What’s the Catch?

The favored ones are...
Matthew 5:3

When you listen to someone preach or when you sit down to read the Bible, what are you expecting? I remember being taught as a child that the Bible was God’s ‘instruction book.’ So when I would read or listen, I would look for commands to obey - what should I do? How should I live? What are the habits I should develop so that life can be better?

Is that how you’re thinking about Jesus’ teaching now? It would be completely normal to expect a to-do list, complete with rewards and penalties. After all, we can clearly observe cause and effect in the universe. And most of us have a developed sense of justice - if I do right, good things should happen to me.

It would have been normal for Jesus’ disciples to expect this as well. Remember, when Jesus went up the mountain, he was sending the message that God was about to relate to people again, just like he did with Moses. And when Moses ascended the mountain to deliver God’s covenant, God began almost immediately with commands about how his people were to live.

Consider the way that Moses introduced God’s covenant: “And now, Israel, listen to the decrees and laws which I am teaching you, so that you’ll live and go in and take possession of the land...”(Deuteronomy 4:1). Listen and obey and you’ll be rewarded.

So the disciples probably expected an obedience/reward system, and to some degree we probably expect it. And we probably want it. We want to be told, at the end of the day, ‘Good job.’ We want to have the pride of getting something we earned. We want to be able to view ourselves, and have others view us, as doing what’s right. And we want to have control over making sure we can immediately get what we think will make us happy.

But we, and the disciples, would’ve been completely ignoring what Jesus had been doing before this sermon. Remember: God’s Kingdom was on the verge of arriving. And how did one enter it? By ‘repenting.’ And repenting includes the admission that I have broken God’s laws and deserve punishment, not reward. And to push it a little further, it includes the admission that, at the heart level, my desires are rebellious, and my inner-most soul needs to be transformed by God.

There’s one other reason that our expectations of an obedience/reward system would indicate we’ve not been paying attention to Jesus. Remember, Jesus started his ministry by giving out some of the gifts of the Kingdom of God - curing sickness and pain. He didn’t demand that people go live a completely good life out of pure devotion to God, and that then He’d pay them back by healing them. He just healed them, while commanding them to turn the course of their lives Godward.

Still, if we’re honest, we’re asking, “What’s the catch?” We still want to earn rewards. We’re still, like Jesus’ disciples, probably expecting to hear what we’ve got to do.

So when Jesus starts his sermon by saying, “The favored ones are...,” or “Blessed are...,” our world and our expectations get turned on their heads.

Jesus wasn’t giving a list of do’s and don’ts with rewards and penalties, which is what we’d expect. He was simply saying that, since God’s Kingdom via Christ was bursting on the scene, he was about to give gifts to certain people. He’s not saying ‘this is how to get rewarded’; rather, He’s declaring that particular people, particular sinners, are already favored by God.

Now, honestly, there is a catch. God doesn’t give favor to everyone; these gifts aren’t for every individual in the world. God is about to give descriptions of those who he has already chosen to favor.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, either. After all, God ended the first covenant by declaring Israel - and only Israel - as favored by God. “You are favored, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD!”(Deuteronomy 33:29). They were favored by God not because they’d done anything good, but simply because God chose to love those who didn’t care about him.

God had favored Israel - they got God’s word, and for a time, would get a homeland. But God’s first declaration of favor did not give them God’s Kingdom. It gave them a temporary picture of it.

Jesus’ declarations here are about something far greater: eternal, happy, relationship with God in his presence. And who are these ‘favored ones’? Jesus is about to describe what their lives will look like; but he’s already told us who they are: those who repent. Perhaps at this point, it would be helpful to define repentance. We’ll look at it from multiple angles to get a good picture of the whole.

Those who repent...
- admit that God exists, and that He determines, and has verbally defined in the Bible, what things are right and wrong. We don’t get to decide what right and wrong is.
- admit that we have broken God’s laws, and experience a sorrow that points us to cry out for the mercy that's only found in Christ.
- admit that our breaking of God’s laws deserves punishment, and that the only way out is God, graciously, not exercising justice against us, but against someone else - namely, Jesus, through the punishment he received.
- admit that not only does our record of sin need to be done away with, but that our hearts are wicked - and that we want God to change our very desires, regardless of how that will change our lives.
- commit themselves to learning what God has commanded us to think, feel, and do - and begin to, though imperfectly, pursue learning and keeping those commands... why because a part of the gift of salvation given to us is a new heart that has this overwhelming desire to love Him.

Now I don't want you to go off thinking that everyone must do exactly what this list says in order to experience true biblical repentance. These are principles based off of Scripture pertaining to those who experience godly sorrow that produces a repentance that leads to salvation... a salvation that's without regret of all that was lost upon receiving it.

Everyone who repents is favored by God, and is receiving His Kingdom - yes they're rewarded for good things done (Rev 19:7-9) - but all as a part of the Gift. He not only grants us the penalty paid for our sins but also grants us righteous deeds that are done through the Holy Spirit in us of which is summed up in the perfect work of Christ. The beauty of this is that we are treated as if we actually did the righteous deeds ourselves (even though we wouldn't and couldn't), and this is all simply based on God’s loving favor and His desire for relationship with us. He loves us, and He favors every sinner who repents. He has already given a particular people favor - it is not something we can earn.

Things you may want to pray about:
- Praise God for loving sinners!
- Praise God for the fact that he gives eternal life.
- If you are ‘repentant,’ praise God for giving repentance to you.
- Praise God for forgiving your sins and putting the judgment you deserve on Christ.

Think about people you know who are not repenting and places in the world where people are not repenting. Those people are not under God’s favor. Ask God to give them the gift of His Kingdom.
Consider things that you need to admit to God in which you’ve not obeyed Him. Ask Him for forgiveness and for help to obey Him. Thank Him that forgiveness and eternal life are gifts.
Consider the ways that you try to earn God’s favor. Or if you don’t try to get happiness in life by religious means, consider the ways that you try to get happiness and hope apart from God (i.e. entertainment, food, sex, friendship). Confess these strivings to earn rewards or joy as sins against God. Thank him for forgiveness. Ask Him to help you enjoy the fact that His Kingdom is truly, completely, an unearned gift that we don’t pay for, because He already did.

