Prayer for the People of God

God has invited us into a relationship with Himself, a unique relationship unlike anything else a human will ever experience.  Relationships require communication. Prayer is communication between a Holy God and a beloved you and me. Throughout God's Word we're taught the significance and role of prayer.  Here are some of the key elements of our prayer communication with the Most High God.  Each of these points offer us an opportunity to access our communication and depth of our trust, faith and confidence in Him.  As you read each, consider where you are in your relationship with God.

WHY PRAY?  GOD COMMANDS US TO PRAY.

“In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me in earnest, you will find Me when you seek Me”  (Jeremiah 29:12,13).  God wants to be in relationship with us. And He knows we need what He can give. Through prayer, we experience life-transforming, life-renewing intimacy with the Creator of the universe.

GOD REVEALS HIMSELF TO US THROUGH PRAYER.

“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing” (Psalm 143:10).  We learn more and more about His character His attributes, His nature and how His perfect will is working itself out in our own life, based of course on how we respond to Him. . Deepening our understanding of God also deepens our faith and desire to worship Him and serve others.

GOD INVITES US TO BRING OUR BURDENS AND NEEDS TO HIM IN PRAYER.

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  We have a Heavenly Father who is more than able to bring victory to any challenge we face. Sometimes our challenges are simply overcome and conquered by perseverance and trust in God, knowing that all things pass in time.  God is a spiritual and physical healer. Like any healthy relationship, we must keep a line of communication open.

GOD RESPONDS TO THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE.

“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results” (James 5:16). It is through prayer, that His work is accomplished on earth. Prayer is the power that moves the hand of God. The apostle Paul continually asked for prayer in his missionary endeavors and saw prayer as vital to his success.  Are you praying for the ministries of your church, for the community, for national leaders and for the glorification of God in every circumstance of life? That’s what all Christians should be doing in communication with God.  Its not always about you… its about Him and His power to work in the world.

GOD IMPARTS WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING THROUGH PRAYER.

“If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask Him, and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking” (James 1:5, NLT).  As we become increasingly aware of our limitations, we can rest in the knowledge that our God is omniscient. Availing ourselves of God’s counsel is a blessing of prayer.  Be in His Word daily, meditate and contemplate changes in your life and the way you think about things using His Word as the benchmark for everything you think you do.

GOD EXERCISES HIS AUTHORITY AND ABILITY TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE THROUGH THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE.  “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22).  Our hearts pound with great confidence as we take mighty tasks to our exceedingly mighty Lord.  Why would any believer not trust God to do what he says He will do for His beloved family?

GOD EXTENDS HIS POWER TO US THROUGH PRAYER SO THAT WE MAY RESIST TEMPTATION.  “Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!” (Matthew 26:41, NLT) With prayer, you always have a proven shield of protection available. Just say the word… God is never far off from anyone who seeks Him.

Contemplate your prayer communication with God.  For the Christian, praying is like breathing… so breath deeply!

Meaning and Purpose in Life

The meaning and purpose of life isn’t all that easy to figure out. To answer the question involves answering other questions... What does it mean to have meaning and purpose? How do you determine what that is? Do you determine your own meaning? Can you combine what you think is your own purpose with the purpose that someone else might have for you? There are lots of questions and no easy answers. Well, actually, there is an easy answer.

The Bible reveals our purpose, the reason we are here… it is for God's glory. In other words, our purpose is to praise God, to worship Him, to proclaim His greatness, and to accomplish His will. This is what glorifies Him. Therefore, in this we find that God has given us a reason for our existence, a meaning for our existence. 

We were created by Him, according to His desire, and our lives are to be lived for Him so that we might accomplish what He has for us to do. When we trust the one who has made us, who works all things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11), then we are able to live a life of purpose. How the particulars of that purpose are expressed is up to the individual.

Is there purpose in trials? What if our lives are difficult and things seem to go more wrong than right? Are our failures and hardships for the glory of God, too? Yes, they are. We often thank God and praise His name when things go well, but we frequently turn our backs on Him and complain when things are difficult. 

Sometimes our appreciation and trust in God becomes conditioned on how well things are going for us. Ultimately, this is self-centered immaturity. Even though things can go wrong in our lives, the ultimate reason we are here is to glorify God, even through our difficulties. We do this by praising Him and trusting Him through difficult times.

