Monthly Archives: April 2020

GROWING IN PRAYER

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I have no way of knowing for sure, but my sense is that far more people pray than those who don’t. Not only that, my sense also is that many of those who do pray often wish they were better at praying. I am one of those who would like to grow in prayer.

A beginning point in learning to pray is the example Jesus set in his prayer life. Luke 11:1 tells us, “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray’.” His response was what we call The Lord’s Prayer and a model for us.

During the last couple of months I have been thinking and reading about prayer and how I can do better in my prayer life. One of the books I read that was the most encouraging and challenging was by Robert Benson entitled In Constant Prayer (pub. by Thomas Nelson, 2008). Here are some selections that I found motivating.

“At some point, we have to move from talking about prayer to saying our prayers” (p. 81). I don’t particularly like the phrase saying our prayers, but I was convicted to stop talking about prayer to actually praying. Benson noted “The only way to become a writer is to write” (p. 96). I paraphrase his next observation: you do not become a person of prayer and then begin to pray. If you pray enough, you may yet become a person of prayer. People of prayer pray every day.

Two chapters later Benson slapped me in the face so to speak with this affirmation: “it is far more likely that we do not recognize God’s presence in our lives than it is that God is not present in our lives” (p.130, emphasis added). My takeaway is that one of the ways we can better recognize God’s presence in our lives is through growing in prayer.

Near the end of the book his honesty both challenged and encouraged me with his acknowledgement: “Sometimes I feel as though I have traveled far on this rode. But the truth is that in a way I am in the same place I was when I began all those years ago” (p.147). Based on what I had read in the previous pages I could not help but think he was being a little too hard on himself.

Benson also reminds readers that there is “the need for us to pray corporately as well as to pray personally” (p. 148). I have been present and participated many times in corporate prayer. Some have been moving and meaningful and others have been a mixed bag. Some of the most satisfying times of prayer for me have been in small groups, some with just me and my prayer partner of several years.

I’m for corporate prayer and believe Christians should be praying together. But my desire and challenge to readers of this post is to take steps to grow in our personal prayers – even if we begin with baby steps.

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MAKES SENSE TO ME

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Readers who are too young to be on Medicare didn’t get the advice those of us who are recently received by email. I’m not an expert when it comes to dealing with stress, but I do have quite a bit of experience with stress. Some are more susceptible to stress than others, and I’m in that group. And I resent those of you who are not. (Just kidding, the truth is that I admire you.)

Anyway, those of us on Medicare received an email this week with some suggested ways to cope with stress. None of the suggestions require the IQ of a Mensa Scholar, but they make sense to me. And even if you are not on Medicare, you may want to consider them.

The first one is clearly the most important and most needed for me: “Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.” Yep, I watch, read, and listen to too much news about Covid-19 and it upsets me. But it’s not just the news about Covid-19 that stresses me; all the back and forth with politicians and political news makes it even worse. This first suggestion makes so much sense to me that I’m cutting way back on my engagement with the news.

The second suggestion is also much needed by many of us: “Take care of your body.” Some important specifics follow: “Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well balanced meals. Exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep. Avoid alcohol and drugs.” Again, it all makes sense to me; and I’m taking baby steps with all these except avoiding alcohol and drugs – which is not an issue for me.

During these days of staying home I don’t often need the third suggestion: “Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.” The only time I need to unwind is after I’ve rigorously competed with our grandsons in games like Chutes and Ladders, Moustache Smash, and games they’ve invented that involve running and throwing soft objects at one another. To unwind I’ve been watching a lot of TV shows in black and white that I watched as a youngster.

The fourth and final suggestion made by Medicare is perhaps the most difficult: “Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.” Given the restrictions most of us are under, it’s not easy to activate this one. My friends and I are not playing golf or going out to breakfast or lunch. And the stereotype when it comes to men is largely true – we don’t often talk about our concerns and how we are feeling. My wife is my go to person when it comes to my concerns and how I am feeling. She is a great listener, asks great questions, not afraid to call me out, and is wonderfully supportive. I completely trust her.

As much as I like and appreciate the suggestions from Medicare, there is one they left out that I find immensely helpful: Bible reading and prayer. This suggestion probably doesn’t surprise any readers, but it is important. I don’t want to be presumptuous, but for those who may be interested let me suggest a few selected passages you may find comforting, challenging, and encouraging during these stressful days: Psalm 13, 23, 27, 42, and 139; Matthew 6:25-34; John10:11-18; Romans 8:31-39; and Philippians 4:4-9.

Feel free to leave a comment below and/or share this post on Facebook.

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THE POWER OF WORDS

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“Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” That little saying that we all have heard, and perhaps said, is not true. And we know it’s not true – not because sticks and stones won’t break our bones, they will – but because words can and do hurt. Everyone reading this post has been hurt by words.