Onesimus & James Miles III

A Godly Woman in Her Leisure Time

A Godly Woman in Her Leisure Time… this is a loaded title. In order to speak on this topic, one would have to assume that the speaker is a “Godly Woman”. In so many ways I feel inadequate to take on this responsibility. There are multiple times throughout the course of a day when I know I am not representing “Godliness”. I am not always the meek and quiet wife I should be. My frustration gets the better of me in my dealings with my children. Even though our home is a constant place of gatherings and fellowship I am not always the most generous and hospitable hostess. There are moments when I have failed miserably at being the “Christ like” image and witness that this world needs to see when I am in public. And although I have the reputation of possessing a laid back personality, I have acquired the skill of slicing an individual with subtlety. The mere reality of knowing just how “ungodly” I am can be overwhelming and I wonder if I will ever grow from what and where I am to true “Godliness”. In times such as these, I often find myself reflecting on the happenings, details and focus of the day (if not week). As a result, I usually find that my behavior is due to a lack of time with the Father in prayer and His Word. Prayer is the lifeline that has been given as a form of communication between us and the Holy, Righteous Creator of this universe. His Word is the blueprint by which we are shown how to survive in this world even though we are not of it. So, if I have deprived myself of these two necessities, then how in the world do I expect to represent, walk and live in “Godliness”?
The demands and responsibilities that we wives hold seem to be endless. I personally have the privilege of being a wife, mother of 4, homemaker, house keeper, school teacher, nurse, cook, waitress, janitor, peace maker, chauffer, and laundry attendant in our home, among others. There are times when I just want to allow my brain to breathe, take a short sabbatical and enjoy “leisure time”.
According to the Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of “leisure” is “Freedom provided by the cessation of activities, especially time free from work or duties”. Paul H. Wright states in The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary that, “The Bible recognizes the need for regularly scheduled breaks from work. The weekly Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11) and several yearly festivals (Lev. 23:1-44, Deut. 16:1-17) were intended to focus on Israel’s spiritual needs but also provided breaks from physical labor. In fact, the Mosaic Law mandated a yearlong honeymoon for newlyweds (Deut. 24:5, Luke 14:20)...”
Anyone who truly knows me is fully aware of the fact that one of my most favorite places in the entire world is to be with Jimmy (my husband)… preferably cuddled. I love his company, conversation, friendship, everything about him. He seemingly has the capability of relieving my stress regardless of the day. I also enjoy catching a good movie, listening to music, going somewhere to enjoy the wonder of God’s creation, or collaborating and creating with others artistically. For some, leisure may be cooking, for others it could be reading a book, some may prefer to shop, exercise, talk on the phone or sip on a cup of coffee/ tea while enjoying a pleasant conversation. “Leisure” has many faces and comes in many forms. This creates a question. Can leisure, although recommended scripturally, become sinful at any point? I believe it can, especially when the leisure time is misplaced. When any form of leisure takes precedence to the gentle tugging of the Holy Spirit that prompts us to spend time with Him, then it has most definitely developed into sin. The problem lies when leisure becomes our first and sometimes only means of release. Those favorite pastimes have been made into idols and before we know it, we have lost the sense of knowing how to think of time spent with Him as enjoyable, but rather as just another task that we have to push through. There have been times when I have been so exhausted that the focus needed to read, pray or meditate on His Word requires more effort than I am willing to sacrifice. All I want to do is “chill” and not “think”! Wow… how self-centered is that? Where does pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17) and delight in the Law of the Lord, and on His Law should I meditate day and night (Psalm 1:2) come into play? How ironic then that I wonder why I have a problem with portraying “Christ likeness”.
What example did Christ set as a model for us to follow? What did He routinely do whenever He went off to get away from the crowds and disciples? He prayed. I think there is something to be said in this. Even though Christ was fully God, He was also fully man. His physical body required the relaxation that mortals must have. During this time of relaxation He deliberately positioned Himself in such a way where His mortality would not give way to sin. Times of fatigue and exhaustion are prime occasions for our flesh to be given opportunity to rise up and surrender to the desires that we are too tired to fight. We are “too tired” to make the necessary sacrifices that are needed to remain focused on a life of Godly submission and obedience. If I am in need of a release/ rest and it is Christ that I am having difficulty representing to the world and my family, then wouldn’t it make sense for me to follow Christ’s example? Christ showed us that it is an honor and privilege to go to the Originator and Creator of all things, at all times, regardless of our “feelings”.
We live in a culture that lacks a true understanding of suffering and deprivation. Regardless of one’s financial status or living circumstances, the fact remains that we live in a land of abundance. It is an abundance of media, entertainment, activities, food, relationships, etc. Suffering believers that live in other regions of the world, consider prayer a necessity for daily living. They risk their lives to merely possess the Holy Scriptures that have become their true daily bread. Our nations’ privileges are such distractions. We have allowed for them to be given power that keeps us from enjoying the intimacy that all believers should experience with the Lord. In light of these things, I have to soberly ask, “How ridiculous does my need to “chill” sound?” The answer is that my priorities must change, which in turn will determine my definition of leisure. In addition, I am learning that as I attempt to spend time with the Father, I must also be willing and ready to allow for the time to be one of self-examination. As He washes me with His Word, my hearts’ cry must be that He exposes every ounce of what I look like before Him. When there is a lack of self-examination, the result of the time spent will only become an increase in head knowledge without life transformation. If we come to these times with this in mind, then the gospel will be that which bleeds into our everyday interactions. As I truly get to know Him and clearly see what it is that I look like before Him, then my interactions will change to resemble “Christ likeness”.
I have come to the conclusion that relaxation is necessary but that Christ must become my first exhale. He must become the One I first seek for “cuddling”, the One I first enjoy. He must be my #1 leisure.

Grace & Peace
Nikki Miles

Tornados are God's kindness

If you've been following the news, you saw the massive destruction that a tornado wrought in southern Indiana.

Now, I admit it. I wrote the title of this article to get your attention. Tornados aren't perfectly kind; they're, in fact, partially God judging the world.

That said, there are at least two reasons why tornados are in fact, God's being kind to the world.

1) We deserve, for our treason against our Holy Creator, the eternal hell of torment. Anything less is kind. I don't plan on defending that here, but if that's an issue for you, write, and we will address it.

2) Natural disasters are a reminder that the end of the world is near. Jesus and his apostles taught that the end of the world would be preceded by natural disasters, financial ruin, and other calamities. It is kind for God to remind us that Jesus is returning to judge the world. That's an event for which we should be prepared.

As I worshiped God this morning, I read this verse: The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. (1 Peter 4:7)

The phrase 'the end of all things is at hand' should jar us. Everything we know is about to come to an end. The next major event in human history doesn't involve politics or nations or teachers or people who will be made popular in the media. The next major event in human history is the revelation of Jesus Christ in all of the glory that he has possessed since eternity past.

At that time, he will judge, destroy, and re-create the world. At that time those who have obeyed him will enter into his new world in joy! And those who have not obeyed him will begin to be tormented for their rebellion.

That is the next major event in human history. As a result, God instructs us to be self-controlled and sober-minded. Those are very 'spiritual' words. People usually don't use them unless they're citing Scripture.

Self-controlled means that we're to do everything we do in life with purpose. We are never to do things by default. We are to make decisions about our activities based on the fact that the world, and everything and everyone we know and love, is coming to an end very, very soon.

Sober-minded means that we are to think in terms of reality. Reality means that the most important things aren't what we're having for dinner. Or what kind of education your kids will have. Or what promotion you're shooting for at work. Or what friends you'll spend time with tonight. Those things aren't bad - but they are of no importance unless they are seen in light of the return of God incarnate to his world. In other words, 'sober-minded' means "Wake up, and snap out of stupid!" It is stupid to be mentally involved in things without a serious eye to why everything exists and towards what end it is careening.

So, as a result of the end being very soon, we're to be self-controlled and sober-minded. God tells us that there's a particular purpose that he wants us thinking seriously, though. That is, our prayers.

This is probably inclusive of both prayers as a local church body, gathered, and prayers as individuals on their own. We are to pray in light of the end of all things. And indeed, it's sort of intuitive that if our mind is towards the end, we will pray!

Let me end with a few application questions.

1) How much do you pray?
2) What practically can you do to increase both your private and public practices of prayer?
3) What do you pray about? Do your prayers reflect the fact that the end is near?
4) Can you make a list of things you ought to pray about and discipline yourself to pray for regularly?
5) What do you spend time thinking about? What practices would be helpful for you to keep 'sober-minded' and to remember that 'the end is at hand'?

Onesimus

Preach the Gospel to yourself?

The modern Church owes a great debt to Jerry Bridges. It's largely through his teaching that our generation has learned to 'preach the gospel' to ourselves on a daily basis.

