Month: March 2019

Read: Matthew 12:33-37

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.³⁵ The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. ³⁶ I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, ³⁷ for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Just a few days ago was the spring equinox marking the beginning of Spring. In Washington D.C. it’s time for the Cherry Blossom Festival (March 20-April 14). Cherry trees all over our nation’s capital are producing beautiful flowers. While people may flock to see them, we might ask, do they produce fruit?

In today’s passage, Jesus says a tree is known not by its flowers, but by its fruit. Flowers are for “show”, but fruit is what reveals the character of the tree. Good trees produce good fruit; bad trees produce bad fruit – no matter how beautiful their flowers or how the fruit might appear from the outside!

Jesus says we can either make a tree good or a tree bad. In farming or gardening, we can care for a tree and feed and nurture it so it will be healthy. We can prune branches and protect it from insects and disease.

In our lives, we can become good trees or bad trees. It’s a matter, ultimately, of the heart. While our conduct, especially our speech, reveals our character – whether we are good or bad trees – our conduct or words do not make us good or bad. They simply what we treasure. They reveal what is in our hearts. Good people bring forth good actions and words; evil people bring up evil actions and words.

In verse 34, Jesus calls the Pharisees a “brood of vipers”. In the previous passage they had seen Jesus heal a man and when some who were present asked if Jesus could be the Son of David they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Out of the evil stored in their hearts, they spoke words of spite and hate. They rejected the work of God and credited it to Satan. Though people would have said the Pharisees were good trees, they produced bad fruit. They rejected the work of God in their midst.

Words and actions will not save us. But, if we are to become the good trees that produce good fruit; if we are to be the kind of people who speak from a heart full of good treasure; we need the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to change us. We need new hearts. When our hearts have been transformed, our words and actions will reflect it. Our lives will bear good fruit and it will be fruit that lasts.

It starts with faith. We trust in Jesus and his work on the cross. We accept our spiritual emptiness and accept his gracious offer to take our place. In his death and resurrection, we find life and become new creations. In this new relationship, we receive the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our future with God.

Now, we work out our salvation with fear and trembling knowing we cannot transform ourselves, God is doing that, but we must cooperate with him (Philippians 2:12-13). Grace is not against effort, it’s against earning. We must seek after God through spiritual practices like meditating on Scripture; conversational prayer; solitude; fasting; worship; service; self-reflection; confession; gratitude. When we pursue Jesus with our whole hearts, we give the Holy Spirit space to transform us…to prune what doesn’t belong; to fertilize what is good; to make us more like Jesus.

Take time to consider the major parts of your life – family, work, church, friendships, your personal relationship with God. Ask God to show you places where you fall short of Christlikeness. Ask God to do whatever work needs to be done to make you a “good tree” in that area. Be as honest as you can about areas in your life that are not producing good fruit. Invite him to transform every area. Consider what he would invite you go do to cooperate in that process!

Read: Psalm 127:1-2

From time to time, stories appear on the news about sinkholes, usually caused by water erosion, that swallow up cars, houses, and people.  We’ve all observed the frightening problems that result when houses are built on top of less than solid ground, and erosion creates a sinkhole.  The refrain of a familiar old hymn concludes, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”  Faith in Christ is the solid foundation for every undertaking.

Self-reliance.  Ambition. Diligence.  These are values that we applaud in the United States in the 21^st century.  And they should be applied to the tasks that we undertake.  However, as Christians, no matter how diligently we work, unless our life rests securely on a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and we ask the blessing of the Lord on our work, neither the work we undertake, nor our very life, will be of lasting value.

Three times in today’s Scripture, the word vain appears.  The sense in which vain is used here is “producing no result or useless.”  These verses refer to builders laboring in vain, guards standing watch in vain, and to the futility of rising early and staying up late toiling for food to eat. . . in vain.   At the end of the day, God grants sleep to those He loves.

Ten years ago this June, the world was jolted by the news that Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop,” had died of cardiac arrest caused by an overdose of drugs.  As he rehearsed for an upcoming concert tour, Jackson was desperate for sleep.  After Jackson’s death, it was revealed that he had been given the drug Propophol for sixty consecutive days.  Although Propofol leaves a patient feeling as if they have experienced genuine sleep, it is an anesthetic.   It disrupts the normal sleep cycle and offers no REM sleep. If Jackson had not died of an overdose, the lack of sleep may have resulted in his death within days anyway, according to the testimony of a sleep expert from the Harvard Medical School.

