Our primary duty and privilege is prayer

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Exodus 12:14–13:16 

Matthew 20:29–21:22 

Psalm 25:16-22

Proverbs 6:12-15

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Matthew 21:13 "He said to them, 'The Scriptures declare, "My Temple will be called a house of prayer," ...' "

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Arguably one of the greatest privileges of the Christian life is prayer. The infinite, immense, holy God who created all things and sustains all things has invited us into His presence. We enter His presence through the activity of prayer.

It is through prayer that we make our requests known to Him. It is through prayer that we convey our heart's burdens to Him. And it is through prayer that we spend time with Him and come to know Him and enjoy Him more.

Yet, all too often, we spend very little time praying. 

Why? We typically use the excuse of a busy life – we don't have enough time to include prayer in our hectic schedule. While it certainly may be true that we are busy, we always find time to do things like eating, sleeping, and all of the other things that we value. 

It's not that we are too busy - it's that we don't value it as much as the other activities of our day that we refuse to ignore. We simply do not place a high enough priority on prayer or we would make time for it.

In this morning's verse for the day, we hear Jesus say something profound. He was walking through the Temple and noticed a lot of activity around the place of worship. It was noisy. It stunk of animal remains. Anger and frustration permeated the atmosphere as "worshipers" were taken advantage of by shysters who were selling sacrificial animals at a ridiculously elevated price.

Jesus had seen enough. Anger boiled up inside of Him. He overturned tables. He quickly made a whip and began running people out of the Temple area. And, to justify His actions, He yelled out for all to hear the words of Isaiah 56:7, "The Scriptures declare, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer.'"

He said that the primary purpose of the temple wasn't sacrifice - it was prayer. It wasn't preaching or teaching - it was prayer. It wasn't fellowship - it was prayer. It wasn't acts of kindness or ministry - it was prayer.

All of these things are good and should take place. But, the temple was to be called a house of prayer. So, as worshipers went to the Temple, if they did nothing else, they needed to comply with God's Word and spend time in prayer.

This makes it unquestionably clear how high of a priority that God places on prayer.

So, when we show up to worship services, we absolutely must spend time in prayer. And those prayers should not be cold, lifeless and rote; they should be heartfelt with a desire to engage with the Father. God wants us to engage Him in prayer when we gather for worship. (I will never forget the Sunday morning about 5 years ago that I felt led by the Lord to lead my church family in some extra time of prayer. A visitor stormed out of the auditorium at the end of the service and told our head usher, "I didn't come to church to pray!" Good grief.)

We also need to be people of prayer. The Temple no longer resides in Jerusalem. That's on purpose because God's children are now the temples of the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 6:19). Since God resides within us, prayer should be what characterizes us. Unbroken communion with our Father made possible as we spend much time each day breathing prayers Heavenward.

And don't worry that your prayers don't sound as good as you would like. Don't worry that you can't pray more than a few minutes at a time. Don't stress over not knowing what to pray about. Just do it! Your Father who longs to hear from you will meet you halfway and teach you how to commune with Him in prayer.

When Being Sad is Very Good

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Exodus 8:1-9:35
Matthew 19:13-30
Psalm 24:1-10
Proverbs 6:1-5


BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:


Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,"


REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Imagine that someone came to you today and said: "What do I need to do to get to Heaven?" If you are a Christian, that would be exciting! People rarely come right out and ask such a question but if they did, we would assume that they are ready to ask Jesus into their life.

Right? Not necessarily.

In our time in God's Word today, we read where someone came to Jesus and asked that very question:

"Someone came to Jesus with this question: 'Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" (Matthew 19:16)

Well, we would expect that Jesus would go right into the Gospel: "Say this pray and the deal is done."

Such a thing happens all too often in contemporary Christianity. Yet, it never happened in Scripture - not once. Nowhere was someone told to simply say a prayer to be saved. Instead, they were told to repent, believe, and then demonstrate a changed life the rest of their days.

So, what did Jesus say to this guy who was asking how to get to Heaven? He didn't take him to the good news of the Gospel. Instead, He took him to the Old Testament law - specifically the 10 Commandments.

Jesus observed that the guy was a little too loose in his use of the word "good." He called Jesus "good" (Matthew 19:16) even though he had no idea that Jesus was God in the flesh. He simply thought too highly of other people. He didn't realize that everyone was a guilty sinner before a holy God.