Words are powerful, and we all know that. They can not only hurt, they can also heal, lift up, encourage, warm our hearts, ask for and receive forgiveness, and do much, much more.

Earlier this week I read an eBook entitled Ancient Wisdom For Future Success. The ancient wisdom cited comes from the Old Testament book of Proverbs. The book of Proverbs also offers a lot of ancient wisdom with regard to The Power of Words. There are over 100 references in the book to the tongue, mouth, lips, and words. A general foundational verse is Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit” (NIV).

Here is a verse that underscores both the potential for words to be hurtful or helpful: Proverbs 15:4, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit” (NIV).

Here are five of my favorites that underscore ways words hurt and damage:

10:19, “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut” (NLT).

11:9a, “With their words, the godless destroy their friends” (NLT).

11:12, Mean-spirited slander is heartless; quiet discretion accompanies good sense” (The Message).

25:18, “Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow) NIV.

29:5, “Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet” (NIV).

 

Here are four of my favorites that underscore ways words help and heal:

10:11,”The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain” (NLT).

12:18, “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing” (NLT).

12:25, “Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up” (The Message).

16:24, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (NIV).

 

With those verses in mind, consider these four suggestions for the way we use words.

  1. First, we must learn to listen. It may sound trite, but in thinking about the power of words we need to be reminded that we need to listen. James 1:19 gives us good advice: “My dear brothers and sisters,take note of this: “Everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak” (NIV). Some of us have a problem of assuming what a person is going to say before they say it. Years ago I saw a sign on a person’s desk that has stayed with me. It said “I love you enough to listen.”
  2. Second, we must think before we speak and choose our words carefully. Proverbs 29:20 says it well, “Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them” (NIV).
  3. Third, we need to be honest with our words. Two of seven things God hates are “a lying tongue” and “a false witness who pours out lies.” I don’t have in mind here what some term as being “ruthlessly” honest. That may take us back to the destructive power of words. Ephesians 4:15a tells us “Speak the truth in love.” There is a way to speak the truth, but not in love. We are to speak the truth; but we are to do so in love.
  4. Finally, we need to take seriously Ephesians 4:29. Let me remind you of Paul’s powerful advice: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (NIV) Unwholesome talk may include foul language and dirty jokes, but I think unwholesome talk is that tears others down and that does not benefit those who listen is sarcasm, attacking, caustic, negative, and rude.

I’m pretty sure these verses and comments give us all a lot to think about – it certainly does me. I confess, I’m guilty of violating a lot of what God’s Word tells us about how we should talk. To get the most out of these verses it might be good to go over each of them and give yourself a grade from A to F.

I close with a declaration from Jesus in Matthew 15:18, “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart” (NIV).

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EASTER REALITY THIS YEAR: SOME BORROWED THOUGHTS

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EASTER REALITY THIS YEAR: SOME BORROWED THOUGHTS

Easter Sunday is almost here, but many of us have been thinking about it for several weeks. This morning I reviewed some of the articles I have read during this time and thought some who read my blog may be interested in reading them.

Looking back over these selections, I was drawn to them again as I was originally by their titles. It was the titles that got my attention because each one was so powerful that by itself it said so much.

Below are four of the titles with minimal commentary by me and the link to the article for those who might like to read more. If you don’t have the time or interest to read them, I think the titles alone will stimulate your thinking.

 

Have Yourself a Bittersweet Easter by Todd Hunter (March 31, 2020)

Bittersweet, of course, is the basic point and describes what we’re feeling as we come to the greatest day of celebration in the Christian year. Hunter says what’s true when he reminds us “a normal Easter is out of reach this year.” We rejoice that Jesus rose from the dead. But our world is shaken by the COVID – 19 impact with so many forced changes in our lives as well as victims of the virus. Hunter notes, “This year we celebrate in the context of deep lament.”  https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2020/march-web-exclusives/bittersweet-easter-holy-week-coronavirus.html

 

An Easter without Going to Church – The pandemic has laid an egg on our worship. By Daniel Harrell (March 25, 2020)

Harrell refers to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines and rightly reminds us “Easter worship as we’ve known it is doomed.” However, he quotes another writer’s statement of truth, “The church remains the church whether gathered or scattered.” And then he adds, “The church remains the church online, too.”  https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/march-web-only/easter-without-church-covid-19-coronavirus.html?utm_source=connection-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=25166636&utm_content=705070787&utm_campaign=email

 

Not Even the Gates of a Hellish Pandemic Will Prevail over God’s Church (April 6, 2020) by Esau McCaulley

“The somber season of Lent seems perfectly suited to the moment. This is a time of national lament. But as we turn the corner for Easter, dare we say more?”