I don't plan on defending or explaining that concept in this post (though if people are interested, I can write another post later). Rather, I want to address something that I think we might be missing in some of our 'gospel-centered' fellowships.

I was reading Titus 3 this morning, and it says this in verses 1-2:

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

I was praying as I read, and I was struck by the phrase 'to be ready for every good work.' It seems to me that God expects us to do good as a reflex. When something happens in our lives, rather than responding with anxiety, or anger, or indifference, or arguing, we are to respond by actively doing good, because we're ready to do so.

I asked God for help to do this. Then I started asking 'how?' How can I 'be ready for every good work'?

Then God opened my eyes to what's actually happening in this passage. Titus was Paul's missionary to Crete. He was a pastor and was sent to appoint pastors.

Here, Paul is telling him to remind the people what they're supposed to do. In other words, Titus, as a pastor, was to remind all the people how they were supposed to live.

The implication is that we need reminders about how we're to obey God.

This doesn't diminish the need we have for the Gospel. This passage is sandwiched between two passages that are about the Gospel, after all! The Gospel is taught here as the grounds by which we are to obey. We're empowered by hearing about the glory of God in saving sinners to obey him.

But that said, we also need reminders to obey! We need to be reminded about how we're to glorify God, even with regard to specific situations.

So here are some practical implications:

1) If you're a preacher, you need to preach both Gospel and Law.
2) You need to listen to your pastors as the teach you both Gospel and Law. Don't dismiss either as something you 'already know.' You need constant reminders of both.
3) If you're in a position of leadership in a church or in a household, you need to teach both Gospel and Law to those in your care.
4) As you read the Bible, you should be looking for what God has done to save you and for ways that you are to honor God in response to his saving work.

Onesimus

Teach Us, Lord, to Pray The Lord’s Prayer

Introduction
If we’re honest, most of us would admit that we need help in the area of prayer. Thankfully we’re not alone. One of Jesus’ disciples, after watching him pray, asked, “Lord, teach us to pray”(Luke 11:1).

Jesus responded with the prayer that came to be known as “The Lord’s Prayer.” He provided us with this pattern of prayer to teach us what our prayers should include. Praying through the Lord’s Prayer is an excellent way to improve the content of your prayers and your communion with God. It’s also an excellent way to learn to pray with others. Notice that there’s no ‘I,’ ‘me,’ or ‘my’ in the prayer!

As you approach the first station, ask God to teach you to pray and to draw near to you.

Station 1 - Our Father

Jesus taught us to begin our prayers ‘our Father,’ because it shows us that we are not praying to earn God’s favor. We already have his favor because of what Christ did for us in his life, death, and resurrection.

Here are some specific ways to pray:

1. Praise God for the fact that he loved us, his people from every tongue, tribe, people and nation, and gave his Son to die in our place.

...but God shows his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
2. Praise God that he raised Christ from the dead, and through Jesus’ resurrection, he has birthed us into his family.

He gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3)
3. Praise God that one day all of his people, from every corner of the globe, will see Christ face to face and enter into glory forever.

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared, but we know that when he appears, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is (1 John 3:2)


Station 2 - in heaven

Jesus taught us to approach God not only as our Father, but our Father who is in heaven. He did this to remind us that God not only loves us dearly, but is holy. That is to say, he is separate from all of his creation, not only in his moral perfection, but also in his being. He alone is God over all, from whom, through whom, and for whom are all things.

Here are some specific ways to pray:

1. Praise God for the fact that he has created all things, and that all things exist by his will.

Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, since you created all things... (Revelation 4:11)
2. Praise God for the fact that everything that happens is according to his will and ultimately, for him.

...from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)
3. Praise God for his holiness: he alone is God and worthy of praise!

...you alone, whose name is Yahweh, are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:18)


Station 3 - Sanctify Your name!

The first request Jesus taught us to make of the Father is that he set his name apart from every other name, or in other words, that he glorify himself. Some have said that this request is the controlling request for all prayer - that God would help us to pray for the things that would honor him. This is part of what it means to pray ‘in Jesus’ name’ - namely, to pray for the things that would honor Jesus.

In this request, we admit our inability to glorify God as he deserves, and ask him to glorify himself in our prayers and in the world.

Here are some specific ways to pray:

1. Pray that the requests that you are about to make would be honoring to God.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)
If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit (John 15:7)
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13)

1. Pray that God would be worshipped by every tongue, tribe, people and nation.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! (Psalm 67:3)
2. Pray that God would remove idolatry and lusts from the earth and replace those longings with a desire for him.

God said, “I am Yahweh! That is my name! I will not share my glory with anyone else, or the praise due me with idols!” (Isaiah 42:8)


Station 4 - May your kingdom come

When Jesus taught us to pray for the Kingdom of God to come, he was teaching us to pray two things, because the Kingdom of God is coming in two stages.

First, the Kingdom of God comes when the Gospel is preached and the Holy Spirit makes it effective by bringing a sinner to a love of Jesus. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14)

Second, the Kingdom of God will come when Jesus returns to this world and sets the world to rights, bringing justice to the world. “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘the Kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever!’” (Rev 11:15)

So, in this request, we are asking both for the advance of the Gospel in the world and expressing our desire for Jesus to return to gather us to himself.

Here are some specific ways to pray:

1. Pray for boldness, love and opportunities for yourself and others you know to tell the Gospel to unbelievers. (Acts 4:31)
2. Pray for missionaries that you know of, for their closeness to God and boldness in speaking the Gospel. (Colossians 4:3-4)
3. Pray that God would grant repentance unto eternal life to people you know and to people to whom missionaries are evangelizing. (1 Timothy 2:1)
4. Pray that God would raise up missionaries and send them to places and ethnic groups among whom Christ is not being proclaimed. (Matthew 9:37-38)
5. Pray that the Lord would come quickly. (Revelation 22:20)


Station 5 - May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Jesus taught us to pray that the Father would have his will done on this earth. God’s will, in the Gospel of Matthew, means obedience to Jesus’ commands. So when we pray ‘may your will be done,’ we’re admitting our inability to obey God while also acknowledging God’s ability to cause us to obey his laws.

And not only are we praying for ourselves, but all disciples of Christ among every ethnic group throughout the world.

Consider some of the ways our Lord described the ethics of his Kingdom, and pray for help in obeying his commandments, not only for yourself, but for all God’s children.

Here are some of the commandments our Lord gave his Church. Pray that God would grant us all help in obeying them.

1. Rejoice in the midst of persecution, because our reward is in heaven (Matt 5:12)
2. Emulate Christ’s character in the world so that people will come to know and worship him (Matt 5:16)
3. Don’t be angry with fellow-Christian; rather, make sure that there is harmony and love in Christian relationships (Matt 5:22-24)
4. Don’t long for someone who’s not your spouse; rather, take drastic action to escape temptation and sin (Matt 5:28-29)
5. Always keep your word, since every word we speak is spoken in the presence of God (Matt 5:37)
6. Love, be kind to, and pray for the ones who hurt you (Matt 5:44-48)
7. Do righteous deeds for the glory of God - not to receive glory from people (Matt 6:1-6)
8. Set your longings and work on treasures in heaven, not for things on earth (Matt 6:19-24)
9. Don’t be anxious; rather, trust our loving and sovereign God (Matt 6:25-34)
10. Don’t be condemning towards other believers; rather, focus on repenting of your own sins and lovingly help them do the same (Matt 7:1-5)
11. Value the glory of the Gospel more than even people (Matt 7:6)
12. Ask God for the good things pertaining to his Kingdom (Matt 7:7-11)
13. Consider how we’d like to be treated, and then treat others that way (Matt 7:12)
14. Watch out for false teachers. Their lives and doctrine do not accord with Jesus’ teaching (Matt 7:15)


Station 6 - Give us this day our daily bread

When Jesus taught us to ask the Father for our daily bread, he spoke against two tendencies we have. Those two tendencies are, first, the belief that we are independent and capable of supporting ourselves, and second, the belief that our focus should be our distant, earthly future.