Further, he thought to highly of himself. When Jesus treated the 10 Commandments as a mirror desiring to show the guy that he was a sinner in need of a Savior, he responded by saying that he was pretty good. 

"'I've obeyed all these commandments,' the young man replied. 'What else must I do?'" (Matthew 19:20)

Good grief! The guy was saturated with self-righteousness. He had asked Jesus how to get to Heaven but he apparently thought he was more than good enough to get there on his own merits.

The irony is that before we can be saved and made righteous, we must recognize our utter sinfulness. Before we can reach out to a Savior, we must realize that we are in desperate need of saving. Before we are prepared to reach out for a cure, we must realize that we are horribly sick. Before we can go up in forgiveness and joy, we must go down in conviction and repentance.

So, because Jesus loved him, He nailed him. Jesus knew that this man needed to recognize that he desperately needed to see himself as a sinner before he could reach out for a Savior. The guy's wealth was his god - He was breaking the very first commandment. He needed to be confronted with this sin and his sinfulness so that his heart could receive the Good News.

"Jesus told him, 'If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" (Matthew 19:21)

If Jesus had balled up his fist and hit the guy right in the nose, He couldn't have startled him anymore than this. The rich young ruler was delighting in his opportunity to demonstrate his self-righteousness before Jesus and the onlookers but Jesus had just asked him to do something he was incapable of doing. His money was too valuable to him. As much as he wanted to go to Heaven, he would not give up his money to get there.

Jesus could have said, "Your money is your god" and this man would have denied it. But, in telling this man to release his grip on his wealth by giving it away, this young man's response clearly demonstrated the point for all to see.

So, what happened?

"But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions." (Matthew 19:22)

He went away without Heaven. He went away without the Gospel. He went away without forgiveness and without being saved. He went away defeated and sad. 

But, this could have been a very, very good thing! He had been confronted with the law. His heart was exposed. He had seen that he loved the temporal much more than the eternal. Over time, he may have grown so displeased at what he had seen. He wasn't as righteous as he thought he was. He was a sinner in need of a Savior.

It is quite possible that his confrontation with the law brought about conviction in his heart. It is quite possible that after his sinful heart was exposed that he may have come back to Jesus at a later time to be saved - not as a righteous man but as a guilty sinner in need of a Savior. At that point, he would have been ready to receive what Jesus desired to give him.

Just a thought:
This man was unnamed. We don't know who he was. But wouldn't it be a wonderful story if we get to Heaven and realize that this unnamed rich young ruler was Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man (Matthew 27:57), who took Jesus body and buried it in his own cave only for it to be vacated 3 days later? We'll just have to wait and see.

The Seriousness of Failing to Forgive

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Exodus 5:22-7:25
Matthew 18:21-19:12
Psalm 23:1-6
Proverbs 5:22-23


BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Matthew 18:21-22 "Then Peter came to him and asked, 'Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?' 'No, not seven times,' Jesus replied, 'but seventy times seven!'"


REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

On Sunday mornings at Westside Baptist Church, I am preaching through the book of Hebrews. This past week, our text was Hebrews 12:14-17. It begins with "Strive for peace with everyone..." I noted that a refusal to forgive is a huge problem in our churches and, in my estimation, one of the two primary heart issues that results in the emotional problems that so many Christians are plagued with today.

In this morning's verse for the day, we see God's Word telling us once again that we must let offenses go. (We are reminded that God commands what is for our good: do what God says - no emotional problems.) We can't hold onto hurts. We must forgive even when the perpetrator remains unrepentant. In the rare case that someone actually comes to us and asks for forgiveness, we are obligated to do that even if they come back 490 times (70 x 7). But, if we are counting, we aren't forgiving.

The seriousness of forgiveness is found in the story Jesus told (Matthew 18:23-35) after these comments. He talked about a man who owed his king millions of dollars. As he begged his king for mercy, his massive debt was forgiven. Then this forgiven man went to someone who owed him thousands of dollars, a paltry sum when compared to the debt forgiven by the king. The debtor pleaded for mercy but was thrown into jail for the offense.

In this story, the point is obvious. Since the original slave was forgiven millions of dollars of debt, shouldn't he have forgiven someone who owed him only a few thousand dollars? When he had been forgiven so much, how could he refuse to forgive someone else of a much smaller debt? The injustice of this scenario is clear.

