PRAY FOR THE PRESIDENT AND EVERYONE ELSE?

It has been a while since I last posted something, but this I thought was worth posting. May this be a used as a proding to:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,  who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
(1 Timothy 2:1-6)

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Blog Update

Islam's So-called Friends

I often find it amusing, enlightening and equally frustrating to read some of the Arabic/Islamic press. They have a knack for turning truth on its head. And when that happens, one gets a unique perspective. The brouhaha over some Islamists' take on Obama being Muslim or not Muslim is absolutely fascinating.

One writer who lives in the United States writes in an Islamic website explained to Arabs, in Arabic, her perspective on the questions over whether Obama is a Muslim or not.

She emphatically declared that he is not a Muslim in the truer sense of the word. Then she proceeded to explain to her Arabic readers about the Unitarian Church and many "other Christian denominations," referring mainly to mainline denominations, and why Muslims should be supportive of them.

She said they are not like those "traditional Christians" who believe in the divinity of Christ. They, like us "Muslims," believe that Jesus was just a good prophet: 'To be sure, they do not believe in Mohammad as the true prophet of Allah, but we can get along with them."

This concept reminds me of an Arabic saying, "Me and my brother against our cousins; but my brother and I and my cousins against our enemies."

Isn't it a true shame that Islamists feel affinity with the Unitarians and the liberal mainline denominations simply because they share one thing in common with Islam? Namely, they all reject Biblical truth.

When Jesus claimed that He is the only way, the only truth, and the only giver of eternal life (John 14:6), He drew a line in the sand. You either believe Me and my claims or reject Me. And wanting it or not, by rejecting Me, you would be joining forces with all My enemies.

One good thing about this entire buzz about religion, it is giving the true disciples of Jesus Christ an opportunity to take a stand. Lovingly, thoughtfully and wisely ... but the church is taking a stand none the less. The days of placing one foot in the boat and one foot on the pier are gone. The boat has left the pier! You are either for the full claims of Christ, or you are not. There is no smorgasbord in true Christianity.

Obama may not be a Muslim. But until he comes out and says, "Jesus is the only way to the Father and heaven," he is not a true Christian either.

So what is the response of all those who belong to Jesus Christ and live in obedience to His claim? Pray. Pray for our president daily. He is our president and the Bible commands us to pray for those in authority and leave the rest up to God.

Remember the prayers of a righteous man avails much. God is listening and He wants to hear our prayers. Remember Paul is just the means of the message. It is God who is urging us to offer  supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone, including kings, or for us, presidents and others in authority.

This is an awesome responsibility. Are you carrying it. I confess I have failed miserably.
Lord, grant me and all of us grace to obediently step up to our responsibility.

Book Review - INTERIOR CASTLE by Teresa of Avila

Interior Castle, which can be purchased from Christian Audio, http://christianaudio.com/, centers on prayer and the reflections of the soul. The author pictures the soul of a person as a castle with many rooms, which she calls mansions. The book conveys the journey of a person into the various mansions, seven in all. It could be seen as a journey of sanctification. There is a progressiveness of maturity pictured in each of the mansions, of which the last, the seventh, is seen as the central dwelling place of Jesus in the soul.

This book is read most excellently by Susan Deneker. I believe she captured the intent of the author through her skilled reading.

As a Protestant evangelical Christian, I had some theological differences (some of which were serious) with this book, which was written from a Roman Catholic perspective. However, having said that, I would not reject it and would even encourage people to read it. A Scripture came to mind as I was meditating on the things:

Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.

                                                                        1Thessalonians 5:20-21

While I had my differences, I found that the good was worth holding on to and very uplifting to my faith.                      

What was good that I could hold on to? This author had a very biblical view of man as concerns his state of sin and separation from God. It was this view that caused the author to offer a very biblical view of true humility. Both of these themes are heard throughout the book.

It was these two themes that naturally brought the reader to another theme, we are nothing and God is everything. This resulted in much praise and glory to be given to God. I was much moved by a name that she used often for God – “His Majesty”.

Much more could be said but my favorite moment in listening to this was her encouragement to contemplate, meditate on Jesus and his work on the cross.

I have reviewed this audio book for the christianaudio Reviewers Program, of which I am privileged to be a member.

WHAT DOES PRAYER, THE WORD OF THE LORD, SPEED, AND HONOR ALL HAVE IN COMMON?

2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,...

We would do well to have this kind of prayer for ourselves as well as for others. It would be especially beneficial for those who, like Paul, go to places that we will never go. Pray for the evangelists, apostles, teachers, prophets. Lets also pray for one another that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored. After all I may never go where you go and you may never go where I go. You have your job, neighbors, family,

and friends that I may never see and I have mine. 

The idea that the word of the Lord may speed ahead calls to mind that the time is short. In another place Paul said, Today is the day of salvation. In chapter one Paul had just warned about the judgment to come. In the second chapter he speaks of the man of lawlessness and the deception to come, which will have eternal consequences. TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION! TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE!

