A Great New Work

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2: 8 – 10

An understanding of the Christian experience of salvation is necessary if we  are to follow the exhortation to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We should take great pride in being a Christian, that is, being children of God. Reflection on becoming a Christian should inspire persons to trust Jesus and motivate those who have trusted Him.

The process is by grace. Grace is the opposite of merit.  Grace excludes all merit on the part of man. To be saved by grace cannot take into account any merit either before salvation, at the time of salvation, or after salvation. 

Grace is a benevolent act of love which bestowed mercy on the undeserving. It is given freely while expecting and demanding nothing in return.

By it one is saved.  It is an act complete in the past with permanent continuing results. This is what it means to be saved and what salvation is:

Salvation is a crisis experience – I have been saved.

Salvation is a continuing process – I am being saved.

Salvation is a culminating victory – I shall be saved.

This grace given is appropriated by faith. Faith is the channel for the operation of grace. It is the instrumental cause of salvation. It is man’s response to Christ as the object of their faith.

Salvation is a gift. It is a present from God that can’t be acquired by merit. 

It is not of works. Salvation has to be entirely of grace or entirely of works.  It cannot be a combination of both.  The Bible plainly says that it is not of works, but of grace.  “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”  (Gal 2:16)

This leaves no room for boasting, that is, glory or exalt proudly. 

We are His workmanship, “poiema,” creation, handiwork, piece of work.

God  is the Workman. He is the One who is fashioning. It is a wonderful picture of God as a kind of Artist.

We are not saved by works, but we are saved to work. Note “unto” not “by.”  Be patient with God.  God had to work in Moses for forty years before His could work through him. All the good works in the world cannot make you right with God, but once a person is made right with Him through His creative grace, there is something wrong with the person who has no good works. 

Walking in good works speaks of conduct in life.

Take an inventory.  Which of the four works are you experiencing?  Is sin working AGAINST you because of your failure to trust Christ? Have you experienced Christ’s work FOR you?  Are you patient as He works IN you?  Will you allow Him to work THROUGH you? Reflect and respond appropriately.

Prayer: The Way to Be Co-controller of the Universe 8/2/98

Matthew 6:5-13
Page 1416 Come Alive Bible

JESUS CHRIST taught us to pray. He set the example for us in prayer. He prayed: at His baptism, temptation, transfiguration, Lord’s Supper, Gethsemane, and briefly on the cross. There was only one period when He did not pray. That was when the sins of the world rested on Him on the cross. That in part explains why so many people are not praying today – SIN.

An overly simplistic descriptive explanation of prayer is simply finding God’s will and praying “Thy will be done.” In this manner one becomes co-controller of the universe. It is done by the will and power of the other co-controller.

Throughout the Bible it is as though God is begging us to talk to Him, to pray. His telling us to pray is like a parent telling a child to clean up his or her dirty room. The parent doesn’t tell the child to clean up the room simply because he or she wants the child to know it is dirty. The parent wants action. For the same reason God tells us to pray. He want’s action.

On a recent flight across our great land I noticed many major rivers and large lakes. These represent large reserves of energy. Most of them were not being used to supply our country with the much needed power. A greater waste is our failure to pray.

In Queensland, Australia some poor workmen tried to eke out a living on a plot of land. They lived in poverty not knowing that there on Mt. Morgan beneath their feet was one of the largest gold deposits in the world. They lived in bread lines with gold of inestimable value beneath their feet. Many Christians are living as spiritual paupers because they have failed to use their greatest right – the right of prayer.

Trials and tribulations are gold mines from which we get some of life’s greatest prizes.

“Lord, when am I going to get out of this?,” instead of, “Lord what am I going to get out of this?”

One of the biggest blessings in a person’s life is helplessness. When this is realized persons respond to God in prayer. As a result many persons are aware of their helplessness today and are turning to God.

There is a prayer meeting every Monday morning at 6:00 AM in the office of General Mathis, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, in the Pentagon.

Numerous prayer meetings are conducted each week on Wall Street.

Satan trembles when he sees – the weakest Christian on his knees.

I. PRAYER IS A RELATIONSHIP
Prayer is not:
A supernatural credit card.
A magic wand to wave to keep evil away or a lucky rabbit’s foot to bring good fortune.
An opiate to tranquilize nervous Christians.
A campaign to persuade God to do something.

To whom do you pray? Jesus taught us to pray – “Our Father…” In praying most persons are more concerned with what they are praying for than with the One to whom they are praying. Pray to God. Think not about your weakness but about His strength. It may be acceptable for a child to give its dad a Christmas list of things desired, but if that is the only relationship they have it is not a good one. Don’t treat God like a Santa to whom you present your list of wants.