What’s the foundation for your life and your work?  Are you resting securely on the solid rock of Jesus, or is there erosion happening beneath the surface that could result in a collapse?   To be secure requires God’s grace and your faith.  Keep your eyes on Jesus who, as Scripture tells us, is the “founder and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)    As Resurrection Sunday draws closer, and we reflect on the awesome work of our Lord Jesus, let us rest in him, seek his blessing on our work, and depend on the sure foundation of the cross in every aspect of our lives.

Pastor John

Read: John 6:60-71

⁶⁰ When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ⁶² Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” 

⁶⁶ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:60-63 and 66-69)

Growing up, most of us were taught not to put all our eggs in one basket. This idiom comes from an old proverb, most likely Spanish or Italian. It is first found in print during the 17^th century. The idea is that you should not gather all the eggs from your hens into one basket because if you should drop the basket, you lose all your eggs.  The idiom appears in Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (1615): “…to withdraw is not to run away, and to stay is no wise action when there’s more reason to fear than to hope; ’tis the part of a wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow, and not venture all his eggs in one basket.”

For centuries, this has been common advice and practice for most people. We hear, “I know you want to be an actor, but you still need to have a good education. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Or, “I applied to ten different colleges. I didn’t want to put all my eggs in one basket.”

When it comes to faith, too often people do the same thing. They try a little of this and a little of that to see which one “works”. Sometimes, if they pray to Jesus and he doesn’t come through like they expect, well maybe Buddha will or the horoscope or something else. Other times, they want to do something or live a certain way and the Bible says that is not appropriate. Instead of adjusting their life to God’s Word, they pick and choose what to obey or they simply move on to a different faith that allows them to do as they please.

In John 6, Jesus has fed the five thousand and they have followed him for another meal. In response, he has said some difficult to understand words about “eating his flesh” and “drinking his blood”. When those who had been following Jesus heard him say these things, many said they were hard sayings. In verse 66, many turn back and no longer follow him.

Jesus then addresses the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Is this saying too hard for you too? Jesus words are spirit and life (verse 63).

Peter answers profoundly. Where would we go? You have the words of eternal life. They may be hard. They do not allow for one foot in and one foot out. There is no hedging our bets. We cannot simply add a little Jesus to what we are already doing. It’s all or nothing. Either Jesus is Lord of all or he is not Lord at all. We believe. We know you are the Holy One of God. We’ve put all our eggs in your basket.

Imagine how difficult Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion were for the disciples. It seemed that all their eggs were crushed. All their hopes were gone. All their faith had been shattered. Though Jesus had told them exactly what was going to happen, they had not understood.

Where are you with Jesus today?  Are you trusting in him alone as the only one with the words of eternal life or have you hedged your bets?

What do you do when God doesn’t answer prayer like you want or life is hard?

Have you put all your spiritual eggs in Jesus’ basket? Is there any area in your life where you are trying to do things in your own strength or you are looking to something other than Jesus for help or comfort?

Perhaps you would offer this prayer I found from a church in California as your prayer for wholehearted commitment to Jesus:

Heavenly Father, I humble myself in worship before you.  All glory, honor, and praise belong to you.  I thank you for life, and for all that you have done for me through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior.  I surrender myself to your perfect will and commit myself totally and wholeheartedly to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Please forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.  I turn away from all that has its source in the world, the flesh, or the devil and I turn to you, O God.  Please produce within my life Christ-like thinking, character, and behavior.  I desire to walk in love and humility and to lead a life that pleases you.  Also, I ask you to empower me to do the work to which I have been called.  Use me for your glory and the establishment of your kingdom.

I commit my time, my talents, and my resources to you.  Everything that I have has been given to me by you, so I offer these gifts back to you for your holy use.  I pray that every good seed that I plant will yield a rich harvest of souls, righteousness, and blessing.

Finally, dear Jesus, I am so thankful for your loving sacrifice.  You have made salvation, healing, deliverance, peace, and so many wonderful things available to me, so I commit myself to your Lordship with joy and thanksgiving.

