & his 3 friends remained faithful even when they fully expected to die. Let me offer you a bit of a “spoiler alert.” Just look ahead to Daniel, chapter 3. When Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar threatened Daniel’s friends with the fiery furnace if they refused to bow down to his idol, they expressed confidence that God was able to deliver them if it was part of His purpose; but even if He didn’t, they would not bow down to worship the king’s idol.

Daniel’s Story Remains Relevant Today

Like Daniel, we live in a world that pursues new levels of wickedness & ungodliness— a world that’s becoming more & more intolerant of Christians! Babylon far exceeded the wickedness of our own culture; and, yet, Daniel’s faith survived intact. In fact, we see that he thrived despite his environment— despite the threats against his faith! That’s something we have in common with Daniel. We live in a culture that increasingly opposes our faith in Jesus Christ. Remember, Jesus told His disciples that “…ALL who want to live godly lives WILL suffer persecution.” The question about persecution, for us, is not “if” but “when”! It IS coming! Be ready! Not everyone survives the lion’s den & the fiery furnace! Don’t think we’re insulated— in “Christian” America— from persecution! We’re NOT a Christian nation!

The Church: Designed To Change Us

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Building Each Other Up

Jesus never intended that we would “lone wolf” the Christian life as an individual! Rather, He planned to use the local church “community” to sanctify and change us! If you have doubts, just read Paul’s letter to the Church of Ephesus; especially, chapter 4. It was NOT his intent that we view “the Church” as some “universal body” out there somewhere! He spoke to the body of faith that made up that specific local Church of Ephesus. In v.16 he tells this church that it’s the “WHOLE BODY” that ministers to the “WHOLE BODY.” And, he says that spiritual growth happens in the corporate life of the church when all the individual members are working together properly—  “In LOVE, building each other up!”

Smoothing Out Our Rough Edges

The “each other” referred to the believers in the Church of Ephesus; not, some “universal church” on the other side of planet Earth. We can pray for believers on the other side of the planet; but, it’s simply impossible to build up believers in their faith with whom we have no physical contact or interaction! Jesus intends to use all the different people, with their diverse personalities & traits, to change us! He uses the difficult people, the annoying people, the “special grace” people, and, the sinful people to smooth out our rough— and, sometimes sinful— edges! “From Him, the whole (“local church”) body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the (“local church”) body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part (of the “local church”)” v.16.  It is by our unique, diverse, spiritual experiences, with God, that together— as a “local church”— we have the opportunity to provide rich counsel & support to each other!

Mutual Support Within The Body

For the one struggling with alcohol addiction, there are believers, in the body, who’ve been delivered from it! For the one struggling with sexual sin, there are believers, in the body, who are winning that battle with the Spirit’s help! So, there’s someone who will stand with you & encourage you in the fight! For those who admit they are a gossip; or, a liar; or, have anger issues; or, a cursing tongue; or, they’re bitter— someone in the local church body has been there; or, they’re fighting the same battle; and, together there’s mutual support! The illustration of the church as a “body” is a perfect example of how the church is supposed to work. What do you do if you cut yourself? Or if you sprain an ankle? The rest of your body comes to the rescue, right? You don’t just leave the cut finger to itself; to get infected! You bandage it! You wrap the sprained ankle so it’ll heal!

There’s An App For That

Jesus designed the Church to be a body, a community, or a family, that meets one another’s needs! Someone, in the local church family, has either overcome the sin you are struggling with; and, can offer support; or, someone is fighting the same battle & together you can keep each other accountable & see God do a sanctification work in your lives!  In summary, here’s what Paul is telling the local Church of Ephesus: God makes us stronger “collectively” than we will ever be “individually.” It’s the lone ranger sheep, not engaged in the community life of the Church, that the wolf goes after! He’s easy prey! Now, perhaps you are wondering where you can find this kind of church! I’m afraid they are few; and, far between! Pray! Ask God’s Spirit to direct you! Search out this kind of church; and, BE that kind of church member! God Bless!

I Am Not The Church! We Are!