In whose name? Jesus taught us to pray in His name. Just tacking the words “in Jesus name” on the end of your petition does not make it a prayer offered in Jesus name. It is not a verbal spell, but basing our requests on Jesus saving relationship. To pray in His name is to pray as His proxy. It is to pray as one with Christ, one whose mind is the mind of Christ, whose desire is the desire of Christ, whose purpose is the purpose of Christ.

We must not ask Him to contradict Himself and violate His will (I John 5: 13-15).

Young Robert Louis Stevenson said to his mother, “You can’t be good without praying?” She asked how he knew with such certainty. He replied, “I have tried.”

Pilgrim’s Progress: Christian making his way toward the eternal city. His back was burdened with sin. He came to Calvary, knelt, and prayed. His sins were loosed, rolled down the hill into a sepulcher and were buried forever. Then he said with a merry heart, “He has given me rest by his sorrow and life by his death.”

“Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1). Note, they did not say teach us “how” to pray. Most people know how to pray they simply don’t do it. Follow His example.

You might question how to get to a certain place. The answer might be given: “Go to the second red light, turn left, go 6 blocks past the little white church, turn right, go 7 blocks…you can’t miss it.”

Such might be confusing.

You might ask another the same question and the response might be: “Follow me and I will direct you.” Thus, the way becomes clear. Following Christ’s example in prayer sets a good standard.

Don’t try to pray with unconfessed sin in your life. Don’t try to pray in a state of disobedience. Don’t harbor a secret sympathy with sin.

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18).

NASA reports that the slightest piece of lint from clothing or moisture from a fingerprint can make a sophisticated guided missile traveling twice the speed of sound miss its target. Sin causes our prayers to be off target also.

Prayer has as much to do with what we do when not praying as what we say when praying.

II. PRAYER IS REASONABLE
There is a difference in air and breath. Air is all around us. It is presently bringing 14.7 lbs. of pressure per square inch on you. Only when it is allowed to enter us does it become breath. As with air, God surrounds us at all times. When you relax and let air in, it becomes breath. When you relax spiritually and let Christ into your thoughts, that is prayer. It is letting God in.

The sinning man will stop praying – the praying man will stop sinning.

Prayer is simply profound and profoundly simple.

Preacher who is not praying is playing.

People who are not praying are straying.

In prayer put your all on the altar and don’t alter the altar. It is a place of sacrifice.

The love of God wants the best for us.

The wisdom of God knows the best for us.

The power of God can accomplish the best for us.

Let your prayer be natural. Don’t put a steeple in your throat and act like you are speaking through stained glass. Don’t impose on God like a child leaving a test praying, “Please make Macon the capital of Georgia.” Prayer is supernatural but it is not anti-natural.

The answers to prayer are: YES, NO, and YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING!

In reality the answers are: yes, no, or an EXPLANATION; “My grace is sufficient…” Where did the idea originate that NO is not an answer.

We often say, “Prayer works,” and it does. By that we most often mean we got a direct “yes” answer to a prayer. However, not all prayers get a yes answer. However, prayer still works in that it increases our fellowship with God. It draws us closer to Him. It renews and refreshes us. It makes us aware of our dependence on Him.

The pretense of prayer should never be a sly way of gossiping or spreading a rumor. On occasion it is used as a cover for gossip. “I want to share this with you as a matter of prayer concern. Do you know ….”

Prayer should never be used as an indirect method of solicitation. “I have been praying for a…. Pray with me about it.” Prayer is to God. It is not in order that we might be heard.

Roger Staubach, the outstanding quarterback for the U.S. Naval Academy and Dallas Cowboys was followed at Navy by Bruce Bickle. They were close friends. After their stints in the Navy Roger became quarterback for the Cowboys and Bruce became an FCA staff member.

Bruce was a mature Christian and at a stage in his spiritual growth Roger called Bruce and asked that he be permitted to call him long distance each night for a Bible study by phone. This they did for some time.

Bruce was surviving on a meager FCA income and had need of a car. He had been praying for some time for a car. He never mentioned this to Roger who was doing very well on his NFL salary. One evening Roger said, “Bruce, I have just been given a car as the outstanding player in the Super Bowl. I don’t need another car. Can you use it?”

Who answered that prayer God or Roger. I think Roger and Bruce would both say God. Had Bruce been telling Roger he needed a car it might have been simply Roger’s kindness responding to a need. However, Bruce gave God the opportunity to work in supplying his need.

Consider these A, B, C’s of prayer:

ACCEPT. Prayer is the ability to accept. It is not merely the ability to be immune or exempted from a difficult situation. It is the ability to transform difficult situations and conditions.

Paul had a thorn in the flesh which he desired to have removed (I Corinthians 12: 1-10).

It was not. Instead, through prayer it was transformed into an occasion for God to demonstrate His grace.

