Today’s reading is Ephesians 1:1-2:22.

I love Ephesians. There are so many things that jump out at me as I read this book. These first two chapters are no exception. However, I’m only going to comment on two of them for the sake of your time.

First, I am really struck by Ephesians 1:15-16:

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…

Paul gave thanks because of their faith in Jesus and their love toward the saints. Today, I need to work on both of those. I need to increase my faith in Jesus. I don’t need to increase His faith in me. I don’t need to spend my time trying to convince Him that He can trust me to always do what is right. I need to increase my faith in Him and through that, I’ll have the righteousness He gives. I also need to work on my love toward the saints. Again, I don’t need to focus on getting them to love me. I don’t need to walk around as a people pleaser trying to get them to like me or appreciate me. Instead, I need to work on genuine love and service. I need to work on treating others the way they want to be treated because it is right, not because they’ll like me for it. 

When I work on my faith in Jesus and my love toward the saints, then I become a person others can be thankful for.

Second, I am also struck by Ephesians 1:17-19:

…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might…

In Paul’s prayer, I learn what I need to be praying for me and for you. Neither of us have all wisdom and insight. Rather, I need to pray that we may be granted wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. We often wander in darkness and are so blind we don’t even know it. I need to pray that our hearts may be enlightened. Too often, we walk in despair. We get distracted by what is going on in the world and forget what Christ has done for us and what He is planning for us in the next. I need to pray that we may know the hope Christ is offering us that conquers our sadness and despair. We sometimes forget that this life isn’t really about this life. This life is not about having the best job, the biggest house, the nicest cars, the most comfortable clothes. This life is about what comes next. I need to pray that we can keep our eyes focused on the inheritance of true riches that Jesus has waiting for us. Sometimes, we begin to think it is not possible that we’ll make it. We mess up so much we just aren’t sure how God could possibly save us. I need to pray that we be kept by God’s power and also pray that we’ll know God’s power that we might have confidence in Him that we will make it, not because of our strength but because of His power. His power is so immense He raised Jesus from the dead and sat Him in the heavenly places above all things.

This needs to be my prayer today for both you and me. I hope you can join me in this prayer.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 1:1-2:47.

I wonder what the disciples must have been feeling between the time Jesus departed and the Spirit came. I imagine there was expectation, mingled with anxiety. There was the daily feeling of joy that today might be the day and the daily feeling of disappointment when it wasn’t. I imagine there was fear that they might be found out by the authorities who killed Jesus before the Spirit came. There was the excitement that they were about to be part of something new.  There was confusion because nothing had gone the way they expected and they still weren’t sure what was coming. There was the fear that they might not be up to the challenge.

How did they handle all of this? Acts 1:14 shows how. “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer…”

Two things are found in this passage.

1) With one accord: That is they didn’t try to face all this alone. They didn’t even make any falsely noble spiritual claims that they could face it alone with God. They seemed to understand that relying on God meant relying on each other. They were spending their time with each other.

2) Devoted to prayer: While spending time with each other, they were spending time with God. They walked in His presence. This is not merely offering up prayers prior to meals and as any of their “services” or “meetings” got started. This was a repeated, continual practice of praying. I’m sure it doesn’t mean they were in a prayer meeting 24 hours per day. But it does mean they took what they were feeling, whatever it was at the moment, to God. It does mean they took what they were thinking to God. It does mean they took their fears, their anxieties, their confusions, their joys, their expectations to God. They glorified Him. They petitioned Him. They confessed to Him. They were devoted to praying.

I need to do the same today. We live in crazy times. Not to mention, life can simply be hectic and personally crazy. Confusion, fear, expectation, joy, anxiety, stress, peace: emotions can run like roller coasters. If we stay with ourselves trying to handle these things, we’ll never make it. We need to spend time with each other and be devoted to prayer. God will be with us and carry us through.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 5:1-6:49.

In Luke 5:33-39, the Pharisees and scribes questioned why Jesus’ disciples didn’t fast like the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees. Jesus essentially responded, “Would you try to make wedding guests fast? That would be silly. Would you put a new piece of cloth on an old garment? Would you put new wine in old wineskins? Do those used to old wine want the new?”