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Church Is Not A Building; But A People

Jesus uses His Church as a significant means to produce His intended changes in our lives.  Now, for many professed believers, in America, that is dissident because the Western Church has been such a huge disappointment & embarrassment. The problem has never been with Jesus’ Church; but,  with the human operation of His Church! We’ve “institutionalized” it when Jesus created it to be “communal.” The Apostle Paul sets up what the Church should look like in his letter to the Church of Ephesus— I think it’s easy to forget that this is written to a specific, local Church! He writes to “…the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus…”; and, 9 times in 6 short chapters he refers to them as the “Church”— “ekklesia” is the original Greek word; and, it literally means a “called out assembly.”

The Corporate Calling Of The Church

God calls out His Church of Jesus-followers from the people of the world; and, the point of their being “called out” is to “assemble” in “community”; or, “communally” like a family; and, to meet each other’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Just take the time to read through ch. 4 of Ephesians; and, don’t read it through the glasses of your “American Church culture.” The “you’s” are NOT to be read as individual “you’s.” In context, that is clearly not what the Apostle Paul intended. It’s  “YOU”, the CHURCH, the community of believers doing life together! “I urge YOU (the Church of Ephesus),” Paul says, “to walk worthy of the calling YOU (the Church of Ephesus) have received…” It’s a corporate calling— YOU, the Church of Ephesus, have this calling TOGETHER!

God’s Grace To Build Up The Church

Paul says they ought to be so entrenched in their calling, TOGETHER, that the fruit of the Spirit is evident in the way they do ministry as a BODY— v.2 “with…humility…gentleness…patience & love…” These are the fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians,5). In v.3 there should be unity in their community that’s Holy Spirit driven “…with a peace that binds US.” Read it in context— the “US” is the Church of Ephesus! And, the Church of Ephesus is ONE BODY (v.4); and, Paul doesn’t break the body down to its “individual” parts until we get to v.7, “…now grace was given to each one of us…” And, this “grace” came to each individual, in the Church of Ephesus, in the form of a GIFT (v.8) from Jesus, our Messiah & Savior, to build up their local Church in Ephesus! Do you see it? This is a beautiful picture that the apostle has drawn for us. But we can only see it as we detach ourselves from our current culture and time period.

Jesus’ Goal For His Church

In ch.4, v.13, of Paul’s letter to the Church of Ephesus he writes, “…that we (the Church of Ephesus) reach unity in the faith and the knowledge of Jesus growing in maturity…” Because of our “American Church Culture” we read into that, our “individual” walk with Christ; but, that’s NOT the context of Paul’s words! Their spiritual maturity was not to be a “solo” act! Paul is saying that the goal was a spiritually mature “Church community”— a Church no longer resembling a bunch of immature little brats (v.14). But, a church community made up of spiritually mature believers speaking the truth to each other in love (v.15).  In the next verse, Paul tells them it’s the “whole body” (the Church of Ephesus) that ministers to their “whole body.” So, here’s the application:  Jesus intends to use our local churches to sanctify us as individuals! We grow spiritually in the BODY! That is Jesus’ design for our spiritual growth— in a community of faith!

God’s Law Of Sowing & Reaping

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God Is Not Mocked

I grew up convinced that my parents had eyes in the back of their heads! You too? Or, they had a spy reporting back to them every time I disobeyed; because I never got away with anything! The Apostle Paul sets the record straight:  “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” Galatians 6:7-8.  So, it wasn’t my parents! It was an all-knowing, omnipresent God who knew everything about me; and in His Providence, made sure that my sins were exposed. 

The Time Lapse Between Sowing & Harvest

And Paul says that God will NOT be mocked!  The word “mocked” literally means “to turn up one’s nose.” We can’t turn up our noses at God and live a life contrary to His Word without facing the consequences. We won’t get away with it! There’s always a time lapse between the time of sowing & the time of reaping. In the spring, the farmer is out sowing seed in the fields; but, harvest can be 6 months away! Don’t be deceived! You may have sown a seed. You may have acted sinfully. You may think you got away with it; but, the harvest is still coming in! Or, perhaps you’re a follower of Jesus who is troubled by the godless individuals around you who seem to get away with their sins. Remember the time lapse between planting & harvest!