The fact is this: we depend on God’s holy pleasure for our continued existence, even in this very moment. Much more, we depend on his good pleasure for our doing his will and sanctifying his name.

Here are some steps to follow in praying this request:

1. Take a minute to think about what you need to live in this world for God’s glory.
2. Admit your complete dependence on God, and ask him to provide to you what you need.
3. Take a moment to thank God for the things he’s given you in the last day.
4. Take a moment to think about the needs of others in Christ’s global Church, including even emotional needs.
5. Pray that God would give his people what they need to serve him well.


Station 7 - Forgive us our debts

Our actions, every day, come infinitely short of what we owe to God. When we pray ‘forgive us our debts,’ we admit that God is worthy of glory, and we have not honored him as he deserves. We also confess that he can and will give us entry into his Kingdom despite our lawlessness, based on Jesus’ obedience to God, not ours.

Here are some steps to follow in asking God for forgiveness:

1. Think about the past day and what God deserved from your efforts, emotions, and time this past day.
2. Confess the ways that you have fallen short in word, deed, and affection.
3. Ask God to forgive you for your breaking of his commandments - for him to treat you with kindness rather than discipline. Ask him to do the same for all of his people worldwide.
4. Thank God for providing forgiveness through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for us.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us, in Christ, with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places... In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses...” (Ephesians 1:3, 7)


Station 8 - as we also have forgiven our debtors

Christ values love as the supreme trait of those who would claim to be his disciples. We cannot legitimately ask God to treat us with mercy rather than justice when we desire others to be punished for hurting us. Such desires betray an underlying belief that we are more worthy of blessing than God himself.

So this is worth asking: are you holding something against a brother or sister in Christ? Are you treating someone in a such a way so as to, in a sense, punish them, rather than treating them as someone Christ loves and died for?

If you are, you cannot seriously ask God to treat all the disciples of Christ with love and kindness - after all, you’d be asking God to forgive sins that you’re wanting to punish people for!

Is there someone with whom you need to be reconciled?

Here are some steps to follow towards reconciliation, as well as some items for which to pray:

1. Ask God for forgiveness for your anger.
2. Make a decision to reconcile with the other person. Today. Decide what time you will contact them.
3. Ask God to treat that other person with grace.
4. Ask God to cause his Church to be known in the world as a group of people who love each other.
Jesus prayed this for us: “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me”(John 17:21).
5. Ask God to give us the strength to love those who persecute us for our obedience to Christ.


Station 9 - And lead us not into temptation

If we are to sanctify God’s name in our lives, we must avoid things in this world that would take our attention from him and divert our affections away from him. Jesus taught us in this request, though, that God is in control of not only our souls and desires but also our circumstances.

Take a moment to consider the things that divert your affections from Christ. Here are a few helpful questions to ask yourself (from Tim Keller):

1. What are you most afraid of?
2. What do you run to for comfort?
3. What do you complain about?
4. What makes you most angry?
5. What makes you happiest?
6. How do you define yourself to people?
7. What do you talk about most?
8. What do you give up other things for?
9. Whose approval do you seek, other than Christ’s?
10. What do you want to control or master?
11. What comfort do you treasure the most?

These questions do a great job uncovering the things in our lives that compete with God for our affections. Ask God to lead you away from these things and give you the power to flee them.

Your idols are probably not unique to you, but are good things that the people of God worldwide need to flee as well. Take a few moments praying for others, that God would guide them away from temptation as well.


Station 10 - but deliver us from the evil one.

This final request has traditionally been translated ‘deliver us from evil’; however, most commentators agree that a better translation is ‘deliver us from the evil one,’ namely, the devil.

The devil’s goal has always been fairly simple: he desires the condemnation of souls, the suffering of God’s people, and the perversion of the truth which saves. Our Lord said of the devil, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

Satan attacks the people of God now with persecution and false doctrines. He keeps the world blinded from salvation with idolatry and rebellious worldviews.

Jesus is teaching us to pray for the deliverance of the Church here. We do desire that unbelievers receive Christ and join his Church, but what we are mainly praying for in this request is for the power to withstand persecution and for the wisdom to discern false beliefs that do not accord with God’s word.

So, pray these things for not only yourself, but for all of Christ’s Church:

1. Pray for the power to testify to Christ without wavering, despite persecution.
“Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being ready to give an answer for the hope that is within you, yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:14-15)
2. Thank God that he will vindicate his persecuted people.
“And they have conquered him (the devil) by the blood of the lamb and their witnessing message, because they loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:11)
3. Pray that God would set his Church apart with the truth of the Scriptures and give us the power to discern false teaching.
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1)


“In Jesus’ name” means that Jesus’ work in dying and rising has secured our entry into God’s throne room to make requests of him. It also means that we are making our requests for the glory of Christ.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Figuring Out Your Sins

There's a free David Powlison E-book that's a series of 35 questions, designed to help us figure out what we love more than God.

It can be a great resource to bring us to a deeper confession of sin - and thus a more impassioned clinging to the cross of Christ.

It could be a great way to spend a bit of this coming Lord's Day.

Here it is.

The part where God tells women how to dress.... 1 Timothy 2:9-10

(9-10) …likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness – with good works.

Paul continues to address Timothy about how he should lead God’s church. His major point is that God has unconditionally loved us in the death and resurrection of his Son for us, and so our response should be to love others and to live lives of prayer.

He’s just addressed men specifically, and now he turns to address women.

And here we learn something important – that God wants both sexes addressed, yet, differently.

We also see in Greek that vv. 9-10 are the same sentence as v. 8. What does this tell us? Paul expects women also to pray in every place – to be worshipers of God.

That’s part of the reason that Paul starts this verse with ‘likewise.’ It’s about prayer and worship, and about how a woman is to be characterized coming to worship. Paul gives men certain instructions about what lives of men who pray are to look like; and now he gives similar instructions to women.

And so pastors must be careful to address different groups of people differently, sensitive to each one’s needs and temptations.

Here, women are instructed to pray, to profess Christ, and to worship God.

And just as men were instructed about how to ‘adorn themselves,’ so here are the women instructed. He gives both positive instructions: wear these things; and negative instructions – don’t wear these things.

First, women are to wear respectable clothing. Their motives in getting dressed are to be modesty and self-control.

Respectable clothing indicates that women need to be conscious of society’s norms. They are to wear clothing based on what others think of them – but desiring that others see how they dress and respond with respect. And what should this respect look like? Verse 10 says these things are what are appropriate for godliness. A woman or man should be able to look at a woman’s clothes and say those are godly clothes – they are not distracting me from but pointing me towards the message about Jesus.

This command also excludes ‘church-lady’ attire. Women are to dress in a way that is conscious of culture, seeking to appear respectable in it – not seeking to look silly. But also, not seeking attention for themselves – but for God and his Gospel.

The question should be: “How can I dress myself so as to dress up the Gospel of Christ?”

Paul addresses the heart condition of the woman as well as the external clothing – ‘with modesty and self-control.’