He also asks them to pray that the word of the Lord may be honored. Other ways this might be said would be: pray that the word of the Lord may be held in high esteem, pray that the word of the Lord may be reverenced, pray that the word of the Lord may be trusted and obeyed.

Paul says, to the Thessalonians, this is what happened among you. As if he is saying, don't you want to see this same thing happen everywhere? Then start praying!

Won't you start praying?

LOVE MY ENEMIES?

Psalm 35:13 But I, when they were sick -- I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. 14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning.

The heart felt emotions above are actually quite unusual, and even unnatural to our inclinations, considering their context. Consider that the psalmist uttered these words on behalf of "those who fight against me", "my pursuers", those "who seek after my life", those who "hid their net for me", those who "dug a pit for my life", those "malicious witnesses" who "rise up", those who "repay me evil for good", those who "rejoiced and gathered" "at my stumbling", those who "gathered together against me", those "wretches" who "tore at me without ceasing, those who "gnash at me with their teeth", those who "hate me without a cause" those who "devise words of deceit".

In light of such affliction and hatred, from obvious enemies, would you respond the way the psalmist did? Would you be praying for them, afflicting your own self with fasting, grieving as if for a friend or brother, lamenting and mourning as if for your mother.

Seems quite unnatural indeed!

His cries and prayers were not all for their well being. He did ask God for judgment upon them. He asked God to contend for him. He even had plans on glorifying God once his enemies were judged. "Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his salvation". But even despite these prayers he still cared for his enemies when they were sick.

We are living in times much like the psalmist. It is becoming increasingly obvious the hatred and affliction that Christians are receiving in our own country. Legislation promoted in this country continues to cut at biblical principles. Would you pray for the designers of such legislation, if they fell sick, as if they were your friend, brother, or even your mother?

Praying for God's Justice concerning our enemies is easy, but it seems to go against the grain of our human nature to pray for their well being.

Let us pray for God's Justice, but let us also heed the words of our Lord Jesus who said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Why? "So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."

MOVED ANY MOUNTAINS LATELY?

Matthew 17:14 and when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him." 17 And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20 He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

How big is your faith? Is it like the grain of a mustard seed? If so, why are you not moving mountains? If not, why not?

These are questions we must ask ourselves. If any of you are like me, sadly you have not seen many mountains moved. We must go before God and ask Him to help us.

Another thought came to me while reading this - if I am not moving mountains then I must have a faith that is smaller than a mustard seed! How sad if that is true. Especially considering that Jesus called the mustard seed,

"the smallest of all the seeds on earth"

On another occasion the disciples were overwhelmed by their lack of faith,

"The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!. "And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

Lord, it would appear that at times we have faith that is less than a grain of mustard seed. Increase our faith! Lord, we believe but, help us in our unbelief! Help us to focus on you the One whose faith never faltered. The One whose faith sustains us even now. All Praise goes to you Lord Jesus, to the glory of the Father!

PRAY FOR EACH OTHER!

Psalm 35:12 They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft. 13 But I, when they were sick-- I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. 14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning.

In care group last night we were discussing what many have dubbed the Love Chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. It was pointed out that the admonitions to love are in the context of the church, our brothers and sisters. But as I read this passage I was convicted. There are times in which my love, specifically in prayer, for my brothers and sisters is far less than it should be.

This passage shows the depths of love the psalmist had for his enemies. How convicting it is to read that, in the midst of being repaid evil for good, the psalmist repays the evil with good, even praying for them as he would for a brother, sister, or his mother. Jesus himself said,

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."

The psalmist grieving for his enemies, and laboring in anguished prayer for them, in itself is convicting. Then add to that the weight of Jesus' very words coming from his own lips. So I ask myself, if this is the way we should pray for our enemies, how much more should I labor in prayer for my brothers and sisters who are in Christ?!?!

"THEY PUT THEM AT HIS FEET"

Matthew 15: 29 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

In light of this passage, I have been thinking (and praying for) the various people in my church family who had/have serious illnesses.

The Holy Spirit has impressed upon me this thought: The bringing of the sick and diseased to Jesus was an act of worship. These phrases caused me to see it this way:

1. "great crowds came to him, bringing with them"

• Do we not bring to the Lord, not just our sick, but, all things that we can do nothing about. Worship recognizes the One with whom nothing is impossible. Worship confesses our helplessness and His great power to, save, heal, change the course of events, etc.
  

1. "and they put them at his feet"

• Is this not a recognizable act of worship. We lay things at Jesus' feet all the time. I have prayed and heard others pray, "Lord we lay this - whatever - at your feet."
  

1. "the crowd wondered, when they saw"

• Is not worship a time of wonder and awe at the mighty majesty of the Lord. We see him high and lifted up in all his mighty deeds.
  

1. "And they glorified the God of Israel"

• And now they respond in the only way that would be appropriate, they glorified God.

Is there anything too hard for the Lord to do? Don't hesitate, bring those hard things and place them at his feet. Then be prepared to wonder and and glorify the Lord of Israel!