God Will Right All Wrongs

In time, God will right all wrongs:  “…vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord” Romans 12:19.  The “Law of Sowing & Reaping” assures a harvest of corruption for the one who sows everything to the flesh; for the one who is consumed with this present temporal life; and, has little to no regard for the eternal! They’re placing time deposits in all the stuff that will one day pass away. They have no treasure being stored up in heaven because everything they’ve sown will only produce a harvest here in this life! And what is produced is a harvest of corruption, However, for the one who sows to the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul says that the “Law of Sowing & Reaping” produces a harvest of everlasting life. We sow to the Spirit as we plant a new affection for God. It’s an intentional pursuit of Him! It’s overriding the desires of our flesh with the desires of a new heart He gives us at salvation! It’s fleeing those lusts, of the flesh, as the Holy Spirit directs & empowers us! We only experience genuine happiness in our holiness; as we obey God’s Word! His commands are meant to protect us from sins harmful harvest!

Sowing To The Spirit

We sow to the Spirit when we say “YES”, on purpose, to everything that will strengthen Holy Spirit-inspired desires in us! We repent of sin quickly as the Spirit points it out to us! Sowing to the Spirit means turning our back on the lies about God— changing our minds by intentionally filling them with the truth about God! Sowing to the Spirit means we submit to those things that God uses to strengthen His Work, of Grace, in our hearts! God uses the Scriptures to prepare the soil, of our hearts, to sow to the Spirit! God uses prayer to prepare our hearts for sowing seed to His Spirit! He also uses worship to convince us God is better than anything our flesh offers & He uses the local church to keep us accountable for spiritual decisions we’ve made. When all is said and done, God gets the glory for the changes, in our life, because it was by His Spirit that they happened! Sins harvest always includes guilt & shame. Sowing to the Spirit produces joy!

God Is Great! God Is Good!

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Asking God To Bless The Food

I still remember our prayer, before meals, growing up— “God is great! God is good! Let us thank Him for our food! Amen!” Nothing wrong with that prayer! It acknowledges God. That He was the One who blessed us with the food we’re about to eat; and therefore worthy of our thanksgiving! If we were to offer anything negative about that prayer, it’s just that it’s repetitious and not very “personal.” And, God is personal! The Psalmist wrote these words:  “One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard:  that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done” Psalm 62:11-12. 

God Reveals Himself In Scripture

God uses the Scriptures to reveal Himself to us; and, Jesus— God’s “Word” incarnate— revealed, to us, what God looked like in the flesh. He loves us! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.  He’s actively involved in our justification, our sanctification; and, ultimately, our glorification! We are “…His workmanship…” Ephesians 2:10. He continues to image us into the likeness of His Son. So, what is the biggest hindrance to His work in us? We are!

When We Get In The Way

We get in the way of our own spiritual growth. But, God is great; and, God is good! He is strong enough to change us when we quit being controlling! The Psalmist said He is “strong”— in fact, He is “omnipotent”; or,  ALL POWERFUL! You can’t manipulate Him! So, why would you try? Why would you want to? He is a benevolent God! All of His intentions, toward us, are kind & good! He is also strong enough to change us when we quit fearing man! One major reason, for our sinful behavior, is our craving for man’s approval! We fear the rejection of some person; but, “The fear of man lays a snare. Whoever trusts in the LORD, however, is safe” Prov 29:25. 

Seeking Man’s Approval

When you live for the approval & acceptance of others you succumb to a form of “idolatry.” You’ve placed created beings on the throne of your life instead of your Creator! God is great; and, God is good! And, He loves us enough to change us when we quit looking for love in all the wrong places! It’s the goodness of God, Scripture says, that leads us to repentance. He calls us to find, in Him, the only thing that truly satisfies us! Whatever the stuff of this world offers you, God offers you more! He isn’t just better than that stuff; He’s the BEST!

Quit Trying To Prove Yourself

That’s the heart of the Gospel message— because God is love, He will change us when we quit trying to prove we can do it ourselves! Salvation is not about what we do for God; rather, it’s about what God has already done for us! Like the Father, in the story of the Prodigal Son, God always welcomes us! He will rescue us from ourselves when we confess we’ve messed it all up! If you’ve had the tendency, as I have, to think God’s going to rub your nose in your sin for a little while before He forgives you, you’re mistaken! That’s not God! The Psalmist said: “…you, O LORD, are LOVING…” He comes running when we confess our sin to Him! He embraces us & changes us when we stop trying to prove, to Him, our worthiness! True life & happiness comes to us only as we obey Him. His commands are not grievous! They are loving boundaries to protect us from the harm that sin does to us & our relationships!