Modesty means that a woman is not supposed to be seeking attention based on her clothing. And self-control means she must make a conscious choice to remember to do that.

We see this in the negative commands Paul gives when he says he doesn’t want women to be adorned with ‘braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire.’ Does he mean here that ‘braided hair’ is wrong? No – it’s set in contrast with ‘good works,’ not with another hairstyle.

He is specifically listing things that rich women in that day did, in a context in which he is saying how a woman should dress in order to draw attention to Christ. And here he says ‘don’t dress to impress people.’

If thoughts about what people will think of you invade your mind as you get dressed, as you prepare for the day, you’re to remember that it’s not about you – it’s about God and his word – those things are to look good via your clothes. Why? Because God’s love must be shown to the world – through men and women to men and women.

Paul closes this address with one final charge to women – that ‘good works’ be as sober and serious a daily choice as getting dressed. Women are to focus on doing good works to show off their King. It is just as important as their clothing – and should be on one’s mind just as much.

And these things give us reason to pray for our sisters, with our sisters – and you, women – I believe have some things to pray about on a daily basis as you seek to glorify Christ Jesus.

In sum,
1) Pastors are to address different groups of people differently.
2) Women are to dress to show off the gospel – not themselves.
3) Women are to consider what people will think about Jesus given clothing, not themselves.
4) Women have to make a conscious effort, choosing to be careful to not be tempted to dress to impress others, but to be in regular and constant prayer.
5) Women need to focus on good works as much as they do their motives in getting dressed.
6) Women are to be in prayer for themselves and for their world.
7) And this is to show the love of God to women and to men throughout this whole world.

Prayer:
Father, thank you for creating men and women uniquely, and for sending your Son to die for men and for women – making both men and women children in your Kingdom and heirs because of what Jesus did for us, in obeying you perfectly as your perfect Child.
Father, our culture, the world, the devil, and sin put a burden on women in how they are to dress, and even in finding their safety and feelings of love in how they dress. Help men love women well so that they know they are loved unconditionally by You. Help women love women well so that they know they’re loved unconditionally by You.
Help women to flee plaguing temptations from the world about dressing to impress the world. Help women be motivated to dress in such a way that makes your word look good – and to place just as large an emphasis on doing good works in the world and prayer as they do their clothing – as a daily habit and discipline.
Father, save women in this world through women in your Church. Glorify your name through your daughters!

In Christ I pray – amen.

Hey! Man up, and PRAY. 1 Timothy 2:8

(8a) I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray…

Paul here continues his thought regarding prayer. Prayer is the loving response of the Church to the world which hates her, because the Church once hated the Savior who loved her and died for her.

Paul concludes that since God’s love is without condition, the men should be praying in every place without distinction. And indeed, they are men in every place now, since God has loved all nations without distinction.

It’s interesting that he settles on the men here. Perhaps men have a greater tendency not to pray and need the exhortation. Regardless, men need to see unconditional and loving prayer for the world as a necessity. And they need to do it.

And we should note that the verb used for ‘pray’ is a continuous verb. In other words, men should be continuously praying in every place.

And here we see the heart of God – who desires that men should pray in every place, speaking to him, worshiping him, showing their dependence on him, honoring him.

(8b) …lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling…

Here Paul describes what the men’s prayers are to look like. The expression ‘lifting holy hands’ denotes how prayer is to be done – with one’s hear turned toward the God who is in heaven, knowing that we are creatures on earth. We are to turn our attention and desires and trust to him.

And the hands that we are to lift must be holy, or in other words, dedicated to God’s service. Our lives are to be dedicated to God. But hands don’t turn our attention to motive – they turn our attention to actions.

In other words, we are to approach God in prayer, living a holy life. We are not to hypocritically turn to God in prayer, expecting things from him, if we are not living for him.

God further explains how prayers are to look: without anger or quarreling. He of course doesn’t mean that people were coming to him angry or arguing with him – but with each other. Men, particularly.

Anger is a massive theme in scripture, and we see that it doesn’t accomplish the righteousness that God desires. But we also see anger and prayer linked together as a hypocritical combination.

Consider James 4:1-4: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Anger on earth shows us where our treasure lies – on earth. Why, if our motives are earthbound, would we approach God and ask for heavenward things? We wouldn’t! And so Paul instructs us – but particularly men – how to pray. Our deeds should be holy, our desires should be heavenward, and our relationships should be peaceful – otherwise our prayers will be hypocritical.

We could also say that relational strife is an indicator of where our hearts are – and where our relationships with God are.

And so we must commit to peace as we come to God, seeking his will to be done on earth through us. And then we must do it.

Summary:
1) Men everywhere should be living lives of continuous, public prayer.
2) This prayer is a response to the unconditional love of God, asking for the unconditional love of God to be extended to others.
3) Prayer is to be accompanied by holy deeds.
4) Prayer is to be accompanied by relational peace.
5) Our deeds and relationships are indicators of where our motives lie.

Prayer:
Holy God, you deserve prayer to be extended to you from every place on earth all the time. I’ve sinned against you. I’ve been self-dependent, forgetting that every blessing given to me is by your unconditional love. I’ve been self-absorbed, desiring things on earth to make me happy. Thank you for the cleansing from sin purchased by Jesus’ blood for even the chief of sinners. Thank you for forgiveness. Cause me to do the works you’ve prepared for me to do. Cause me to desire nothing like I desire your name to be honored in all of creation. Father, thank you for your love, given freely to us in the Son, applied to us in your Spirit.

Amen.

1 Timothy 2:7 - This is REAL. So pay attention!

(7a) For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle…

Let’s get the context again. Paul’s giving Timothy the charge to govern the flock of God according to the Gospel. Part of that charge is that Timothy lead the Church to pray – even for people who were persecuting the Christians. And that’s because salvation is all by God’s grace accomplished in Jesus’ death. There’s no such thing as being ‘closer’ to salvation than somebody else – since it’s not earned in any sense at all.

And he’s just said that Jesus’ giving himself as a ransom – his bloody death – was the testimony that God rescues all believers in Christ without distinction based on past sins, or nationality, or family, or whatever.

And so he says that it was for that that he was appointed a preacher and an apostle. That’s why he says later in the verse that he’s a teacher of the Gentiles, which can be translated ‘nations’ – or all non-Jews.

So Paul proclaims this message. It’s interesting that he passively says that he ‘was appointed.’ The way he phrases it, though, he’s not drawing attention to himself – but the appointment – and thus, the Appointer.

Just as God moved decisively to save all types of people in the cross, so he moved decisively so that the nations would hear about it. He appointed Paul, former blasphemer, to carry the message to the nations.

And that’s why Paul calls himself here an ‘apostle.’ That literally means ‘one who’s sent,’ and it can carry the connotation of being sent by a church or an employer or a parent to go do something.

However, here, it is clear that the one doing the sending is God himself – Christ himself. See Chapter 1 verse 1.

God gave testimony of his salvation spreading to every corner of the earth in the cross, accomplished salvation perfectly in the cross, and caused this salvation to be taught throughout the world – beginning with a guy who used to hate God.

And we’re the happy recipients of all that God did – so that we, in the nations, could receive that good news.

(7b) (I am telling the truth, I am not lying)

Paul for some reason here felt like he had to draw special attention to the fact that he wasn’t lying. That probably means that there would be doubt as to whether or not he was telling the truth.

Perhaps some would doubt his authority and not want to submit to it.
Perhaps some would doubt whether God could be so good.