Jesus in Gethsemane transformed agony into glory.

BEAR. Prayer is the ability to bear. In our human condition there are inevitably conditions we feel we can’t bear. Most have faced such grim circumstances. Prayer is not an escape route. Prayer gives us the ability to face the unfaceable, to bear the unbearable, to pass the breaking point without breaking.

COOPERATE. Prayer gives us the ability to cooperate with God.

Prayer is not a way to push things off on God that we might do for ourselves. It is asking Him for the enabling power to do things for Him. If it is ever turned into an attempt to get Him to do things for us that we should do ourselves it is bad. Such would make us spiritually lazy and flabby. Prayer gives no person the right to sit idly and wait. Instead it gives courage to rise and risk.

When we pray and set about to do all we can then we realize a new dynamic has entered our life. Prayer is not saying, “Dear God, please do for me what I want,” but, “Please do in me, with me, and through me what you want.”

III. PRAYER HAS REQUIREMENTS
Know the difference in a PROMISE and a FACT. Pray the promises. A promise has a condition. A fact is a reality without condition.

We are encouraged by some to pray the promises and it is a good idea. However, we must not confuse a proverb, a parable, or a prophecy with a promise. Some doing so are confused as to why God doesn’t respond. We are to pray the promises after complying with the conditions.

Jesus said: “Whatsoever ye ask in my name, that will I do…”

John 14: 13,14: The condition is “in my name,” that is, as My proxy. This means to pray what you think Jesus would pray if He were in your situation.

Abraham “staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to Glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform” (Romans 4: 20, 21).

We are not authorized to claim anything God has not promised.

James 4:3, “Ye have not because ye ask not…consume it unto your own lusts.”

There must be a cleansed life. Psalms 66:18 calls spiritual contamination “iniquity”. It does not make sense from a Biblical standpoint to pray for anything if there is unconfessed sin in our life.

The Psalmist said it clearly, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm. 66:18).

Solomon in his wisdom wrote: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whosoever confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is ear heavy, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Is. 59: 1,2).

James 5:16 gives us insight into the opposite of this: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

I John 1:9 tells us how to have our sins removed and become the righteous person with prayer potential.

There must be obedience. I John 3:22 “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing to Him.”

Open My Eyes Lord

Sometimes incidents and sometimes individuals give us great pain. One of my favorite characters, Booker T. Washington, once said, “I will permit no man to narrow and degrade me by making me hate him.” Resolve to let no individual or incident narrow and degrade your soul.

“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath.” If you harbor anger it may lead to rebellion against God.

Inordinate anger blocks the road leading to blessings God has in store for us. It inhibits our vision of good things that might be.

We profess to want God’s guidance. However, only when we do what He has instructed us to do will He guide us to do more. Understanding God’s will is very much like driving a car at night with lights on. You can see only so far. However, as you drive further you can see more. If you stop your extended vision ceases. When you go as far as you can see you can see further. Go as far as you can see and you can see further. When we do what God reveals for us to do then He reveals more for us to do. This He does in strange ways.

If we are not doing His will why should He reveal more things for us not to do. Doing His will increases the range of our faith beams. God often does simple things to significantly reassure us.

From the dark hours of World War II emerged the story of an humble French pastor and his family that lived through those difficult years. The mother in the family hand wrote over 200 Scripture promises and kept them in her “promise box.” Each day the family drew out a promise and reflected upon it together. 

During the most difficult of days during the war food became scarce. They resorted to eating potato soup made from peelings scavenged from German dining halls. The children became emaciated; they cried for food. In one of their most desperate moments the young mother cried out to God for reassurance. She prayed, “Lord, I have such a great need. Is there a promise that is really for me? Show me, O Lord, what promise I can have in time of nakedness, peril, and sword.”

She was blinded by her tears as she reached for her “promise box” and accidentally knocked it over. The promises showered around her, on her lap and on the floor. In a moment of supreme joy she realized that all the promises were indeed for her in the very hour of her greatest need. She was refreshed to remember that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. His promises are intended to refresh and renew us — to restore our soul.

Pause and resolve these three things.

I will permit no man to narrow and degrade me by making me hate him. I will do what I know to do and anticipate more to know and do,

I will be sensitive to God’s shower of promises every day.

With All My Heart

The word heart occurs 862 times in the Bible.  Half of those times are mentioned in the Wisdom Literature and the Prophets. 

An understanding of how the word “heart” is used in Scripture is beneficial. 

Often the word “heart” refers to the organ, however, what the word “heart” stands for is how it should be understood most often.

The Hebrew word for heart in the Old Testament was “Lev” and it wasn’t a body part to the Israelites. They had a broader understanding of heart than we do in our modern context. They thought of the heart as the organ that gives physical life and the place where you think and make sense of the world—where you feel emotions and make choices.