Quit Trying So Hard

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How Are Your New Years Resolutions?

Well, it’s the first week of April. We’re 3 months into the new year. Can I ask you how you’re doing with those “New Year Resolutions”? Have they already hit the skids? Perhaps you’re at a place in your life where you’re beginning to think that it’s impossible for you to ever change! What you’ve confirmed is the weakness of your flesh. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Church of Colosse, points out that human “regulations”— like “New Year Resolutions”— are powerless to change your fallen flesh:  “If you died with the Messiah to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations:  ‘Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch?’ All these regulations… are commands and doctrines of men.  Although these have a reputation of wisdom by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence” Colossians 2:20-23. 

Behavior Modification

That’s a sample of the world’s system for “behavior modification.” In our flesh, we wanna prove we can discipline ourselves toward a “better behavior.” That gives us bragging rights by which to judge all the other wicked sinners! That’s “legalism.” Legalism is our attempt to reach holiness through our self-effort; or, “regulations” as Paul calls them here! Let me be clear— Paul is NOT referring to God’s law! You’re not a legalist for keeping His law! Sexual promiscuity, lying, stealing & murder are ALWAYS sins! It’s all the other stuff we ADD to God’s law that makes us a legalist! 

Legalism Can Sneak Up On You

I used to be a legalist— I wouldn’t play cards; or, go to the movie theatre! I wouldn’t think of going to church unless I was wearing a suit! I would never consider being part of a church where there were drums & guitars; or, anything other than a King James version of the Bible used in the pulpit! You may find that bizarre; but, be careful! Legalism is rather chameleon in nature— your “list” might be different; but, you’re “extra-biblical” rules to perform by & force on others is just as legalistic! If you’re “in Christ” you’ve “…died to the elemental forces of this world,” Paul says, “Why do you live as if you still belonged to the world?” Jesus Christ is the great liberator! He set us FREE from “performance-driven faith”! If you’re “in Christ” remove the masks! Stop pretending you’re a super saint! Quit trying so hard to make yourself acceptable to the Father! He’s already accepted you “in Christ” if you’re trusting in Jesus, rather than your own legalistic efforts!

Declared Righteous

If your faith is in Christ’s atoning work on the cross, you’ve been “declared righteous.”  That is your forever standing before God! There is NOTHING you can do that will ever make you more acceptable to God; and, there is NOTHING you’ve done that makes you less acceptable to Him! Jesus bore ALL YOUR SIN— past, present & future; and, His righteousness was placed in your account when you trusted His work by faith! Then, God’s Holy Spirit moved in; and, told your spirit that He’s ready to go to work in you! But, it will be HIS WORK! He doesn’t need you to get in the way & put on that “HOLIER than thou mask” by keeping a bunch of man-made, human-inspired rules! It’s in your “weakness” that He is strong! God rejects all human effort! Our salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone! Nothing we do is “boast-worthy.” As the Apostle Paul said: “I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ “ Gal 6:14

God’s High Regard For His Name

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A Humanly Impossible Situation

There’s a great Bible read, in 2 Chronicles 14, about a “good” king named Asa. That’s significant because Israel & Judah had a lot of “bad” kings.  Asa, however, “…did what was good and right in the sight of the LORD his God…” v.2 says.  But, as God often does, in the lives of His saints, He uses “trouble” to grow their faith. In v.8, we read that “…Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin…”; and, then “trouble” shows up! It says that “…Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of one million men and 300 chariots…” Do the math! Judah found itself in a mismatch; a humanly impossible situation!

It Is Nothing For You To Help

And, what was King Asa’s response? “Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, ‘LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD,  You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’” v.11.  Why is it our tendency to make prayer our last resort? It is our general predisposition to try & work things out in our wisdom 1st.  We have this penchant for gritting our teeth; and, trying to work things out in our own strength! Only after we’ve exhausted all human resources do we finally pray about it! 