So far as I can tell, the closest parallel to this phraseology is in Romans 9:1 – in which Paul says something so utterly and gloriously crazy, that he feels the need to emphasize his truthfulness.

And what is more gloriously crazy to us than the Gospel? Christ died for sinners. That’s nuts, by any human standard- Paul, I think here, wants to emphasize the reality that that indeed is reality. His apostleship is real because Christ is real.

And sometimes, I think we doubt. And if we don’t doubt, we ignore. Because the Gospel truly is beyond our comprehension – beyond anything we ever would have invented.

In a sense, Paul’s apostleship and the message about Jesus are inseparable. Did he ever use his authority to his own advantage? No. He suffered for it. He only used it to further the proclamation of the message about the glory of Christ.

Here, he wants us to see that this message is real. That God is real. That salvation is real.

(7c) …a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

We’ve already looked at the fact that God made Paul a messenger of the good news about Jesus’ death to the Gentiles.

What does he mean ‘in faith and truth’?

Paul could mean that his teaching is ‘as I trust God and teach true things.’ Or, he could mean, ‘I teach faithfully and truthfully’. Or, he could mean he teaches the Gentiles about faith (our response to God) and truth (God’s revelation to us).

I suppose I’m really asking the question – is Paul here describing his manner of teaching, or the subjects of his teaching?

In other words, is he describing himself – or his teaching?

Ultimately, Paul is not the subject of these verses. God is. God has appointed him to teach good news. God desired to spread the news to the nations and so he appointed Paul to do it- and he appointed Paul to be faithful – and he appointed Paul to teach the truth – so that we, the nations, might receive the truth.

I’m not sure exactly what Paul is modifying by the prepositional phrase ‘in faith and truth.’ However, I do know this, that God appointed all of this so that we could hear and receive the truth – and so be saved. And that’s true. Here, Paul wants to emphasize that it’s real and true.

In sum,
1) God appointed Paul to spread the good news
2) This was always a part of God’s plan to save the nations
3) We need to pay careful attention to these truths, not doubting or being indifferent
4) All of this is true!
5) And all of this is grace – and such as it is, our response should be love to and prayers for those who hate us

Prayer:
Father, you’ve loved us so much in giving us the Bible – in giving us, specifically, Gentiles, Paul. And his example. You forgive sinners on the basis of the cross alone apart from works. And so you’ve forgiven me. Thank you!
I admit that often my heart and mind don’t line up with the facts you’ve given to us. I’m sorry. Cleanse me from such sin so that I might see and understand and worship your glory. And in worshiping you, cause me to see how great your love is, and so love others.

Because Jesus died in my place, I ask for these things – Amen.

More reasons to pray for people who are hard to love. And also, did Jesus die for all people?

(5a) For there is one God…

Remember, this is in the context of Paul commanding pastors to lead churches in praying for their enemies – because it reflects the gospel – that Jesus Christ saves those who hate him.

And here he gives us further reason to pray. He’s already said that salvation comes to all types of people without distinguishing based on background. And now he says ‘for there is one God.’

Why? We sometimes take it for granted that there is one God, I think. We grew up in a very monotheistic culture. People may not be Christians, but they believe in one God. But back in the day, there were national gods. Gods for this, gods for that.

But there is one God, and he treats people the same way. Whenever Paul uses this expression, it’s similar to how he does it in Rom. 3:30: “God is one – who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.”

In other words, God treats all types of people the same. Justification, and thus, salvation, are offered to all types of people through faith. There aren’t different ‘requirements’ based on background.

So, God loves all types of people in similar fashion – salvation is by grace through faith alone – and we’re to love without distinction as well – and that should show up as we pray.

(5b) and there is one mediator between God and men…

Paul gives further argument for why God loves all types of people the same way. There’s only one mediator – Jesus. What’s that mean?

In Hebrews, especially chapters 8 and 9, we see Christ’s mediator role played out. He mediates between God and men based on his death for the sins of his people. His mediation is based on his blood and saves everyone for whom he mediates – because God’s wrath against them was satisfied in Jesus’ death.

In other words – people don’t get saved different ways – it’s all through the death of Jesus. It’s all through Jesus being the mediator for all types of people.

In other words – Jesus is our mediator. We’re sinners. We don’t deserve a mediator. But by God’s love, we have one. We should pray that Jesus mediates for all sorts of sinners.

(5c) …the man Christ Jesus

Paul identifies our mediator in 3 ways – as a human, as the Messiah, and the person Jesus. It’s significant that he was a human. Rom. 5:15 draws this out – through one man came condemnation; through another man, justification. Our mediator had to identify with us – and had to be human.

He’s the Messiah – the King. He reigns and he saves.

And it’s Jesus – the historical figure, who lived 2,000 years ago in Palestine.

Let us remember our mediator! He loves, he saves by his love and based on no goodness or worth in us. And so we pray for other sinners.

(6a) who gave himself as a ransom for all...

This man, this Messiah, this King, this Savior, this Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all. Again, though, we must see the word ‘all’ meaning ‘all types.’ All has meant this so far in the passage. And further, ‘all’ cannot mean ‘all without exception’ here because of the word ‘ransom.’

A ransom, or redemption price, is the thing exchanged for the freedom of another. In this case, it’s Jesus being exchanged for all types of people.

In that exchange, we get all the rewards that Jesus earned by being obedient to God. And he got all the punishment that we earned by being disobedient to God.

So Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all types of people, not all people without exception. Why? Three reasons.

First, the thrust of the passage is that we should love all types of people regardless of background and pray for them. It is silly to think we should pray for every individual on earth.

Second, the phrase ‘God is one’ is an indicator that Paul has types of people in mind – that God justifies all types by faith.

Third, Jesus does not mediate for all people. His mediation means that they will be saved. And here, his mediation is connected to his being a ransom.

Fourth, if an exchange has been made, then those for whom the exchange has been made are free. Are all free? No. But all types of people are.

Thus, because God doesn’t distinguish between types of people based on background – neither should we! We love because he loved us who hated him.

And more than that – we love and pray because Jesus DIED for all types of people. It is intrinsic to the gospel that we be patient, suffer wrong, and love others. Jesus did for us, and we should do so for others.

(6b) …the testimony given at the proper time

Jesus’ death here bears witness at a ‘proper time.’ This begs several questions.

What is Jesus’ death a witness to? And why was that the ‘proper time’?

First answer – Jesus death is for all types of people! It is no longer for Jews only – and so God bears witness to his saving of the whole world through faith in the work of Jesus the Messiah. (We see this in the next verse where Paul talks about his ministry – preaching to Gentiles!)

You want proof that God loves all without distinction based on what you may have done – based on your background – based on anything? Look to Jesus’ death. He has died in the places of all types of people – and they are all saved on one basis – not their works, but Jesus’ work alone.

And God did this at the ‘proper time’…

Second answer – I don’t really know. Perhaps we should just take note of the fact that in the all-wise God’s determination it was the right time.

I will say this – an alternate translation of the phrase would be that it was the testimony at its own time. The idea is that it happened as God determined it would. And when.

This reminds us that God acts in grace according to his own timetable. If the most important event in world history – Jesus’ death and resurrection – was something that happened when God wanted it to, how much more should we be patient on his timing for all things?

Regardless – at that time in world history God revealed his love for the world – Jesus died for people from every nation – and ransomed them. All are saved by grace mediated by the man Jesus Christ. So let us love. And let us pray.