In the name of Jesus, Amen

Read: Mark 8:34

³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.³⁵ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For what can a man give in return for his soul?³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

There is a scene in the movie, A Knight’s Tale, where two of the main characters, William and Jocelyn, are in a cathedral. They haven’t seen one another in a long time after an argument, but William has written a beautifully poetic letter apologizing to Jocelyn and professing his love for her.

As they meet in the cathedral, Jocelyn asks him to recite poetry like he had written in the letter. William, who had many helpers with the letter, is tongue-tied and unable to wax poetic. They go back and forth, arguing, until finally William, in exasperation, cries, “Jocelyn, how may I prove my love to you? How?”

Jocelyn: If you would prove your love…do your worst.

William: My worst? What do you mean?

J: Instead of winning to honor me with your high reputation, act against your character and do badly.

W: Do badly?

J: Lose.

W: Losing proves nothing except that I’m a loser.

J: Wrong. Losing is a much keener test of your love. Losing would contradict your self-love. It would show obedience to your lover and not yourself!

Often when I share this scene with people – youth groups, Bible studies etc. – people think Jocelyn is being horrible. She’s asking too much. She should ask him to do his best, not his worst. In the movie, William does go on to lose several jousts and in the process is beaten and bruised. Finally. when he is on the brink of being eliminated…well, I don’t want to spoil the movie for you!

We want life to be glorious and romantic. We don’t mind a bit of struggle, but we want to overcome – to pull ourselves up and will ourselves to victory. In Mark 8, before the verses printed above, Jesus told the disciples he was going to suffer many things and be rejected and killed and rise on the third day. In Mark 8:32, Peter rebukes Jesus and tells him it will never happen!

But, the way of Jesus is the path of self-denial. We cannot do enough. We cannot be good enough. Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

Jesus does not call us to get it all together, to win the day, and then follow him. He calls us where we are and invites us to lose. He invites us to give up our best efforts and our high reputation and our incredible wisdom and knowledge. He calls us to deny ourselves – our plans and our pursuits – for him and for his sake. He promises if we will, he will save our lives and give us far more than we could even imagine.

Honestly, I know very little about true sacrifice, true self-denial. My whole life is about consuming. My whole life is about satisfying my own appetites. But during Lent, for at least a few weeks, I am more mindful of the clutter in my heart that distracts me from God. I am more aware of how so many things in and around me can actually weigh me down and keep me from the deep intimacy and joy Jesus offers.

Jesus doesn’t ask me to prove my love to him. Instead, he asks me to lose; to give up my pursuit of my selfish desires to build my kingdom and my reputation and my collection of stories exalting my wit and intelligence…and to come to him – not because of what I offer, but because of what I need. I am spiritually bankrupt apart from Jesus. I can go anywhere in the world and gain all of it – but he alone has the words of eternal life. He alone can give me what is truly satisfying.

I want to follow Jesus. But to do so, I must lose daily. I must deny myself daily. I must die to self daily. As I give the Holy Spirit freedom to blow the chaff from my soul; to do spring-cleaning in my heart; to clear out the clutter; I’ll find that what he offers in its place is so much richer and more life-giving.

Questions for Reflection:

• What activities, behaviors, and relationships are most distracting to your spiritual life these days?
• Which ones keep you from seeking God with all your heart?
• Ask God for the grace to deny yourself and to seek after him in those areas. What are the things you can lay down and what should you pick up so you might focus more on Him?
• Are you willing to lose everything for the sake of Jesus?

Read: Psalm 119:1-40 & 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
¹¹ I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:9-11)

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

On March 22, 1922, US Postmaster Hubert Work ordered that all homes in our

country must have mailboxes. This created a greater connection between people We live in quite a different world now from then. Checking the mailbox may still be a daily ritual for most, but it’s far from our primary connector. Rather our phones and our televisions act as primary connectors to others and the world, and they own our attention far more than a once a day check.

The Psalmist speaks of a love for the Word which transforms his heart, viewing God’s law as the most precious thing in life. He cannot go a day or even less without thinking on and acting out the truth of the Word. Remember, for the writer the Word here wouldn’t even include most of what we have as the Bible as it hadn’t been written. So rooted and rich are his meditations on the Word, that even with mostly law and early Bible stories, he believes the Word is the most important thing in his life.