There may be some deep meanings in these verses about old and new covenants. I’ve heard those sermons all my life, but I have trouble finding that in these responses. I think Jesus is making one point. Our religion is to be real, not ritual. The Pharisees fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12). What was the reason for their fasting? Was it mourning their own sinfulness? Was it begging God for mercy? Apparently not. It seems they fasted because they had decided they would really be spiritual if they fasted that often. So, rain or shine, joy or sad, they would fast. It was their checklist item to make them feel righteous. It was also their checklist item to make them appear righteous to others (see Jesus’ rebuke of them in Matthew 6:16-18). 

Is fasting a real part of life and submission to God? Sure it is. Jesus expected His followers to fast (again see His comments in Matthew 6:16-18). But fasting is about mourning, confession, struggle, and entreating God for some blessing. The thing with Jesus’ disciples was they were in the midst of the greatest blessing of their lives. The Messiah was with them, teaching them, helping them, blessing them. They were in the midst of joy, not mourning. They were growing with Jesus. They were being blessed. If they fasted then, it wouldn’t be out of a real response to God and His blessing in their lives. It would have been nothing more than a checklist ritual to mark off their to-do list.

How many of my spiritual activities are nothing more than checklist items. How many times do I do things because I need to mark them off my list instead of having a real response to God. James said, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise” (James 5:13). This is about real responses, not marking off the checklists of acts of worship. 

Why do I pray? Do I pray because I need to connect to God? Or do I pray simply because, I’m a Christian that’s what I’m supposed to do? Why do I sing? Do I sing because I’m cheerful in Christ? Or do I sing because I’m “at church” at that’s one of those “acts of worship”? Why do I read the Bible? Do I read it because I know it has the words of life and I want to connect with the God of life? Or do I read it simply because I run a blog that says I’m supposed to read two chapters every day?

Serving God is about being real. It is not about going through motions. It is about seeing God in my life and responding based on that. Sometimes it means mourning. Sometimes it means rejoicing. Sometimes it means praying. Sometimes it means singing. If I’m only going through motions, it isn’t doing me any good.

I’m glad for today’s reminder to get real with God.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 11:1-12:25.

I’ve heard many people repudiate the Christians who were praying at Mary the mother of John Mark’s house for not having faith in God to answer their prayers. When they heard Rhoda’s report that Peter stood at the gate, they didn’t believe her. They said it must be his angel instead. I simply want to share two ideas here that are a little different from the norm. You can let me know what you think.

1). I try to give these people who were praying into the middle of the night a little more credit. I’ve usually found that people who don’t have faith in God to grant their prayers, don’t pray very much. I’m not so sure that they were praying but not expecting God to do anything. Rather, I think they were praying but weren’t expecting God to work in this way. They were expecting God to work in some way that Herod changed his mind and just let Peter go. They weren’t expecting God to send an angel to miraculously release Peter in the middle of the night. Therefore they were surprised.

What I learn from this is not to put God in a box. God can work however God wants. Usually, when I’m praying for something, I not only have the end result in mind but a method as well. I need to let God know my desires and leave the methods up to Him. He will not always do what I expect.

2). This is just kind of a side note. But in the past, when I’ve thought about the statement “It is his angel” in Acts 12:15, I’ve thought the people meant Peter must be dead and now is coming as an angel. Of course, there is no indication that dead saints become angels. So this would be their misunderstanding. However, what about this possibility. Since a spiritual being like an angel wouldn’t be kept outside by a locked gate, perhaps the Christians meant something entirely different. 

Remember that the word translated “angel” means messenger. Is it possible that what these folks meant was not that Peter was dead and coming to them as a spiritual being, but rather that he had sent a messenger to them. Tell me what you think about this possibility.

***Question: What are some things God has done that were unexpected to you?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Luke 21:1-22:71. 

We read Jesus’ most famous prayer in Luke 22:42. “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.”

We know from Matthew’s account that Jesus prayed this prayer for about an hour and then did so again two more times. The writers have whittled down the prayer to its main thrust and given it to us in encapsulated form, however, this brief description of the pray packs a punch.

In fact, it provides the key to having God say, “Yes” to all our prayers.

Sadly, some who have been attracted to this post by the title, aren’t going to like what they read. Too many people view prayer as the means to bend God to our will. They think prayer is treating God like a vending machine. Drop in a couple prayers and out pops our order. It is just not like that.

Prayer is actually about bending us to God’s will. If we want God to answer, “Yes,” to our prayers, we need to align our will with His. As we become more like Him, our wants and wishes will be more in line with His and He will grant our requests. Of course, there are those issues where we don’t know God’s specific will. That is where Jesus’ prayer is such a blessing. We can lay out our desires before God, but show our submission by pointing out that more than our will, we want God’s will. We know we are finite and do not see all the sides of every issue. We know God is wiser and will do what is right if we will only surrender to Him. 