In sum,

1) There is one God who treats people without distinction based on background.
2) There is one way of salvation for all people – the mediation of Jesus Christ.
3) The mediation of Jesus Christ works via his exchanging himself for people of every type.
4) Jesus’ death shows us that salvation is offered to all without distinction, since all are saved the same way.
5) And this has all happened according to God’s timetable.

Let’s pray –

God, this is the most important truth we could muster – that Jesus is our living mediator because he died, suffering the wrath we deserve. You’ve shown us that salvation is all grace – it’s not us, it’s you. It always was. And you rescue whoever will trust in your Son. And it doesn’t matter what’s in our pasts – your love isn’t based on us – but on your free will. Thank you!

Father, let these truths sink in so we can love people without judging them based on their background – let alone how they treat us.

Thank you, Father, for loving us. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for us. Thank you, Spirit, for converting us to faith and applying the benefits Jesus died for to us.

For Christ’s sake,
Amen.

1 Timothy 2:2b-4 - Why should I pray for people who hate me? And, does God really want to save all people?

(2b) that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Paul is giving Timothy, a pastor, instructions on how to apply the Gospel (Christ saves sinners) to the life of the Chuch. He’s just said that we should pray for those who persecute us. Here he tells us why –

We pray for even people in authority so we can lead a life free of conflict with authorities. Hence, peaceful and quiet. We’re not making headlines because of conflict.

Interesting how often Christians make headlines in conflict here even though we’re not really persecuted.

Rather, we’re to pray for our authorities so we can lead godly and dignified lives. Or godly and serious lives. The end of our praying for our authorities is this: giving us the energy to focus on godliness. Being serious about Christ. Giving every aspect of our lives over to his lordship and control.

So if we have peaceful, quiet lives – that is to say, free of persecution – our goals should be universally for godliness without distraction. Our prayers should be directed that way.

(3-4) 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.

What’s good? Our prayers for those who hate us. Here’s the situation Paul’s talking about: we get hurt by people in authority, we thankfully pray for God to bless them in every way possible with an eye towards greater holiness, God is pleased. God rejoices because we are acting like him – loving our enemies, just as he loved us.

That’s why Paul gives this description of God in verse 4 – who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

God loves people – not based on their sin or holiness – but because he is God, and he’s a God who loves those who hate him. And we are the direct beneficiaries of that fact.

Note the language here – God desires salvation and knowledge. That is, rescue from punishment and an enjoyment of God’s word about Christ and in the future, God’s physical presence in Christ.

One theological point is sticky here – does God want every individual on earth to be saved? And if so, does this verse teach that?

Second question first. Remember, ‘all’ in Greek does not mean ‘all’ in English. It clearly doesn’t mean all universally in verses 1 or 2 or 6. Does Christ mediate for all (verse 5)? No. He mediates for his people alone – but his people are his people based on his work for them, not their works and not their past.

Paul was a persecutor and a blasphemer. We were all sinners. Christ saves sinners. So we are to pray for even those who persecute us because God saves sinners regardless of their positions and their pasts. We are to pray for all without exclusion based on our conceptions of people – but not all without exception.

In the same manner, God loves all types of people – not excluding any on the basis of their positions or pasts.

To the first question – does God desire every individual on earth to be saved? The best way to answer that is a qualified ‘yes’ – in that he has commanded the Gospel to be proclaimed to every creature without exclusion. However, he clearly has not and will not cause the salvation of all people, but just of some. However, the ‘some’ is not known to us who live now – and so we are to proclaim Christ to everyone.

In short, the best way to understand this verse is to see this fact about God’s character: God loves people who hate him. So we’re to pray for people regardless of how they treat us – showing forth God’s love and mercy – acting like the children of God he has made us to be.

Summary:

1) We’re to pray for persecutors so we can spend our energy in greater godliness
2) We’re to pray for persecutors because it pleases God
3) We’re to pray for persecutors because God’s character is one of love towards sinners

Prayer:

Father, thank you that you have, in Christ, rescued us from the penalty we deserve! I admit that I haven’t prayed enough, in public or private, and haven’t prayed for those who hurt me like I should. God, cause me to love like you love. Cause me to act like your child and be merciful. Cause me to desire what you desire – the salvation of sinners – even when I’m hurting. Cause me to pray to please you, because you’re worth it.

Because Jesus died for me, I can ask you for these things – amen.

1 Timothy 2:1-2a - Pray for WHO?

(1-2a) 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…

Paul begins here to give Timothy some specifics on how the Gospel should work itself out in the life of the local church. And here he commands that prayers be made! Now, this probably includes both public prayer in the church and private prayer wherever a Christian might go, since verse 8 says that men should pray everywhere.

But he exhorts us to pray. And he exhorts the pastors to exhort us to pray.

Notice all these words for prayer, by the way. We’re praying for the benefit of people. We’re praying for earthly things they need help with. We’re giving thanks for them. And ultimately, we’re praying – asking God to save them, since part of the reason God gives us for these prayers is in v. 4 – that God ‘desires all people to be saved…’

So we’re to pray for people. Who? Everybody. Really? Actually, no. The command to pray for everybody in existence is silly.

The word ‘all’ in Greek usually means ‘all of a particular group’ or ‘all types’ or ‘all without exclusion, yet not all without exception.’ In other words, it doesn’t mean ‘all universally’ most of the time.

So what does Paul mean here? We’re supposed to love people and therefore pray for them – but who?

Here’s the basic idea: we’re not to exclude people from our prayers, both public and private, based on their position. And in this day, those in positions of authority would have hated Christians.

What Paul is saying here is this: love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. That should sound familiar (Matthew 5:44).

How often do we respond to those who hurt us with complaint. With whining. We in America are not really persecuted; yet, we whine. And we whine instead of loving people through prayer.

Christ came into his creation to rescue rebels like us. And our public and corporate lives as the Church, and our private lives as disciples of Jesus, should reflect a love for people without exclusion. They, in rebellion, may hurt us. And we, in rebellion, used to live to blaspheme God.

But Christ saved us. So we should pray.

In sum,
1) Pastors need to exhort churches to pray.
2) We need to pray in public and private.
3) Those prayers should be for the earthly benefit and salvation of people, regardless of how they treat us – and even with thanksgiving.
4) And this is all a result of Christ’s love for us who hated him. If we remember the Gospel, we’ll pray for sinners like ourselves.

Prayer:
Father, thank you so much for rescuing me from the penalty of my own sins. Thank you for sending Christ to suffer in my place. I confess that I have loved poorly. I’ve loved those who love me poorly, and I’ve loved those who hurt me poorly. But you have loved me perfectly, even though I hurt you. Grant me as an individual and us together a desire for and a discipline in prayer for all types of people – not excluding anyone – but especially including those who hurt us. Thank you for them.

In Christ’s blood and righteousness we ask these things – amen.

Helpful Tip About Reading the Bible

Ray Ortlund speaks of how George Whitfield read the Bible on his blog, here.

You might not know who either of those dudes are. That's okay. Take my word for it: they're studs.

Here's the thing in a nutshell, though - the thing that hit me and I hope helps you - Whitfield prayed over every line and every word of the passage he was studying, until the passage became a part of the fabric of his own soul.

That sounds like a pretty good practice. Think I'll do it. You?

Worship, Thanks, or Both?

I was thinking about the structure of the book of Romans today. (Some of you are probably chuckling at that...)

But I realized something. Before Paul moves to assuring US of our salvation - directing US to how great it is that WE are saved (beginning in 4:23) -

he merely celebrates that God is the God who justifies the ungodly.