Paul encourages the church in Thessalonica to pray without ceasing. His consistent prayer and communication with God went with him everywhere, including into the pit of prison after being beaten and chained.

Applying these verses to our lives through the illustration of communication, it seems that the Christian connection to the Lord is more cell phone than mailbox. We don’t merely check in with the Lord on our once a day walk to the spiritual mailbox, but maintain consistent connection with our great God.

Where are you in regard to staying connected with the Lord through His Word and Prayer? Have you developed at least a daily check in with the Lord? What could that look like? What is keeping you from that step?

If you are having a daily time of some sort with the Lord, how can you move Him from a spiritual “mailbox” to a consistent “cell phone notification?” What things will you do to remind yourself of God’s Word regularly? Maybe try an app like “Gotandem” if you are a phone user, or just place verses on post-its around your world.

What things can you do to remember to pray throughout the day? Sometimes picking a different thing each week as a prayer reminder can help. For example, this week every time you hear a siren you will take a moment to thank God for your life and ask Him to lead you to use it for His glory.

The way in which we all pursue constant contact with the Word and prayer will look different for all, but as believers it is something we pray we all pursue.

Read: Luke 18:1-8

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 

² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ ⁴ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 

⁶ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷ And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? ⁸ I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)

George Muller, the great Victorian Christian and social reformer, tells a story of persistent prayer in his diary:

“In November 1844, I began to pray for the conversion of five individuals. I prayed every day without a single intermission, whether sick or in health, on the land, on the sea, and whatever the pressure of my engagements might be. Eighteen months elapsed before the first of the five was converted. I thanked God and prayed on for the others. Five years elapsed, and then the second was converted. I thanked God for the second and prayed on for the other three. Day by day, I continued to pray for them, and six years passed before the third was converted. I thanked God for the three and went on praying for the other two. These two remained unconverted.”

Thirty-six years later he wrote that the other two, sons of one of Mueller’s friends, were still not converted. He wrote, “But I hope in God, I pray on, and look for the answer. They are not converted yet, but they will be.”

In 1897, fifty-two years after he began to pray daily, without interruption, for these two men, they were finally converted—but after he died!

In Luke 18, Jesus told a story to encourage us to pray and not lose heart. Like the example of George Muller, he wants us to pray and persevere. His story centers on a judge and a widow. Judges were appointed in the Old Testament to serve God and to ensure justice for all God’s people. When King Jehoshaphat appointed judges in 2 Chronicles 19, he instructed them:

“Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. ⁷ Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.” (2 Chronicles 19:6-7)

In this parable, though, Jesus introduces us to a judge who doesn’t fear God and doesn’t respect people. He is a very difficult man. He won’t hear a cry to give justice “for God’s sake” and he won’t be moved by an inner sense of what is honorable or what is shameful. The implication is that this judge can only be influenced by bribery.

To this judge comes an innocent, powerless widow. In a male-dominated society, she had no one to speak up for her. In Scripture, time and again God called his people to care for the widow among them – to give a voice to the voiceless. In Isaiah 1:17, as God calls his people to repent for their sin, he says “learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” And then in verse 23, in detailing the people’s sin he declares, “They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them.”

Jesus tells us how this widow comes to the unjust judge to plead her case. And yet, he refuses. For some time, he will not hear her pleas. But the widow continues to beg for justice; to plead for mercy. Finally, the judge says to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’

The idea of “beat me down” is also translated “wear me out” in other places. This judge is not afraid of God. He isn’t going to do something just because she is a poor widow. But he is sick and tired of her coming to him day after day after day. It’s giving him a headache! In the end, he gives her justice, so he won’t have to listen to her anymore!

Jesus taught this parable so we would pray and not lose heart.  If this unrighteous, unjust judge will meet the needs of this powerless widow, how much more will the needs of God’s children be met by their loving, heavenly Father? No matter how discouraging or how hopeless our situation might be, it is not as bad as that widow.

We can know with certainty that God hears our prayers; he hears our petitions. He knows our needs. He will move and he will answer. When fear grips us; when anxiety assails us; when we do not know what to do….we need to pray continually with full confidence that God will hear and will act in our best interests.

Jesus affirms that God will answer our prayers and he will not delay in doing right. He answers the parable with a question, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Will we, God’s people, trust him through the trials and troubles of life? Will we cling to him and persist in seeking him even when it seems he is slow to answer or slow to bring justice? Will we stand firm to the end?