Only a moment's reflection is needed to show the even deeper truth: Since God has forgiven us of our massive sin debt against Him that required the crucifixion of His Son, shouldn't we forgive those who sin against us? After all, their offenses against us pale in comparison to how much we offended a holy God before He forgave us and saved us.

But, the story doesn't end here. Jesus said something else that grabs our attention as he brings his point to it's climax. When the king found out that the slave he had forgiven had refused to forgive someone of a much smaller debt, he responded...

Matthew 18:34-35 "Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 'That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.'"

The king would not have reinstated the original debt. It was impossible to repay before the slave was put in prison - being confined to prison would only guarantee that nothing would be paid back.

So, this "entire debt" and "to be tortured" must simply refer to the king's punishing his unforgiving slave until he learned his lesson. He had been forgiven all so he must learn to forgive others. Refusing to forgive only means that he will be sorely disciplined until he does.

If God's discipline took no other form, we know that those who refuse to forgive may end up with things like ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety disorders, and so much more. God has called us to live with an attitude of forgiveness - and it is good for us.

Jesus tells us that this is what our "heavenly Father will do to (us) if we refuse to forgive ... from our hearts." Since we have been forgiven of our massive sin debt against a holy God, it is completely unjust and evil if we do not forgive those around us who have wronged us.

Is it easy to forgive? Nope. In some cases, it would seem impossible. We've been hurt so badly that forgiveness seems wrong on every level, especially if we think that forgiving the offender will release them from consequences we believe that they deserve.

But, this is not our call. God is the Judge. He will make things right in His time and in His way. But, as we wait, we are commanded to live in perpetual forgiveness.

We will learn that as we do the difficult thing that God has called us to do, we will not be imprisoned and tortured by the emotional problems so characteristic of those who grow bitter as they refuse to forgive. God's commands really are for our good.

Working for Reconciliation

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Exodus 4:1–5:21

Matthew 18:1-20

Psalm 22:19-31

Proverbs 5:15-21

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Matthew 18:15-17 "If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Forgiving someone who has hurt us is often incredibly difficult. Sometimes, it seems impossible!

The difficulty is often found in the depth of the pain - we simply don't want to be hurt again so we avoid the one who injured us. Yet, the problem is virtually always compounded by our own pride - "How dare you treat me that way! I'll make you pay for what you did to me!"

So, we hold onto wrongs done to us. We justify maintaining a state of unforgiveness in our sinful heart. In doing so, we willfully refuse to comply with the command given to us by God in Romans 12:18 where it says: "Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone."

The end result is impotent individuals and impotent churches. Nothing of eternal value will happen because God has withheld His hand of blessing. Further, the lost world is not drawn to Jesus because they see us at odds with each other and fail to see how He makes a difference in our lives.

So what is the remedy? How do we make things right?

In this morning's reading, we come across Matthew 18:15-17. Jesus gives us the step-by-step process by which we seek to make things right. If someone has hurt us, then Jesus puts the ball in our court. If we are the offended party, we are the ones commanded to take action.

But before beginning this process, we must realize that the ultimate goal of Jesus' instruction is restoration, not 'in your face' confrontation. This process (Matthew 18:15-17) immediately follows the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14). In this previous parable, the goal was to find the wayward lost sheep and to bring it back - just as someone who has hurt us deeply should be found and brought back to a place where the relationship can be healed and restored.

So, what are the steps when someone hurts you? (And we're talking about the big stuff, here - not the small things that we simply need to get over. We should never wear a chip on our shoulder daring others to knock it off.)

Step 1:

Go to the that person privately (Matthew 18:15). Don't bring anyone into the ordeal (certainly don't gossip). Pray before you speak with them and go with an attitude of humility. Let them know of the wrong that was committed and give them an opportunity to repent (confess, apologize, commit to never do it again).

Step 2:

If they don't respond positively, we are to take it to the next step and bring 1-2 neutral witnesses / arbitrators (Matthew 18:16). The purpose of these witnesses is not to "gang up" on the one who refuses to make things right. Instead, their purpose is to witness the interaction and to encourage reconciliation. If the matter isn't resolved and it goes to the next step, they can inform the church of what they saw and heard.

Step 3: 

If they don't respond positively, we are to take it to the next step and tell the church (Matthew 18:17). The purpose of this would be to get the church to pray for the wayward sinner - the one who has wronged us and refuses to make it right. Also, the church (now informed of the problem) would, through the pastor(s) or deacons, look for a way to resolve the issue. They would send someone to the guilty party who would seek to bring about reconciliation.