That he has made his righteousness known.

That he has been propitiated through the redemption in the blood of Jesus.

That he is both just and the justifier of the ungodly one who trusts Jesus.

In other words, he teaches who God is before teaching who we individually are as a result.

I wouldn't mandate this - but I think there's wisdom in it - that we worship God for who he is and what he's done and what he is capable of doing (He is just, loving, the justifier, the life-giver - even towards the ungodly) - before we thank him for justifying us personally - for saving us personally.

Or in other words - perhaps it is wise to gaze into the glory of God before we gaze into how that glory has changed us personally.

Certainly we must make it personal. I think perhaps we just tend to do so too quickly.

God is the justifier of the ungodly!

And his dedication to his own glory has justified me.

Worship

This morning as I was praying, I realized that true worship really is the result of truly tasting God's character and glory.

Because I'm depraved, that means first coming to grips with my own depravity, rebellion, and even inability to obey his holy commands. And then it means coming to grips with his love given freely in Christ.

But how often do we just sing of general ... stuff? There's nothing wrong with singing 'I could sing of your love forever' (outside of the fact that it's old and repetitive... sorry, couldn't resist the jab...), but if we're not thinking of the love of God for sinners in Christ, are we praising God... or the concept of love?

As I wrestled with God over my own sin this morning, I recognized that I really need to do this more regularly - that is, really come to grips with my ugliness, wretchedness, evil, and inability - and then the grace of God means something huge.

I'll keep that in prayer...

Say someone comes to you with a dire need. Someone they know is dying. Someone they know is spiritually dead. A relative is in bad financial straits.

I usually say, "I'll pray for you." You probably do too, right? Right. So...

1) If you can do something to help, DO SOMETHING. Remember James 1, kids.

2) Prayer is good, effective, and honoring to Jesus. So pray. Don't just say you'll pray. Pray then and there.

And then.... THEN.... WRITE IT DOWN. Seriously, do you think you're going to 'keep' ANYTHING 'in prayer' without writing it down to look at every day?

The fact of the matter is, in a fast paced, self-reliant culture, we neglect prayer. I neglect prayer. If I'm busy, it's often the first thing to go.

And also if I'm busy, prayer usually becomes about.... my junk. And no one else's. Certainly not the nation's, nor the world's... nor God's grand purpose in this world.

Whoops.

I pray through a list daily. Some of you might think that's lame. Well, I'm lame. I have a craptastic memory and a sinnin' heart that focuses on .... ME. So I write down stuff I need to pray for.

I read Scripture, ask the Father to convict me of sin, thank him for forgiving me for it, and pray through everything on that list - everything from my own walk with God, my wife's walk with God, to requests from others, to missionaries I support, to the whole world.

It ain't perfect. But it helps this dude out. Give it a shot! Prayer honors God, and through it, he's redeeming this world by the blood of Jesus.

Someone, at some point, probably prayed for your salvation. God used it. Let's keep the chain goin'.

Here's my list - maybe it'll help.

And feel free to help me out, too.

Prayer Circles

Here's a helpful tip regarding prayer: think of your life as concentric circles of involvement.

So the inner circle is you. Then the next outer one is your spouse. The next outer one is your immediate family. The next outer one is your local church. The next is the Church. The next is your country. The next is our world.

I start in the inner circle and work my way out. In each circle I have four categories of prayer -

-the manifestation of God's rule (Kingdom) for his glory)
-casting up my anxieties regarding that circle
-confessing sins in each circle
-thanking God for what he's doing in each circle

In Jesus' name...

Many of us were taught to pray and to close our prayers with the phrase "in Jesus' name." Unfortunately, we weren't taught what that actually means, and so it ends up sounding like magic words. And then we wind up wondering why he won't answer our prayers sometimes.

So what's it mean to pray "in Jesus' name?"

The short answer is this: "in Jesus' name" means to pray in union with Christ, and there are 2 facets of that.

First, it means praying with Jesus as our representative. We have no right to enter God's throne room in prayer without fearing condemnation unless Jesus suffered punishment in our place. Thus, praying in Jesus' name means that we are relying on his death and resurrection for acquittal in God's law court. (See Hebrews 4:14-16.)

Second, it means praying to represent Jesus. In other words, saying "in Jesus' name" is like saying, "I ask these things in so much as they represent Jesus' sovereign will." Or in other words, it's like saying "if it's your will, please do this." (See 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 and 1 John 5:14-15.)

These truths should help how we pray. Note that we can't go to God except through the blood of Jesus. We need to depend. We need to recognize that we are sinners approaching a holy God. We need to see his love for us in permitting us to approach him.

We also need to see that prayer is for God. It is an act of worship. It is a means of God doing what he wants - not us getting what we want - unless it's what God wants. It is an act of submission.

That should guide how we pray and for what we pray.

My Daily Prayer Guide

As promised to you CLT... attenders... this is the prayer list I use daily. I hope it proves useful to you.

Worship
Psalm for the day

Confession
What sins does my Scripture reading reveal today?
What do I love more than Jesus today?
How am I failing to love Lacey (my wife) today?

Thanksgiving
The cross (Jesus dying in my place)
The gospel in the passage I read today
The things from yesterday that God did

Daily Requests
My love for God and making his name known
My love for Lacey as Jesus loves the Church
My love for the Church (God's children)
My love for people in general (made in God's image for his glory)
For my schedule for the day (every aspect of it)
For God to open doors to proclaim the gospel
The Missionaries I support
Those who financially and prayerfully support me
Family’s salvation
Students by name
The places where I've served in ministry, and those I've served with

Miscellaneous Requests
This is where I put things when people ask for prayer, along with things I might need.

A Morning Prayer

God, I praise you because you are sovereign God. You are creator and sustainer and lover and redeemer and telos.

And I am creature, stuck in sin, in foolishness, in rebellion, in stubbornness, in deadness.

I am worth your wrath, my God. I am worthy of your hatred; being called your enemy; hell. I am worth your enmity. What have I done but earn it? I have not loved you, delighted in you, sought you or obeyed you – but as it pleased me. O God, I am a careless, spiteful, hateful, hostile rebel. I deserve hell.

But O God, you are loving towards poor sinners, knowing our wretchedness; our helplessness. And you have rightly desired to glorify yourself by loving rebels. So you saw fit to crush your own Son for me, to vindicate him by raising him from the dead, to honor him by giving him the universe for a Kingdom, to honor yourself in the future of his reign over the new creation, including the people whom you have chosen, redeemed, and will glorify.

You have given faith to those you loved, granted them Jesus’ righteousness, lavished on them the Holy Spirit, and guaranteed them glory and happiness in your presence forever.

And so I thank you for all of salvation: regeneration, justification, and glorification. Let me not rejoice that the spirits are subject to me, but that your sovereign hand has written my name in your book of life. And not only these, but in this life you have given me love, friends, food, clothing, and shelter – none of which I’ve earned – but which are all because of your grace.

I ask this: that you glorify yourself in me. Cause my mind, emotions, and will to be governed by you for your glory. Cause me to depend in prayer, to kill my flesh in faith, and to pursue the things of your Kingdom in hope.

Cause me to love as I ought, to speak as I ought, to make decisions for your sake - that whatever I do, in word or deed, might be in the name of Jesus Christ.

Cause me to first love you, second love Lacey, third love your Church, and fourth love my neighbor. Keep me in holiness all this day for your name’s sake.

In the blood and obedience of Jesus I pray, and for his glory’s sake, amen.