We can pray as Jesus does, “Here is what I want, Father. But more than what I want, I want whatever it is that You want.” God will always say, “Yes,” to that and at that point, prayer will truly have worked its power in our lives–not because we got what we prayed for, but because we allowed prayer to make us more like God.

***Question: What do you do to help keep your prayer life on track?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Revelation 5:1-6:17.

In Revelation 6:9-11, the souls of martyred saints are seen beneath the altar of God. They want to know when God is going to take vengeance. They, no doubt, remember that God said, “Vengeance is mine.” They wonder when it will happen. God’s answer was, “Wait.” 

I struggle with that answer. Usually, if I pray and something doesn’t happen immediately, I think He just said, “No!” I need to learn patience. I need to learn that God’s timetable is not my timetable.

However, there is a deeper part of this “Wait.” God not only told them to wait, but during that period of waiting, some pretty dreadful things were going to happen. In fact, God was waiting until the dreadful things happened. He wasn’t going to take vengeance until more Christians died at the hands of their persecutors. 

This, of course, leads us into the questions about suffering and God. We have a tendency to think that if a loving God existed no one would suffer, especially not His followers. However, what we learn is life is not about our pleasure. Rather, God in His time is going to do what is best for us and what glorifies Him the most. Sadly, we have bought into the the temporal, materialistic, worldly mentality that what is best for us is a long life. That is only true if there is no resurrection. Once we accept the resurrection, we recognize there are better things than a long life. A resurrection that provides eternal joy and contentment tops that list. But that list may also include a death that glorifies God. 

I’m not saying we should go about seeking martyrdom in some sort of masochistic spirituality. I’m simply saying if that happens, it is not as bad as the world thinks it is. As Paul said in Philippians 1:19-26, death means to go be with Christ. What could be better than that when the time comes?

I have to learn, sometimes God says, “Wait.” Sometimes that means waiting through some very difficult trials. However, God will always do what is best. I need to trust Him.

Keep the faith and pass the word along,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Matthew 21:1-22:46. 

Perhaps because I’m getting to preach my prayer series again this week, the prayer passage jumped out at me. Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Matthew 21:21-22).

This sounds like a pretty blank check as long as we believe enough. Some have taken this passage and acted as if I could pray for God to give me a million dollars and if I believed enough, He would do it. They make these promises on television, usually coupled with a plea for a seed of faith. That seed of faith is, of course, we send them some money to show that we really believe God is going to bless us. This, however, is not what the passage teaches. In fact, this demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of biblical faith.

The passage does say, if we have faith, we’ll get whatever we ask. However, what is this faith in the biblical context. According to Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Biblical faith is not just a personal conviction that something is a certain way or that something will happen. Biblical faith is a conviction that something is so based on the evidence of God’s word. Therefore, if I, based on God’s word can believe He really is going to give me a million dollars, then I can pray for that in faith and will get it. However, understand this, the faith is going to have to be built on something more than just I want it really badly.

Consider a great example of this kind of faith demonstrated through prayer.

In James 5:17-18, we read about Elijah who prayed fervently and the rain stopped and then prayed again fervently and the rain began again. Clearly here was a man who prayed in faith and God acted on his behalf. But from where did this faith come? Did Elijah just think it was a good idea to stop the rain? Absolutely not. Look at Deuteronomy 11:16-17.

Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the LORD will e kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you.

Elijah had faith about the rain stopping because God had promised if the people went into idolatry, that is exactly what He would do. We can have this kind of absolutely certain faith in regard to our prayers only when we can base that faith on God’s word.

Now, please don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying we can only pray when we have that kind of certain faith. Consider Jesus’ prayer in the garden in Matthew 26:39. Consider Paul’s prayer in II Corinthians 12:8. Consider Paul’s prayer in Romans 10:1. These are all prayers offered expressing the desire of the prayer. God said, “No,” to each one. (Although, with Jesus’ prayer we do need to notice His greater point was that God’s will be done above His own. God did say, “Yes,” to that.) My point is God is not saying everything we ever pray for if we believe enough that God is going to do it, He is now forced to do so. Rather, when our prayer is backed by the full faith and credit of God’s word, we can have absolute assurance and certainty that God will do it. Of course, He only will, when we have that assurance. This, of course, is when I most often pray, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.”

