Open-ended Prayer

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1^st Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB)

I was mulling over the many prayers I have prayed since adolescence and to my surprise found God had answered every one of them.  Some were simple prayers for faith, strength and guidance and some of them were for things for which I could not even imagine a viable answer.  These requests and petitions for what seemed impossible needs became outright miracles in later years. 

Some of the things I prayed for felt, at the time, like God really didn’t care; such as prayers for family members to come to a saving knowledge of Christ.  But looking back I see that God immediately went to work on their behalf yet would never violate their free will.  The final choice was theirs and I can only trust that my prayers on their behalf helped them toward the grace of Christ so that when they passed on they had changed their minds and embraced Him. 

We may be surprised to find that when we count our blessings God has answered our prayers.  I believe He answers more than we suppose.  Open-ended prayer strengthens our trust knowing God begins to work for us in ways we could never imagine.  When we can put those prayers together we see what He has done for us and hope in what He is yet to do.  This is the beauty of open-ended prayer.  This is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

Criminal Intent

And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”  And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise.”  Luke 23:42, 43 (NASB)

Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead is the heart of Christianity. Without the resurrection Christianity would truly be a dead religion.  The gift of eternal life through Christ was never more poignantly demonstrated than on the cross as Jesus forgave the sins of a criminal being crucified next to Him. The man put his total faith in Jesus as his Messiah. It was an instantaneous conversion through belief and not anything the thief did. If he did anything it was to lead the life of an offender that put him on that cross next to Jesus.  He and the other thief being executed on the other side of Jesus deserved what they were getting while Jesus was about to die completely innocent. 

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is our assurance that, through Him, we have more to expect from this life than just a hole in the ground when we die.  Jesus was first in this new life and through His resurrection led the way back from the power of death to incorruptible eternal life becoming the First Born among many brethren (Romans 8:29).  As was the case of the thief there is nothing we need do but ask and believe in the Lamb of God.

The thief’s intent that day was to come before His God forgiven and worthy.  He was about to find that because Christ lived he would live too. Whether dying, as the thief, or living only for ourselves, when we believe in God’s sacrificial Lamb we take hold of His promise; a promise that one day we will find ourselves worthy to stand with Christ in the Paradise of God.  Because He lives all who trust in Him shall live too.

Happy Resurrection Day,                                                                                   

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

Those Bad Boys of Canaan

For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.  2^nd Corinthians 1:20 (New American Standard Bible)

This week I have again read the story of Joseph in Genesis (chapters 37-50). It is my favorite biblical account; a story of pardon and redemption as Joseph forgives his brothers for their hatred and their betrayal of selling him into slavery.

In all my studies of this story I have always focused on the goodness of Joseph and not the unrighteousness of his brothers. There were eleven of them, ten of them being half brothers of dubious intent.  As sons of Jacob all but one, Benjamin, were older than Joseph and these ten all held seething resentment against Joseph because he was the favored son of his father's old age.  The brothers were in constant rebellion against God and their father Jacob in other ways also. Levi and Simeon were the leaders of a murder raid upon their neighbors (34;25)  Reuben, Jacob’s eldest, had physical relations with his step mother (Genesis 35:22),  and all were guilty of hating their brother and selling him to Ishmaelite slave traders (37:28). 

 The thing that struck me this time was how God continued to honor His covenant with Abraham while the children of the promise were caught up in continual wickedness. These brothers were all part of that promise even to God allowing one of them, Judah, to be an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:3).  The pledge of God is sure and He will never go back on His word.  What will He do for you?  He has promised all His riches to you through His Son (Ephesians 3:8). If God were willing to keep His promises to a group of unruly men like Jacob’s sons how much more will He honor His promises to you as a believer through the grace of Christ?  Will He go back on those promises?  His promises to you are yes and even Amen, rock solid and faithful.  Concerning those bad boys of Canaan He had ten good reasons to go back on His promise but He faithfully kept it. In the many promises He has made through Christ you are the one good reason He will continue to do so.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

Crafty Actors

Then Jesus spoke to the multitude and to His disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them. Matthew 23 1-3 (New American Standard Bible)

As Christians most of us have heard “Oh, I don’t go to church.  Christians are all a bunch of hypocrites.”  I have to agree there are many hypocritical people in the church.  Where else would you find them?  The word hypocrite is a word that comes from the ancient Greek stage that is defined as ‘an actor under an assumed character-a stage player.’  It is true there have been people within the church who have injured its good name by their hypocritical actions and I have no defense for it.  In fact, I am ashamed of the many actions people have taken in the name of Christ that have hurt others and were totally opposed to His heart and teaching.