“If the prophets of the Old Testament have anything to teach us, it’s that precisely in the darkest moments of our history, we need divinely inspired and freshly articulated hope.”

“I don’t know what the future of Christianity holds in the weeks and months to come. I do know, however, that the church will not be overcome by a virus. I know this is not the end, and I know that we will in fact worship together again.”                                                                                                                       https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/april-web-only/easter-coronavirus-covid-19-not-even-gates-hellish-pandemic.html

 

The Resurrection Has Not Been Canceled by Timothy Dalrymple (April 8, 2020)

This just came today and sparked the idea for this post. Don’t you love the title?

“Church doors are closed. Schools are no longer meeting. Businesses are shuttered. Restaurants and cafés are empty, cinema screens are dark, and concert halls are silent. Countless meetings and gatherings, weddings and funerals, conferences and events have been canceled.

The resurrection is not canceled. God is always in the business of bringing life out of death. Jesus emerged from the tomb so that we can do the same—on Easter and every other day. There is nothing in all the world that could have stopped the resurrection of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago, and there is nothing that can stop it today.” https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/april-web-only/coronavirus-easter-resurrection-not-canceled.html?utm_source=ctdirect-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=15819991&utm_content=706425458&utm_campaign=email

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ANOTHER PALM SUNDAY COMING?

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Because of the situation in which we find ourselves, Palm Sunday this past weekend was not the usual day of celebration, praise, and worship that it traditionally is. Yet with our technology for broadcasting worship into our homes, many of us still marked the day that launches what is called Holy Week.

Palm Sunday marks the final entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. It is called Palm Sunday because the common people waved palm branches as Jesus entered on a colt in the same way a king would be welcomed. Because of that greeting given to Jesus, it is also called his Triumphal Entry.

The triumphal aspect of Jesus’ entry melted the following days as both the religious leaders (Jews) and the Roman governor (Pontius Pilate) moved to get rid of Jesus. Following a few days of conflict with the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus was arrested and tried by them Thursday night, and ultimately tried by Pilate and sentenced to death by crucifixion on Friday.

Most Christians will focus the rest of this week on the events following Palm Sunday, but I want to share something new to me related to Palm Sunday I learned yesterday when I watched a Palm Sunday sermon online.

Dr. Sam Chand, a pastor from India, was the guest preacher for Palm Sunday at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, GA. His talk was informative, encouraging, and inspirational. He not only dealt with the accounts of Jesus’ entry, he also referred to a passage in the Old Testament about waving palm branches (Leviticus 23:40) and one in the New Testament book of Revelation (7:9 and 10).

It was the reference in Revelation that grabbed my attention:

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

It sounds like there is going to be something of a repeat or another Palm Sunday like event in the future in heaven. Christians will be standing before Jesus dressed in white holding palm branches. Like the first Palm Sunday they will be shouting praise to King Jesus; and I can’t help but think they will also be waving those palm branches they are holding.

That is something all of us who have decided to follow Jesus can look forward to!

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ARE YOU AFRAID?

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Right now the question “Are you afraid?” relates to the current Covid-19 pandemic, but it’s a question that can be asked in many situations. I’m not going to ask you the question, but I know some are afraid. I don’t know that I’m afraid, but at my age, and with diabetes, I am well aware of the need to be aware and alert.

I have not counted for myself, but I’ve always heard that the instruction “Fear not” is in the Bible 365 times. Does that mean that to be afraid is a sin? My definitive answer is “yes” and “no.” Fear is not always a sin, but it can be.

While he was writing in a different time and under different circumstances, Paul’s reminder to Timothy in II Timothy 1:7 is applicable to Christians today, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline”(NIV).

Note Paul affirms that God gave the same spirit to both Timothy and himself. My sense is that he is speaking of the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to everyone who determines to follow Jesus. That means, I think, that Christians today can claim that God’s Spirit does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

The word translated timid in the New International Version is the only place it is used in the New Testament. Other translations render the phrase “a spirit of fear” or “a spirit of cowardice.” The New Living Translation covers two bases with “a spirit of fear and timidity.”

So God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but he gave us a spirit of power and love and self-control. What is a spirit of power? It doesn’t mean power in the way we usually understand it, but rather strength of character to “go boldly forward” (NT scholar Donald Guthrie).

What is a spirit of love and self-control? It means that the power (or strength) God gives us is to be used in the guidance of love and under self-control. While some use the word enabling, I don’t because of the negative connotation is sometimes has. My preference is the word empower. If we take advantage of the spirit God has given us, he will empower us to deal with fear (I don’t believe we will always be free of fear) and help us live the way he has called us to live.

That’s what I’m trying to do and what I encourage you to do as well.

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