Step 4: 

If they don't respond positively to the church, the church takes it to the next and final step: "treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector." Essentially, treat them like someone who is on their way to Hell and needs to be saved. Why? Because saved people don't act like this.

It is unfortunate that too many of us hold onto hurts. We not only refuse to work to make  things right, we may also periodically bring others into it by way of gossip and only compound the problem. All the while, Satan laughs and lost people remain unconvinced that Jesus really does change lives.

So, commit to the pattern Jesus has given to us. If someone commits a major offence against you, work toward reconciliation. It will be tough. Sometimes it won't end well. But, sometimes we will experience joy as relationships once characterized by hurt feelings can be replaced by friendships that bring us joy.

And God will be glorified! Why? Well, if for no other reason, we will have done what He's really good at:

Ephesians 4:32 "Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

What's in a Name?

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Exodus 2:11–3:22

Matthew 17:10-27

Psalm 22:1-18

Proverbs 5:7-14

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Exodus 3:14-15 "God replied to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.' God also said to Moses, 'Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.'"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

It has been said that the most beautiful word in the world is our own name. We enjoy hearing someone else call us by name, especially if it is someone that we care about.

Why? Because everything that we are is tied up in our name. When someone cares enough to use our name in conversation, they are giving us value.

But there's one more thing – using someone's name speaks of relationship. We typically don't remember someone's name that we don't plan on getting to know. Yet, we will rarely forget someone's name who we enjoyed being with and would enjoy getting to know.

In Exodus 3, God told Moses to give Pharaoh a visit and tell him to free the Israelites. Moses knew that the Egyptian leader wouldn't do such a thing if a former-Egyptian-turned-shepherd made such a demand. He needed to appeal to a higher authority. But who?

So, God told him whose authority to appeal to. It's interesting that God didn't say, "Tell him God said so." Instead, He said: "Tell him I AM (Yahweh) said so."

God didn't give Moses His title (God). He gave him His name (Yahweh).

In doing so, God revealed much of who He is. As the great I AM, He is the existing One, the source from which all other life comes. Simply put, if God did not exist, neither would anything else.

Yet, in giving His name He also said: "I want you to know Me. I'm your God but I'm not some distant, impossible-to-get-to-know deity. Instead, I will work to make myself known to you so that you can know Me and enjoy Me. And by the way, you can just call me Yahweh."

After Adam and Eve violated God's command and thus put a wedge in humanity's relationship with God, He has been working to bring us back into relationship with Him. 

The ultimate and final expression of His love and the way in which we are brought into a deep, lasting relationship with Him is found in Jesus. When we acknowledge our guilt before a holy God and put our complete trust in Jesus to forgive us and fit us for heaven, we receive the gift of eternal life and are invited into a relationship with Yahweh that only gets better and better as time passes. Knowing God (in relationship) is ultimately what it means to be saved.

John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

So, spend time with Yahweh today. He is inviting you into a deeper relationship with Him that will glorify Him and be a source of fulfilling joy to you.

To Obey or Not to Obey, That is the Question

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Genesis 50:1—Exodus 2:10
Matthew 16:13–17:9
Psalm 21:1-13 
Proverbs 5:1-6

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Exodus 1:15-17 "Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: 'When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.' But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

For the Christian citizen, there are two primary laws: the law of the land and the Law of God. Ideally, we live in a country where we can obey both, simultaneously.

For instance, God's Word says in Exodus 20: "You shall not murder." The United States of America also has the same law on their books - it is illegal to murder and it carries a stiff penalty. So, as I live out my faith and comply with God's Law, I am also simultaneously complying with my country's laws. This is the ideal situation.

Fortunately, I am blessed to live in a country where I can generally obey both at the same time. Yet, when unjust and unrighteous laws are put on the books, the Christian citizen will be forced to make a decision – to obey the Law of God or obey the laws of man. For the sold-out follower of Jesus, that decision has already been made.

We see this played out in the verses for today. The Israelite midwives were commanded in the laws of the land to murder all of the newborn males. The Law of God (even though it had not yet been written on stone, it was written on their hearts) demanded that they value all life. So they obeyed God's Law and disobeyed man's law. In so doing, they gained the favor of God and were willing to take the consequences from man.

So what is our response to this truth?

- Pray for our governmental leaders. We should pray that they only put into law those commands that will allow us to obey them as we obey God's Word.