Jesus hates hypocrisy. He was constantly reproaching the scribes and Pharisees for it.  Unfortunately our sin nature still persists and is revealed through some Christians as the opposite of Christ presenting arrogance, judgment and mistrust of God’s goodness.  Jesus is in no way like that and never has been!    

In the church and on the stage of life there will always be crafty actors who say ‘Do as I say and not as I do.’ As His followers Jesus tells us to let our lives radiate with brilliancy before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).  We do that by loving God with all our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength (Luke 10:27).  The Church isn’t broken but it is imperfect.  Even so it will never lose its power (Matthew 16:18).  Speaking of hypocrisy in the church the Christian leader, Michael Green, has to say of it; “You cannot get away from it.  From now on your lot is cast with the Christian church.  Where it is corrupt, purge it.  Where it is slack, enliven it.  Where it is right, follow it.”* 

*Michael Green, Avoiding Jesus: answers for skeptics, cynics and the curious, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2004-2005, 185

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

The Honor of it

How precious is Thy loving kindness, O God!  Psalms 36:7 (New American Standard Bible)

Have you ever tried to make someone love you?  It’s impossible. They would either loathe the attempt to overcome their will or might fake it to avoid unpleasant consequences.  “I’ll make you love me” is coercion.  Love comes out of respect and reaches its zenith when it is given willingly. 

There would be no glory for God to program unwitting persons to worship Him when they did not have the choice to say no. It would just be performance.  The act of choice is one of love’s defining features.  

We would not know of the fullness of God’s awesome love either had He no reason to demonstrate it.  That demonstration to us through the cross was undeniably an overwhelming display of loving kindness that defies logic or invention.  He is worthy of our praise and it is all the more breathtaking when we return it from our hearts.  That’s the honor of it.  We love Him because He first loved us (1^st John 4:19).

Ken       

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com©

Monkey Business

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you not as the world gives, do I give you.  Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.  John 14:27 (New American Standard Bible)

Have you ever heard of a monkey trap? It’s a cage or bottle containing food with a hole large enough to allow the monkey to fit his hand into but not large enough to allow him to withdraw his fist while holding the food.  When the person who set the trap approaches, the monkey screams and tries to get away but will not let go of the food and remains trapped.  

A monkey trap can be anything that snares us through fear and mistrust, hindering the experience of blessing God has for us.  This is why Jesus said He offers abundant life.  Fear is one of the thieves that steal our peace and freedom in Christ. Jesus says He will carry the burden of any load or loss and what He gives us to carry will be light indeed (Matthew 11:28-30). 

God bids us to come to Him and place all our burdens on His Son, Christ Jesus, and instead of being troubled and fearful to be calm and at peace.  Turning loose of what is in the monkey trap liberates us. That is why we gain more when we turn loose of less.  Fear not, for He is with you.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

This is Truth

Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king.  In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify of the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  John 18:37 (New International Version)

Imagine the scene; a young rabbi in Israel is detained by local authorities and subjected to an illegal trial.  Roman law in Israel prohibits the Jews from executing anyone without Roman permission so the Jewish leaders push this young man onto the provincial governor, Pontius Pilate, hoping he will send him to the cross.

But Pilate is disturbed by the whole scenario.  As he interrogates Rabbi Jesus he hears Him speaking boldly of what is true.  The Procurator’s response is skepticism.  We can imagine the look of resignation as he sighs and asks Jesus “What is truth?”  He was at the crossroads of a historic decision, one that would shake the world for years to come.  He decides to wash his hands of the situation and send the rabbi to the cross.  Pilate would be able to go about his business and the Roman Peace would be secure within his province.  Perhaps he even went to his grave without having realized the Glory and Truth that had stood before him in that hour.

In America we hear so much of Christ’s truth that in retrospect it can seem humdrum.  But when we stop to consider the truth of what is in Jesus and who He is, a light of understanding begins to dawn.  A stirring of heart and mind begins to seek Him with abandon.  We see what Truth really is and that this same Truth who once stood humbled before a Roman ruler is at this moment exalted above all things (Philippians 2:9).  Yes, everyone on the side of truth will listen to Jesus. In doing so all who do can be empowered this day to live an abundant life in that truth.

Lord, help me be not only a beholder or hearer of Your words but strengthen me to be a doer of Your truth.  Amen.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com©