The character of God is again our motivation to pray. He will do the best things in the best ways for us and he will do them at the right time. We await his return and until he does, we persist in prayer and in seeking after him with all our hearts.

Questions for reflection:

• What things have you prayed for over a long period of time that it doesn’t seem like God has answered?
• How have you or can you overcome the discouragement that often comes with a delayed answer? What motivates you to persist in prayer?
• Waiting over a long time for God to answer prayer can shake one’s faith in God’s character as a good Father. What has been your experience in that regard? Why do you think?
• Will you trust God through the trials and challenges of life?
• Will you cling to God and persist in seeking him even when he seems slow to answer?
• Will you stand firm to the end?

Read: Luke 11:5-13

⁵ And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, ⁶ for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷ and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? ⁸ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence[1] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 

⁹ And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ¹¹ What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; ¹² or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

In Luke’s gospel, after Jesus teaches the disciples the Lord’s Prayer as a model of how to pray, Jesus told this story. Traditionally, many have seen this as a parable about persisting in prayer. The idea is that the man comes to the door at midnight and his friend is in bed. He keeps knocking on the door until finally his friend gets fed up and begrudgingly gives him what he wants.

The application is that we should pray persistently because eventually God will give us what we want. This is bad theology! We cannot wear God down until he begrudgingly gives us what we want! There are times when God has us wait until he answers our prayers; but if we ask for the wrong thing, he won’t eventually give it to us if we just pray enough! While Scripture does teach that we should “always pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1), this parable has a different purpose.

I believe Jesus intends us to understand the parable this way:

A man has unexpected guests arrive very late – a common occurrence in first century Palestine where there were no phones and very hot, dry conditions. The community probably had only one oven for baking bread. The man knew who had made bread that day. To set stale bread or partial pieces of bread before his guest would be considered rude. He goes to his neighbor fully convinced that asking for this basic need would not be refused.

He knocks on the door, calls out his need and his friend says, “Nope. Sorry, I’m in bed.” The man would continue on to the next neighbor and tell him, “Sorry to bother you, but Joe over there refused to help me. Can you believe it? What a jerk!” And by morning, everyone in the village would know what a stingy person Joe is. He would be persona non grata and completely shamed in the community.

Therefore, Jesus says, “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence (in avoiding shame) he will rise and give him whatever he needs. Do you see the difference? The man inside is a man of honor. He will not act in a way that would bring shame. He will do the right thing. He will give him, not just bread, but anything he needs.

Now we see how the parable makes sense! God is even more honorable than that man in bed. He always does what is right and will always avoid bring shame on himself. If we ask, seek, or knock, God our Father will answer us. We will find him. We will open the door to us. He is a good, good Father.

Good earthly fathers know that if a child asks for a fish, you don’t give them a serpent. Or if they ask for an egg, you don’t give them a scorpion. How much more will our heavenly Father give us good gifts if we ask? How much more will he delight to give us his very Spirit to dwell within us to lead us and guide us?

This is our motivation to pray! We have a Father in heaven whose character is perfect. We have a Father in heaven who does the best things in the best ways. We can pray with confidence knowing that he may not give us what we ask for, but he will answer and what he does give is always best!

What motivates you to pray? What keeps you from praying?

In light of this parable, how should knowing God’s character influence your prayer life?

What does Jesus identify as the kinds of things we should be praying for?

Reflect on your prayer life. What could you do this week in light of this passage? How might this parable provide a model for prayer?

[1] Different translations have a hard time with “his persistence”.

NIV has “the man’s boldness” and applies it to the man at the door.

ESV has “his impudence” with a footnote saying it could be “his persistence” both of which could apply to either the man at the door or the man in bed.

NAS translates it “his persistence” and its footnote is “his shamelessness”. Again, it could apply to either person. Kenneth Bailey suggests, and I agree, that “his persistence” applies to the man in bed. He is one who persists in avoiding shame. As we’ll see, I think this makes better sense – and theology!

Read: I John 5:13-15.