Within this attempt to glorify God in all things… we can then determine the particular meaning of our life that God has for us specifically. In Christianity, we are free to pursue God in all areas of our lives. For example, we are free to glorify God by being a doctor, a lawyer, a mechanic, a housewife, a father, a mother, a minister, an accountant, whatever you want to do. 

If the ultimate goal in life is to bring glory to God, then we can do that by being the best at what we do in the various callings of life. So, as the Bible says, “… whatever you do, do all to the glory of God," 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Misunderstood Beliefs that dominate Christianity - Part 2

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Was the Bible written for everyone to interpret it as he or she pleases? What about gay marriage and homosexuality? The prosperity gospel? What about the Holy Spirit… a person of the Trinity or some kind of powerful force?  With extramarital and premarital sex so prevalent, how can any of those choices be a sin?  Abortion, is it wrong, is it a sin?  If these are personal choices, and hurt no one, what’s so wrong with any of them?

These are questions being asked by Christians today.  These issues are infecting the faith, practice and doctrine of the Church to such an extent that they are in fact changing the landscape of the Church itself.  What’s the answer to these generally accepted views held by many Christians?

Let’s start with the nature of God, and define who God really is.  For many Christians and taught by several denominations, The Holy Spirit is a force, not a being.  This is absolutely not Biblical but has been distorted in such subtle ways that many Christians are believing a falsehood. 56 percent of Americans said that the Holy Spirit is not a person but a force that goes around doing the things God commands it to do. More than a quarter (28 percent) described the Spirit as a divine being but not equal to God the Father and Jesus.

Half (51 percent) disagreed, standing by the orthodox position that the Holy Spirit is one of the three equal persons of God. He may come from the Father and the Son, but that does not make Him any less God.  Barely half of so-called Christians have a right understanding of the Trinity… the Godhead.  

Maybe that’s why Christians and Preachers alike are interpreting the Bible as each person or group chooses.  A majority of American evangelicals (51 percent) believe the Bible was written for each person to interpret as he or she chooses. This nonsense does not fit with what the Bible actually teaches.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work," (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If the Bible were written to be interpreted as each person wants, it could not teach, rebuke, correct, or train in righteousness.

Interestingly, while many Americans believed the Bible is meant to be interpreted personally, 64 percent said the accounts of Jesus' bodily resurrection are completely accurate. Only 23 percent disagreed. Not surprisingly, 98 percent of evangelicals agreed in the historicity of Jesus' resurrection, while even a majority of non-evangelical Americans (56 percent) also agreed.

Nevertheless, only 47 percent of Americans said the Bible is 100 percent accurate in all it teaches, while 43 percent disagreed. This might be due to the various scientific approaches to the creation account in Genesis chapter 1.  44 percent said the Bible contains helpful myths but isn't literally true.

How about views on extramarital sex… is it a sin or not?  Only about half of Americans (49 percent) said that sex outside of traditional marriage is a sin, while 44 percent said it isn't a sin at all. Women (53 percent) are more likely than men (45 percent) to call extramarital sex sinful. 

Jesus Himself explained that sex is reserved for marriage, and He even went so far as to say that lusting after someone is a form of fornication. Perhaps due to these clear doctrines, a full 91 percent of evangelicals agreed that sex outside of marriage is a sin, compared to only 40 percent of non-evangelicals. Still, it might be concerning that 9 percent did not believe so.

How about Abortion, is it a sin? 49 percent of Americans believe that abortion is a sin, and 40 percent say it is not.  87 percent of evangelicals agreed that abortion is a sin, while only 41 percent of non-evangelicals said so.

Abortion is less clear directly from the Bible, but the text describes fetuses in the womb as though they were human. Genesis 25:22 describes Jacob and Esau "struggling together" inside Rebekah's womb. Luke 1:44 describes John the Baptist inside his mother Elizabeth's womb leaping for joy when Jesus, who was inside Mary's womb at the time, was near. Exodus 21:22-25 is arguably the world's first fetal homicide law, and Psalm 139 describes God's personal knowledge of the author in his mother's womb.

Early Christians opposed the practice, which was in vogue across the Roman Empire, and most Christians today oppose it. Modern DNA science testifies that at conception, a new being is created with the entire genetic code of a human being. If a fetus is a human being, then the practice of abortion can be considered homicide, and the Ten Commandments clearly condemn intentional murder.

Gender identity is a contentious issue today and many believe it is a matter of personal choice.  What is the view of American Christians?  To start, 38 percent of Americans believe that gender identity is a matter of choice, while a majority 51 percent disagree.