A Prayer That Get’s God’s Attention

Why?  Are we afraid we’re bothering God? Maybe we’re waking Him up? Scripture says, “…He never sleeps, He never slumbers…” (Psalms 121:4-5) I want to challenge you to go back to v.11 and reread Asa’s prayer.  Asa provides us with a model prayer for getting God’s attention! While his prayer was about his “circumstances,” it wasn’t really about his “circumstances”! It was a prayer about GOD! It was a prayer expressing concern for God’s Glory! “This battle isn’t about me God,” to paraphrase Asa’s prayer,  “It’s about YOU! There’s no one besides You!  You help those without strength!  We depend on You!  Your NAME is at stake here! Don’t let a mere mortal hinder You!”

His Glory Is Magnified In Our Weakness

God DOES NOT help those who help themselves! You’re deceived if you think that statement has any basis in Scripture.  It’s s human LIE! A fabrication! God helps those who are weak & depend upon Him! Asa understood that God’s ultimate purpose in everything He does is to magnify His glory! And His glory is magnified when weak, needy people admit that they are weak & needy; and go to Him for help! He is glorified when we confess our weakness, and we turn to Him where He can show Himself strong on our behalf!

God’s Glory: Our Greatest Concern

So, how do you define God’s “Glory”? It’s kind of like His “BEAUTY.” God’s glory is in the “BEAUTY” of His perfection; in His character; and His moral excellence! “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” James 1:13. God’s highest purpose is to preserve & display His infinite, awesome greatness & worth. That’s His GLORY! There is NOTHING of higher value! If God should have a greater affection for anything He created, He would be unjust— He’d be an idolater!  So, here’s the principle— King Asa prayed right because his greatest concern was for God’s GLORY; not, for victory in this battle!  Our prayers should always be a request for God to bring GLORY to Himself through His answer! His GLORY, through the answer, is more important than our need! May we humbly accept this truth!

God’s Plan For World Evangelism

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Awaken From Our Slumber

There’s something about living in America that insulates us from the rest of the world; some would argue the “real” world!  When we see pictures of some of the horrors that choke the rest of the world, they seem so far away that they’re almost surreal! Well, Church, we need to awaken from our slumber; and, we need to see the world through the lens of Scripture. We need to face some realities— at best, 1/3rd of the world knows Christ if you count everyone who claims to be a Christian! Even if we give them the benefit of the doubt, that still means that 4.5 billion people are, by their admission, non-followers of Christ.

Separated From God

They remain eternally separated from the God of creation at this moment! What is God’s will for these? “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9.  It’s not God’s will that any of these would perish? So, why are many of them dying without ever hearing the Gospel? In part, it’s because we— Christ’s Church— have failed them! And, we are without excuse! It is God who empowers us to be His witnesses to the whole world! We can’t ratchet up enough strength to follow through on the Great Commission in our flesh.

Holy Spirit Power To Witness

But, Jesus did tell His disciples that, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you…” Acts 1:8. His Spirit has come; and, He indwells each one of us who have trusted Jesus’ atonement on the cross to save us! God commands us to embrace the lostness of the whole world— ”…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” We need to face the humbling truth that Jesus didn’t just die for US! We may not say it; but, we live like we think God is an American! But, John 3:16 doesn’t say that “God loves ME so much He sent Jesus to die for ME.” The message of Biblical Christianity is that God does love me enough to save me, and then He commissions me to make Jesus known among ALL the nations! It’s about the LOSTNESS of the whole world before God; and how He reconciles all who believe, by the work of Christ! The total depravity of the world requires our faithful witness to the Gospel’s work on behalf of sinners! He has no other plan! For the world to hear the gospel, we (the Church) must accept our calling!

The Gospel Is To Be Shared With All Ethnic Groups

He says, “…YOU will be MY witnesses…” We are witnesses of the Gospel work He has done in us! In Christ’s commission— “Go and make disciples of all NATIONS…”—the word, “nations”, is “ethnos” in the original Greek. It’s the word we get “ethnic” from in English. So, it’s “ethnic” groups or “people groups.” And, in Matthew 24:14, Jesus says, “…this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the NATIONS, and then the end will come.” Same word! So, it seems that God intends for all people groups to hear the Gospel before the end comes! In fact, in the eternal state, there will be “… a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” Rev 7:9.  As we’re faithful to our calling, we’ll be used by God to make that happen!