- Spend much time in God's Word so that you know what it says and can obey it. When God's Word conflicts with man's laws, calmly exercise civil disobedience (many of the Civil Rights Movement leaders did this).

- Pray regularly for our persecuted brothers and sisters who live in countries where obeying God Word puts them in direct opposition to the laws of the land and the government that enforces it.

It's What's In Your Heart that Counts

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Genesis 48:1–49:33
Matthew 15:29–16:12
Psalm 20:1-9
Proverbs 4:20-27

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 4:23 "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

It doesn't take long as we read the Bible before we realize that God cares deeply about our hearts. Over and over the Scriptures make it clear that God doesn't simply care about what we do – He is very concerned about what's going on in our heart when we do it.

Our words and actions can allow us to pretend to be something that we are not. Our hearts, if they were fully exposed, would reveal precisely who we are.

That's why God likes looking beyond our actions and into our hearts. He wants to know who we really are.

1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"

Our verse for the day says that we should guard our hearts. We should keep the impure out and only dwell on the good and holy. We should spend much time in God's Word so that it begins to change our thinking.

Why? Because we tend to act like who we really are. Our words and actions will tend to be consistent with what we are dwelling on in our innermost being.

Do you want to be more like Jesus? Do you want to experience God's blessings? Then focus on getting your heart right. Your actions will follow.

How to Think Positively About the Bad Things in Our Life

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Genesis 44:1–45:28
Matthew 14:13-36
Psalm 18:37-50 
Proverbs 4:11-13

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Genesis 45:5 "But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

As Christians and people of the Word, we are convinced and comforted that our Heavenly Father reigns supremely over every single detail of the universe and of our life. Further, we are comforted in the truth of Romans 8:28 when it says that God will work all things (especially the bad things) for our ultimate good.

So, being convinced of this truth, Joseph's words make sense in this morning's verse of the day.

It is true that his brothers callously and maliciously sold him into slavery. If you asked them at the time why they did it, they would have told you that they acted out their own will without any outside influence. They despised their spoiled brother and wanted to be rid of him.

Yet, when we understand God's supreme control over all things, we realize that He was orchestrating every single detail. Whether He actively willed Joseph to be sold into slavery or whether He passively allowed Joseph's brothers to sell him is not the point. The ultimate point is that Joseph clearly understood that God was working behind the scenes, orchestrating every single minute detail.

And friend, this truth is not only true of Joseph. It is true of you, too!

When bad things come your way, you can fret and worry and shake your fist at heaven. Yet, God has never intended for us to respond this way. Through the trials, He desires that we pray for strength and wisdom to stand tall and learn the lesson(s) He is teaching us. Further, He desires for us to be comforted in the trial, resting in the fact that He is fully in control.

Maybe, like Joseph, there will come a day in this life when you will understand what God was doing in the difficult times. But, it is quite possible that such a eureka moment may never come this side of death's door.

Regardless of whether or not it ever makes sense in this life, do not allow yourself to be robbed of the comfort to be had in knowing that your Heavenly Father (if you are saved) is fully in control. Everything you go through, including the bad stuff, has come from His hands and has a divine purpose. So, trust Him as He writes the beautiful story of your life.

When (and Why) A Christian Must Speak Out Against Government

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Genesis 42:18–43:34
Matthew 13:47–14:12
Psalm 18:16-36 
Proverbs 4:7-10

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Matthew 14:3-4 "For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). John had been telling Herod, 'It is against God’s law for you to marry her.'"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Yesterday, the 45th president of the United States was sworn into office. According to God's Word, regardless of whether or not we like those who are in authority, we are commanded by our God to submit to them and regularly pray for them (see Romans 13:1; 1 Timothy 2:1-2).

But, that does not mean that we keep our mouths closed when our government, or the individuals in positions of leadership, do wrong. In fact, when we look at the verses for today, we see John the Baptist speaking against the evils of "king" Herod.

Why did John care about Herod's sinful lifestyle? Simply put – a leader's lifestyle will, to one extent or another, define what is right and wrong for those who are under their authority. So, John the Baptist called out sin when he saw it even in someone who claimed no relationship with the Lord.

Our 45th president is not without his flaws. His previous (and present?) lifestyle, and his refusal to repent of any of it, is well documented. While we are praying for him and are grateful for his generous references to Jesus and God's Word, we should never be seen to condone what is horribly offensive to God. (We're not talking about the small things. We ALL sin.)

Why?