Scripture does not speak specifically to the sense that a person was born in the wrong body (gender dysphoria), but it does emphasize two basic ideas on sexuality: humans were made male and female, and sexuality is a good gift of God. While people who struggle with gender dysphoria should be treated with love and respect, Christians cannot believe that their birth sex is a mistake.

The idea of original sin… that people are born into a fallen world with sinful desires, diseases, and other weaknesses, explains where gender dysphoria comes from, and the idea of God's ultimate redemption of humanity promises an answer that does not require "gender-affirming" surgery. Christians should sympathize with those struggling with dysphoria, and offer them the ultimate hope in Jesus Christ that motivates a saving faith.

Gay marriage, Homosexual behavior is no longer a sin.  Is that what the Bible teaches?  Conservative Christianity holds that homosexual practices are a sin, because sex is reserved for marriage between one man and one woman. Romans 1 makes clear that homosexual acts are sinful — a penalty for separation from God and a sin with its own consequences. 

That emphatically does not mean that people with same-sex attraction cannot be saved or are more sinful than others. Christians all acknowledge their sinfulness and accept forgiveness only through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. No Christian should pretend to be "holier-than-thou," but no Christian can support homosexual behavior either. It is a hard thing for Christians with same-sex attraction to be abstinent, but they are held to the same standard as unmarried straight people.

The prosperity gospel.  Its like the lottery in church!  Many Christians believe that God will reward true faith with material blessings. However, the majority of believers across all denominations disagreed with this idea, of a  "prosperity gospel.” Perhaps ironically, poorer Americans, those with low incomes, were more likely to agree with the prosperity gospel than wealthier Americans.

The prosperity gospel flies in the face of Christianity and the plain teachings of the Bible. While the New Testament promises heaven for those who believe in Jesus, it does not promise riches in this life. Rather, Paul, the author of most of the letters in the New Testament, himself faced extreme poverty, prison, and even death for the gospel he preached. The apostles all faced gruesome deaths, with the one exception being John. 

This does not mean that every believer is called to give his or her life to preach the gospel, but it should emphatically disprove the message of preachers like Joel Osteen, who proclaim that faith can bring riches.  Mostly he’s right… if you “give” to his church, then "he" will be richer than he already is.

What do you believe?  What lies have you learned and adopted as things from the Bible that are clearly in stark opposition to the truths that God wants all of us to know and live by.  Read your Bible.  Ask questions and demand explanations for things you find that are inconsistent with the teachings of your church.  Seek God and His Truths while there is still time.  He is coming back… you believe that don’t you?

Misunderstood Beliefs that dominate Christianity - Part 1

Christians by any label, Evangelical being the dominant adjective, are supposed to be united in their belief that only those who believe the gospel — that Jesus Christ died on the cross for humanity's sins and rose from the dead three days later, offering a plan for personal salvation that must be accepted and lived — will be saved. Shocking as it sounds… not all who identify as born again Christians believe what the Bible clearly teaches.

Most Americans will readily identify as Christians, but they don't know much about theology.  Further, they seem confused about the details of their faith and most cannot begin to explain what they believe to another person.

It would seem that contradictory and incompatible beliefs are acceptable for most people who consider themselves a Christian.  Even those who identify as born-again often have some of the most distorted beliefs twisted into some of the worst theological errors.

Call these errors…lies and mistakes.  What Christians are espousing as the basis for faith have distorted the nature and character of God, personal morality, and the concept of and compliance with God’s offer of salvation.  There errors are many, but some are so egregious as to warrant exposure.    Let me start with the most important belief… how a person acquires personal salvation.

Most American Christians, some 77 percent, believe that people must contribute to their own effort for personal salvation. About half - 52 percent, believe that good deeds help them earn a spot in heaven.

At the same time, 60 percent said Jesus Christ's death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of their sin, with acceptance of God’s plan of salvation (Acts 2:38). This belief is much closer to Biblical truth… "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast,".  (Ephesians 2:8-9).

If you want to confuse and confound a Christian, ask what they think of the passage at James 2 where we are told that "faith without deeds is dead.”   You will most certainly hear that one must do good deeds to earn salvation. Except the Bible says clearly salvation cannot be earned by any amount of works or deeds.  Romans 10:9 says… "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." It is faith and commitment, not works, that makes salvation possible.  Works are indeed a part of a truth believing Christian, and said deeds are what fuels the continuation of The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) but it is not to gain salvation but an expression of one’s love and devotion to what God asks every Christian to do… tell someone about him… baptize them… and spend your time teaching and edifying anyone and everyone.  True salvation is not an exchange program… works for a reward… its all about passion and love for Christ and all peoples.  Few get that message and understanding.