The New Testament Greek word for heart is kardiá. It was used to refer to one’s entire emotional nature and understanding. The heart was the organ that was believed to have the ability to reason, question, meditate, motivate, and think.

There was a time when it was believed thoughts originated in the heart, were carried to the brain by the blood and there became conscious thoughts.

In the Bible the heart is the locus of physical and spiritual being, and represents the “central wisdom of feeling as opposed to the head-wisdom of reason.” It is compassion and understanding, life-giving and complex. It is a symbol for love. Often known as the seat of emotions, the heart is synonymous with affection.

The commentator Alford says, “The word ‘heart’ in Scripture signifies the very core and center of life, where the intelligence has its post of observation, where the stores of experience are laid up, and the thoughts have their fountain.”

Now when you read the Bible and come to the word heart think of it not merely as an organ, but in light of this understanding as:

The center and seat of spiritual life.

The soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors.

Of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence.

Of the will and character.

The seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions.

Secondarily, apart from the Bible, as far back as the ancient Greeks, lyric poetry identified the heart with love. Greek philosophers agreed, more or less, that the heart was linked to our strongest emotions, including love. 

In antiquity the current heart shape, which really isn’t shaped like a heart, came to symbolize love. The most unusual theory concerns how this shape came to represent the heart relates to the plant silphium, a species of giant fennel that once grew on the North African coastline near the Greek colony of Cyrene. The seed pod was heart shaped. The ancient Greeks and Romans used silphium as both a food flavoring and a medicine—it supposedly worked wonders as a cough syrup—but it was most famous as an early form of birth control. 

Ancient writers and poets hailed the plant for its contraceptive powers, and it became so popular that it was cultivated into extinction by the first century A.D. (legend has it that the Roman Emperor Nero was presented with the last surviving stalk). Silphium’s seedpod bore a striking resemblance to the modern Valentine’s heart, leading many to speculate that the herb’s associations with love and sex may have been what first helped popularize the symbol. The ancient city of Cyrene, which grew rich from the silphium trade, even put the heart shape on its money.

Don’t Let a Loss Be Your Boss

Psalm 37: 23 – 24

“Into every life some rain must fall” is an ageless expression embodying a grievous truth. It means sooner or later every person will have difficulties, and/or defeats. Every person! Augustine reminded us: “God had one Son without sin, but not one without suffering.”

God in His creative wisdom gave all of us emotions. Emotional stability is a blessing. No emotion can be sustained indefinitely. We all have highs and lows. You can’t stay happy all the time. You can’t remain melancholy, sad, angry, elated, thrilled, or cheerful ALL the time.

Enjoy your emotional highs and work to create more. Inhale deeply the rarified air of every emotional high.

Likewise be prepared for your emotional lows. Sometimes there are experiences that hit us hard and virtually decimate us. Any traumatic loss has the potential of penning us to the mat in defeat. Bad things happen — even to good people.

A death, divorce, job loss, a dream that dies, a failed hope, a frustrated ambition, a defeat of major proportions all have a tendency to stun and shock us.

Researchers have done us a service in evaluating the stages through which we go when we suffer a major loss, failure, or defeat. In progression they are:

SHOCK, DENIAL, ANGER, MOURNING, DEPRESSION.

Most of us have not only seen persons work through these stages, we have had to do so ourselves. Note their progression.

SHOCK.  When a loss is experienced it often leaves a person in a state of shock.

DENIAL. Shock often turns to denial. For a period persons might seem to be unimaginably emotionally high. A sense of the unreal prevails. At this point the person is emotionally refusing to face reality.

ANGER.  Often anger emerges. In the case of the death of a loved one there might even be anger toward the deceased.

Often anger is felt toward God, though persons are most frequently unwilling to acknowledge this. Being inadequate to take out our anger on God, it is often expressed indirectly toward a minister or institution of God.

MOURNING. Deep sadness causes grief and mourning.

DEPRESSION. When there is a significant loss, depression is a step in the logical progression. It may last only a short time, but it happens. Often it becomes deep and prolonged. It even fades and reoccurs. What then? This, too, shall pass.

Take these steps. Pray, circulate with friends, enjoy the success of others, reach out to help someone, rededicate yourself to the Lord and His will. Do it!

One thing we need to do in advance of a major loss or failure is to learn to lose  and accept failure. That doesn’t imply in the least that we should ever strive for anything less than our best. We should have a driving ambition to always be and do our best. Self-motivation should drive us never to accept anything less than our best from our every effort. Even then we are going to fail and/or lose on occasion. People need to know it is OK to lose and/or fail. Who among us hasn’t? Learn from losses.