Because his lifestyle will eventually redefine what is right and wrong in our country. The Church simply cannot preach against sin in the church house on Sunday and affirm it in the White House on Monday.

An Inaugural Prayer (January 20, 2017)

Lord, we are so thankful that we live in a country, the most powerful country in the world, and yet governmental powers are regularly transferred peacefully. We thank You that this has been the case today.

And Lord, there is much work ahead. Our total national debt has approached a staggering $20 trillion. Our nation is as divided as it has ever been on a multitude of fronts. While abortion totals continue to decline we are still a nation that allows infanticide that is protected under the laws on our books. Law-enforcement officers have regularly become targets of murderers. Our nation has tiptoed around the growing threat of rogue nations and groups such as Iran and ISIS. And this list could keep going, and going, and going.

And so we desire to comply with Your Word, Lord. You have told us in Romans 13:1 to submit to our governmental leaders. You have also told us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 to pray for our governmental leaders. These commands are given regardless of who is in office and regardless of their moral character, regardless of the sins that are so well known and regardless of their refusal to repent. So, we commit, right here and now, because of Your command, to submit to our President’s authority and pray for him, Lord.

Yet, there is the tendency, Lord, to assume that the answer is found in the White House. But our problems are not essentially legislative and policy oriented. While we need men and women of character to lead our nation and to write and enforce just laws, the problem is ultimately a heart issue. If the citizens of our divided nation don’t have a change of heart, people will just continue to get angrier and angrier.

What we need is a good old fashioned national revival, Lord. And movements like this have never originated in the White House – they have always tended to start in the church house.

And so while we pray for our new President and ask that You would protect him and guide him, we also pray that You would awaken Your church in America. May men and women who profess to be Christians get as excited about following Jesus as they have been about politics. May we see a fresh awakening where large groups of people are once again convicted of sin and brought into a life-changing, heart-changing relationship with You.

Only then, Lord, can we truly say that America will be great.

And so as we pray for our President, and as we pray for the state of our churches, we pray that Your people who are called by Your name (those of us who are Christians), will humble ourselves, and pray and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways. Only then will You, who are in Heaven, hear us and forgive us and heal our land.

In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Some Biblical Help for Parenting

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Genesis 41:17–42:17
Matthew 13:24-46
Psalm 18:1-15 
Proverbs 4:1-6

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 4:1-4 "My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment, for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions. For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child. My father taught me, 'Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live.'"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

As a child is growing up, they cannot imagine that their parents were once children, too. Since this is the case, they feel an incredible disconnect with their dad and mom. More times than not, they believe that their parents do not understand them and don't know what it's like to be a child/teenager.

In this morning's verse for today, Solomon had to remind his son that there had been a time when he was a child, too. "For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child."

Parents, we have had years to spend in God's Word and have gained much wisdom from our lifetime of experiences (a result of our good and bad choices).

However, the knowledge of our past failures can skew our ability to raise emotionally healthy Jesus-followers. Maybe in our younger years we made some horrible, sinful decisions – so we are much too strict on our children in order to keep them from making the stupid / sinful choices that we made. Or, we may go to the other extreme and are much too lenient on our children because we are living in guilt and would feel like a hypocrite to demand more of them than we do of ourselves.

This is why God's Word and the Cross are so vital to parenting.

God's Word gives us a clear understanding of what is right and wrong and shows us the kind of behaviors and mindsets that we should comply with and instill in our children.

The Cross reminds us that we, and our children, will falter every day. We will break God's laws and sin. But, when we drop to our knees, ask for forgiveness, repent (turn from the sin), and receive Jesus' cleansing, we get a fresh start. Grace is an absolutely beautiful word and something that God delights to lavish upon us and our children each day.

Parents, you know your children much more than they think you do. Use God's Word, Jesus' Cross (grace), and your experiences to prayerfully raise the next generation of emotionally healthy Jesus-followers.

The Benefit of Genuine Doubt

Periodically, Christians struggle with doubt. 

That doubt can come in many forms. 

• Sometimes, we may doubt that God is listening to our prayers. 
• Sometimes, we may doubt that He really loves us in light of the horrible things we've done. 
• Sometimes, we may wonder if He's even real.

We can be thankful that the Bible includes stories that don't gloss over the bad stuff. The narratives in the Bible give us the good, the bad, and the ugly.