What is the final take away? Have assurance from God’s word. When we are praying for God’s will we can have the absolute faith that God will grant our request. We can pray for other things and God may grant or deny those requests for various reasons. 

Hope this was helpful.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get from today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Matthew 7:1-8:34.

I am struck by Matthew 7:11. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?”

It doesn’t say, “How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who want them?”

It doesn’t say, “How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who need them?”

It says, “How much more will you Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?”

How many of God’s blessings do we miss out on because we simply did not ask? Don’t worry, I understand God may say no to our requests. Asking God is not a blank check. However, I also understand God wants to bless us. He wants to give us good gifts. How many of them do we miss simply because we did not ask?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Matthew 5:1-6:34.

It is really hard to figure out what I want to highlight in today’s reading. Having written an entire book on the Sermon on the Mount, every statement is packed with power for me. However, today the Beatitudes really hit me. I was especially thinking today about “praying the scriptures.” That is, I was thinking about how this reading would impact my praying in a few minutes and the Beatitudes just slammed me. 

Today, I don’t need to pray for prosperity; I need to pray that I gain more poverty of spirit. Today, I don’t need to pray for joy, I need to pray that I can mourn what I’ve done to my own life and my relationship with God.  Today, I don’t need to pray for power, influence, or fame; I must pray for the meekness to submit and surrender to God’s plan for me. Today, I don’t need to pray that my stomach be filled; I must pray that I develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Today, I don’t simply need to pray for mercy; I need to pray that God help me be merciful. Today, I don’t need to pray that I have a healthy heart; I need to pray that I have a pure heart. Today, I don’t need to pray for world peace; I need to pray that I can help make peace with those around me and God. Today, I don’t need to pray for ease; I need to pray for the strength to face up to the persecution I will receive if I live godly in this present age.

Excuse me for a little while, I need to go pray.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is I Thessalonians 5:1-28 and II Thessalonians 1:1-12.

II Thessalonians 1:11-12 shocked me. “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

What? 

This passage turns the common concept up on its head. Back in Ephesians 4:1 the statement was, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” Ephesians 4:1 says we must walk worthy. The emphasis is placed on what we do. We have a choice. We can either walk worthily or unworthily, which will we choose. II Thessalonians 1:11-12 seemingly says the exact opposite. In this passage Paul prays that God make the Christians walk in a worthy manner. The emphasis is on God’s work. If we will walk worthy, it will because of God’s work in our lives, because of His power and grace.

What is going on here? Is this a contradiction?

No. Rather, it is merely another representation of the great balance we have to find through scripture. We must walk worthy of the calling. It is our choice to do so. However, apart from God we will not walk worthy of the calling. Sadly, different people who claim to follow Jesus will lob these verses at each other like doctrinal missiles and never see what they mean together. In fact, they will often so polarize each other that the two sides will balk at using the verses that come from the other side.

For instance, my tendency is to take the side that emphasizes my choice and free will in serving God. I’ll preach sermons all day long that encourage others to step up the plate and walk worthy. I’ll rebuke folks for not walking worthy. In a moment of rigorous honesty, I have to admit I’m leery of praying that God make someone walk worthy or encouraging others to pray that God would make them worthy of the calling and bring their every spiritual resolve to fruition. My first reaction is that removes free will. Yet, I need to be able to say what Scripture says. I need to be able to do what Paul did. I need to get comfortable with praying that God will make us worthy of His calling, that God will bring to fruition and fulfill our every resolve for good, that God will fulfill our work of faith by His power and not our own. 

On the other end of the spectrum, some folks so want to emphasize God’s power and God’s work that they balk at telling folks to buck up and walk worthy of God’s calling. They fear saying anything about our free will and our choice and our work is to take something away from God’s sovereignty. Yet, Paul told Christians to walk worthy of God’s calling. He laid responsibility on us to choose, to work, and to walk. We had better buck up and do it.

We need to see the balance this provides and we need to take up both concepts at once. This is summed up in the great statement that is increasingly becoming my mantra: “Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not.” I cannot walk worthy of the calling without God’s power working in my life. However, God’s power will not work in my life if I am not choosing to walk worthy of His calling. If I take a position that leaves out God, I’ll fail miserably. If I take a position that leaves out me, God will not make me succeed.

Today, I pray that God will make you and me both worthy of His calling, that He will fulfill our every resolve for good, and that He will fulfill our every work of faith by His power working in our lives. And today, I choose to walk in a manner worthy of that calling. I hope you will do the same.

Keep the faith and pass the word along,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?