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

The apostle John tells us in this Scripture passage that we can pray with confidence.  If you are a follower of Jesus, John is writing to tell you several important things.  He begins by reassuring us that whatever trials, tribulations, failures, and disappointments come our way, they are insignificant compared to eternity, and we can be confident that we will spend eternity in the presence of the loving God we worship.

Second, prayer is powerful and we can be confident that God hears us when we pray.  If we ask anything according to His will, God hears our prayers (verse 14). Third, not only does He hear our prayers, but we have the assurance that our prayers will be answered.  This doesn’t mean that we can “name it and claim it,” and have a new luxury car, house, or a million dollars.  Nor does it mean that any of our own ideas of our needs, wants, and desires will be immediately fulfilled.  It does mean something even more important.  If our request is “according to his will,” we know that “we have what we asked of him.” (verse 15).

As a young university professor, I aspired to leave my university position, and move on to a larger, more prestigious music school.  In the course of one academic year in the early 1980s, I interviewed for three different positions.  I prayed fervently that God would clear the way for me to move into the one best suited to me.  Yet, one by one, each door was closed.  Hadn’t God heard my requests?  Didn’t He understand that I was well-suited for a more prestigious position?  Didn’t He care about me?  Why hadn’t He answered my prayer?

In fact, God did hear and answer my prayer.  At the time, from my human perspective, it wasn’t the answer that I desired, but my loving God knew what was best for me and my family.  He had things in mind for me that I couldn’t envision.  He is an awesome God!

According to His will. . .Finding God’s will is essential for effective prayer.  Through prayer, we align ourselves with God’s will, rather than pleading for Him to satisfy our needs, wants, and desires.  During the season of Lent, remember the importance that Jesus placed on prayer.  Throughout his ministry, Jesus prayed to his heavenly Father.  He taught the disciples to pray, Thy will be done.  This Scripture provides assurance that when we seek God’s will for our lives, our prayers will be effective, God will hear them, and they will be answered.

Are you confident that your prayers are heard and answered? What does this passage teach us about effective prayer, and how can you apply it to your prayer life?  During Lent as we reflect on our Lord Jesus, and anticipate the coming of Resurrection Sunday, help us to learn what God’s will for our life is through prayer to our heavenly Father.

Pastor John

Read: Psalm 51

¹ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. ² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! ³ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. ⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. ⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. ⁶ Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ¹¹ Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

¹⁶ For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. ¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:1-6; 10-12; 16-17)

On December 17, 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright brothers made their first powered flight. The Dayton Daily News published a brief article under the headline, “THE WRIGHT BOYS ARE COMING HOME”. In the article they missed the boat completely regarding the historic first flight and told their readers, “Orville and Wilbur Wright…left today for their home in Dayton, O., to spend Christmas with their parents.”

Eventually, the momentous event would be recognized for what it was, but initially, they missed it completely!

Lent is a bit like that. Too often the biggest question we ask or are asked is, “What are you giving up for Lent?” The real question is, “How will I repent and return to God with all my heart?” Lent is about taking time to reflect on our lives and to identify places where I have let my life get away from God. It is a time to consider what practices will help me to find my way back. Where have I “left” God and slipped into spiritual mediocrity?

In David’s prayer in Psalm 51:6, he tells God, “You delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” We need God’s wisdom and the spotlight of the Holy Spirit to look into the dark places and identify where we have wandered away and need renewed passion and hunger for God. We need God’s Spirit to awaken us afresh; to warm our cold hearts.

Many of us have committed to fasting during Lent as a means to create space for the Holy Spirit to loosen the grip of sin and distraction in our lives. Few of us willingly choose to make such sacrifices. We would be happy to simply go on with life as it is. And yet, there is a deeper desire; a longing; a dis-ease with the status quo. We want more. We want to recalibrate our hearts and our lives.

And so, we voluntarily give up a good thing, that we might be led to a better thing. We fast for the sake of drawing near to God. We acknowledge that our hunger for comfort or food or security or fun is not as important as our hunger for the one who gives us comfort and food and security and fun.

As we begin the first full week of Lent, invite God to search you and know you. Ask him to lead you into resurrection life. Call on God to tune your heart to long for more of him. Ask him to break the hold of sin in your life and to set you free to pursue him with your whole being.

Lent is a serious season, but it is also a season of hope. God’s incredible love has been poured out. In the shadow of Christ’s cross and subsequent resurrection, we have forgiveness and cleansing as we turn to him. We have the hope that there is power to pass from death to life in the places in our hearts and lives where we need resurrection.