In Matthew 11, we are brought into a story where a great man of faith had a faith meltdown. When we think of John the Baptist, we typically think of a rugged (yet eccentric) man out in the wilderness who wasn't afraid to look rebellious people in the face and call them snakes (Luke 3:7). When we think of him, we think of the incredible man of faith that baptized Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17). He was a powerful man saturated with confidence in his God.

In fact, he was the man who identified Jesus to the crowd that had come to his baptism:

John 1:29 "The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"

Yet, there was a time when his faith stumbled. I mean, it hit rock bottom! 

He was in a prison - there for calling out a public leader on the grounds of adulterous incest (Matthew 14:3-4). As he sat in that prison, his faith faltered. He began to question things that had been deeply held convictions earlier. 

So, he sent some of his followers to Jesus to ask a question. He needed to know the answer. He needed to be encouraged so that his faith could be bolstered again.

Matthew 11:2-3 "Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"

In other words, John the Baptist was saying: "Jesus, I know that you are the long awaited Messiah. At least I used to believe it. I have already told people that you are. But, my faith is really struggling right now. I've got some serious doubts as these prison walls close in on me. Please tell me again that You are who You say You are."

Well, how did Jesus respond? Did He ask, "My goodness! What happened to your faith?!" Did he say, "Oh, you poor thing. You of so little faith."?

Nope!

If you read the next few verses (Matthew 11:4-11), you will hear Jesus give John's disciples some encouraging words to take back to him. As those disciples left, Jesus began bragging on John, apparently loud enough for John's disciples to hear those words, too.

So, what can we draw from this? What is the take-away that can help us in our walk with Jesus?

Simply that God is more gracious and patient that we may realize. When we doubt and express those doubts, He may not be so quick to say, "Oh, you of little faith." Instead, because of His love for us, He may look for ways to bolster our faith and encourage us along the way.

I really think that a lot of us need to reflect much more often on grace and how, through Jesus, we are recipients of it. Even when we have times of doubt - and we will - we can offer them up to the Lord. We can tell Him all about about it and can be assured that He's going to love us through it.

After all, this is how He responded to John the Baptist.

Understanding Proverbs and how God blesses

The verses that I chose from today's Bible reading are Proverbs 3:9-10. Yet, in order to properly understand those verses, we need to briefly do a little background work.

So, here goes...

To understand the book of Proverbs, you must understand that it is a book of general truths. They are true most of the time.

For instance, look at the following verses that appear one right after the other:

Proverbs 26:4 "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself."

Proverbs 26:5 "Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes."

Now, if these two verses had appeared in Proverbs but were separated by at least a few chapters, someone would allege that they were a contradiction. Yet, the author chose to put them side-by-side. So, there must be something else going on here.

The only explanation that makes sense is that both verses are generally true. You will simply have to determine which one is relevant and applicable by considering the circumstances. On some occasions, you will believe it is the right thing to ignore a foolish person. On other occasions, you will feel the need to show them their error.

So, the book of Proverbs is full of general truths.

Now, let's get to the verses I chose from today's One Year Bible reading:

Proverbs 3:9-10 "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine."

That's a wonderful promise, isn't it? We are told that when we honor and show our gratitude to the Lord by giving back to Him a portion of what He's blessed us with that He will bless us beyond our capacity to bear it.

Yet, with what we know of the book of Proverbs and how we are to interpret it, we realize that this is a general truth. It isn't true all of the time. But, much of the time, the Lord will bless those who honor Him and thank Him.

So, let's get right to the questions that we all want answers to: "Does this general truth still apply?" and "How do I get blessed?"

The answer to the first question is a resounding "yes!" Of course God delights to bless those who honor Him.

Then, how does He bless us? Sure, the Lord can bless through monetary gain. Just Google the story of R.G. LeTourneau and read the story of an American businessman who experienced God's blessings as he honored the Lord.

But, it seems to me that most of the time, God's blessings come in other forms. After all, Jesus' disciples and His followers throughout the ages have typically not been independently wealthy. Yet, they have been blessed. How? He blesses us with friends and family. He blesses us with the ability to serve and bless others. He blesses us with peace in the middle of a major life storm. He blesses us with an experience where He becomes much more real and enjoyable to us. On and on this list goes.

So, apply Proverbs 3:9-10 today. Hold the Lord in high esteem in your mind and heart. Express your gratitude for how wonderful He is to you. Then, expect to be blessed. Look for the fingerprints of God throughout your day. Almost certainly, you will have something to thank Him for, a blessing, before the day is out.