All dogs go to heaven along with their masters, right?  Wrong. Most Christians believe that a place described as heaven is where all people [not dogs] will ultimately be reunited with their loved ones.  Maybe about half of American Christians could be considered aligned with the Biblical view that only those who trust in Jesus Christ, have embraced His free offer of salvation, living faithfully and obediently, will merit eternal salvation.

Americans have a real problem accepting the notion that they might be rejected by God, therefore unable to grasp the contradiction… either everyone goes to heaven or only those who believe in Jesus Christ will receive eternal life.

Maybe there is hope that some will comprehend salvation and eternal life, since the majority, about 84 percent, do believe in hell.   The vast majority of so-called evangelicals hold to the Biblical view that hell is a place of eternal judgment, where God sends all people who do not personally trust in Jesus Christ. That said, there is still about 16 percent of Christians who either disagree with the concept of hell or were unsure. Wait and see I guess.

If you want to irritate a Christian, bring up the concept of sin. Sin seems to be a foreign concept to most Americans. Most confused Christians believe that most people are good by nature, even though everyone sins a little, or sometimes a lot. The majority of Christians disagreed that the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation.  So, who’s right… man’s viewpoint or God?

Romans 3:22-23 explicitly declares that "there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Christianity holds that only the perfect may enter heaven, and that even the slightest sin separates a person from God. Only the death and resurrection of Jesus can restore the relationship between a believer and God.  That’s true, without “being in Christ” a person might be in serious jeopardy of having the future you expect.

Hell is so unfair as an eternal punishment for temporary sins. Christianity teaches that hell is the state of separation from God. Seen in terms of a relationship with a perfect God, even a little and let’s be honest here, willful sin, after all sin is as much a choice as what you plan for dinner.  All sin without Christ as one’s mediator, prevents a relationship with God.  The Bible can’t be any more clear on this subject.  God is offended by sin in all forms big and small.  

While most Americans don’t think sin deserves eternal damnation, they freely express the idea that it would be fair for God to show His wrath against sin.  Can’t have it both ways folks.   Perhaps preachers should spend more time trying to open their congregation's eyes to the consequences of sin by emphasizing the fairness of God's wrath, rather than the eternal damnation meted out for every sin.  It’s all about attitude, your attitude towards God, Christ and all their promises.  

One of the greatest distortions among Christians, is that all religions lead to God, are acceptable to Him.  A majority of American Christians believe God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. 

Almost half of surveyed born-again Christians think that God accepts all kinds of worship. The difficulty with this view is that these religions totally disagree on the nature of God.  Christianity and some forms of Judaism sees God as one being with multiple persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Islam, by contrast, says that Allah is a monad — He is not multiple persons and He does not have a son.

Throughout the Old Testament, God showed Himself as a jealous God, ordering the destruction of idols and praising the kings who defiled pagan temples and false gods. No question that Jesus changes things while he lived among humanity.  Judaism certainly changed.  Israel, one people, were no longer the exclusive focus of God, all peoples were able to accept Christ.  He also emphasized that worship must be rooted in a right relationship with God.  He said it mattered less where people worship than that they worship God "in spirit and in truth."

Maybe the biggest of all theological distortions among so-call Christians is the idea that Jesus was created by God.  Created maybe first, but a secondary being nonetheless.

While a vast majority of Americans agreed with the idea of the Trinity — that there is one true God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — more than half said that Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.

A majority of Americans agreed with the orthodox view of the dual nature of Christ: that He was both divine and human during his time on earth. This is an important doctrine, because Jesus is the bridge to reunite God with mankind. If He is not fully human, He could not die for the sins of man. If He is not fully divine, he could not unite them with God Himself.  

These distortions of faith and doctrine are laughable and tragic at the same time.  Why?  Laughable because they are just not based on even logical thinking.  Tragic because lives depend on getting one’s belief in God right.  Understanding the doctrines and foundations of faith correctly is essential to a relationship with God that can grow and flourish. Truth is the only avenue to the empowerment and indwelling Holy Spirit, who can guide and assist a believer in walking upright with God.  

Next time… more untruths and distortions that many well meaning Christians are believing.