Where are the places in your life where you feel distant from God?

What has distracted you from cultivating your relationship with him more intentionally?

Reflect on what your fast or your giving up of something for Lent says to God. How can your “sacrifice” help you create more space for God and more passion for seeking after Him?

(Adapted from Lent: A Season of Returning by Ruth Haley Barton)

Read: Romans 14

¹⁰ You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. ¹¹ It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

¹² So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

¹³ Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. Romans 14:10-13

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his followers, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Followers of Jesus are often known more for what they don’t believe than what they do. They are often known more for what they’re against than what they’re for. Ask an unbeliever what he/she dislikes about Christians one of the top answers will probably be something along the lines of: “Christians are so judgmental.”

In the world in which we live, there are clearly things that are diametrically opposed to God’s will and God’s ways. But, before we run out and blast unbelievers for doing things unbelievers do (they are, after all, slaves to sin apart from Christ – as were we at one time!), perhaps we need to ask ourselves how many people were ever judged or blasted into the kingdom of heaven. I don’t know of any. Maybe you do.

Judgment often brings with it a lack of love. Love, Paul told us, is the greatest of virtues (1 Corinthians 13:13). Jesus came into this world to die because God loved it (John 3:16). He didn’t wait until we got ourselves together, but died for us while we were all still sinners (Romans 5:8). How then do we live rightly and judge correctly in a loving manner?

The passage above from Romans 14 brings the issue of judgment into the church. Judgment starts in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17), right? And yet, that sort of judgment is reserved for situations of sin. What about issues that aren’t clearly addressed in Scripture? What about things like:

Are Christians allowed to dance?

Is baptism to be believers only or for infants too?

Will Jesus return before, during, or after a tribulation?

Was the earth created in six literal days? Is the earth young or old?

Is it acceptable for Christians to drink alcohol?

Is speaking in tongues a gift that is available to Christians today?

There are well-intentioned, Jesus-believing men and women who disagree on these issues. How do we approach those who disagree with us? Perhaps the real issue is not judging but being judgmental. Do I, in my judgment express myself lovingly or am I harsh and condemning?

First, we should seek the truth in love. We should focus on the issue, not the person, and we should seek to understand what Scripture says or points toward. “Primary” issues are things we must agree on. They include things like Christ’s death and resurrection; Christ’s full deity and full humanity; the Trinity; salvation by grace through faith. These and other issues are essential and we need to agree on them.

Second, there are many issues (like those listed above), that are not explicit in Scripture. We might call them “secondary” issues. It isn’t that they are unimportant, but they are not essential for salvation and/or Scripture is not clear about them. When we have an issue like this, we seek truth, but we do so lovingly and humbly knowing we cannot know for certain that we are right. On these things, we let love cover our differences. We agree to disagree.

I think Paul, and Jesus, are making the point that:

1) We need humility to see ourselves rightly. We need to examine our hearts to see our weaknesses and sin and to surrender ourselves completely to Jesus. When we know our own hearts and our own struggles; when we realize how much grace and mercy we’ve experienced from Jesus; we are better able to speak truth lovingly to another person.

2) In all judgment, we must deal with others lovingly. We need to examine our hearts to see check our attitude toward the other person. Do I want their best or do I just want to be right? Do I long for a stronger friendship or do I hope the other person will fall and fall hard?

Our desire needs to be to love the other person. Our purpose needs to be to build up and bring life. It shouldn’t be to tear down or win points. We shouldn’t be looking to get revenge, but to help a friend or a sibling grow closer to Jesus and understand truth and how to live it. We might have to say hard things, but we should try to do so in a manner that shows we love and care for the person.

We become judgmental and our judgments become sin when we put ourselves in the place of God. If we forget the grace and the mercy we’ve been shown, it’s easy to sit in judgment of others. It’s easier to take a holier-than-thou attitude that communicates judgment, arrogance, superiority, pride, and not love.

Can you think of times Jesus confronted sin gently? Times when he confronted son boldly?

Are you able to judge situations without becoming judgmental? Why is that difficult for many people?

Invite the Holy Spirit to show you any areas where you may have a judgmental spirit. Ask for grace and humility to let love cover those areas.