Living According to God's Way: Prayer and Evangelism
Proverbs 14:27 - "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death."
Acts 3:1-6 "1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
While waiting on God today, these versus above impressed on my heart. It reminded me of a saying, that much prayer, much power; no prayer, no power. We see that in Acts 3 that there was a time of prayer. One can conclude that the early church was a church of prayer, and as a result, they were a powerful church, where thousands were coming to Christ and people were being saved daily. It says in Luke that 11:9 that when we ask, it will be given to use, explaining the power we have in asking God. Something key in living according to God's trustworthy laws is being his witness( we are called to do the Great Commission Matthew 28). In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells us that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us, and we will be His witness in all the earth. How does the Holy Spirit fill us up? Luke 11:13 gives us the answer, that the Father will give generously the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Therefore, let us pray in reverence of God, let us seek God, and let us see His Kingdom come and His will be done.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
The Need for Prayer
44"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
1 Timothy 2:1-2
Main Idea: Prayer is essential.
While praying today, I really felt God impress this message on my heart. Today, John Heald, MCCC youth pastor, preached on being a living sacrifice to God, holy and pleasing to God, from Romans 12:1-2. I thought about that today, and I really felt that in order to please God, to be consecrated to Him, we must obey Him. Jesus wept when He saw Jerusalem fail to recognize what would bring them peace( what would bring them peace is Jesus, the Prince of Peace) [ Luke 19 ]. In the same way, Jesus weeps over those who do not know Him, those who fail to recognize that peace comes from God. As Christians, our purpose in life is to bring God pleasure; therefore, we are to pray for God the Father to bring the lost to Jesus, where they will be able to come to know His truth, as it says in John 6:44, because this certainly will bring God pleasure, "who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth"(1 Timothy 2:4).
So my challenge for you, make it your prayer, believing that it will happen, for God to bring people to Jesus, where they can truly find peace.
John 6:44
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
1 Timothy 2:1-2
Main Idea: Prayer is essential.
While praying today, I really felt God impress this message on my heart. Today, John Heald, MCCC youth pastor, preached on being a living sacrifice to God, holy and pleasing to God, from Romans 12:1-2. I thought about that today, and I really felt that in order to please God, to be consecrated to Him, we must obey Him. Jesus wept when He saw Jerusalem fail to recognize what would bring them peace( what would bring them peace is Jesus, the Prince of Peace) [ Luke 19 ]. In the same way, Jesus weeps over those who do not know Him, those who fail to recognize that peace comes from God. As Christians, our purpose in life is to bring God pleasure; therefore, we are to pray for God the Father to bring the lost to Jesus, where they will be able to come to know His truth, as it says in John 6:44, because this certainly will bring God pleasure, "who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth"(1 Timothy 2:4).
So my challenge for you, make it your prayer, believing that it will happen, for God to bring people to Jesus, where they can truly find peace.
Friday, May 15, 2009
No Condemnation
I was reading and meditating upon Romans 8 for the past week or so, and every time I re-read it, I become extremely pumped up. I didn't know why I got so excited at the time, but I have had some time to reflect upon it and decided 'twas time to blog about it.
-----
Romans 8 - NLT
(taken from BibleGateway.com)
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the powera]">[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed youb]">[b] from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.c]">[c] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
There is no condemnation. None! All the things you've done--lying to your parents, cheating on a test for school, stealing a dollar or two from your friend for lunch money, sleeping around with your boy/girl friend, watching porn, getting into fights, letting your anger get out of control, swearing your head off, etc. (the list could go on forever)--it's done! It is over with. There's no reason why we should feel condemned for it.
We condemn ourselves/each other. One of the biggest reasons why Christians backslide away from their faith is because of the condemnation they give themselves once they sin. Once we commit these sins, we often say to ourselves, "Oh, I can't worship God after I just did that" or something along those lines. Even worse, people judge and condemn others for their actions, be it good or bad. Too often, it is the Christian body that becomes the source of criticism as if we do not sin ourselves. Jesus never told a sinner to get out of the church. Not once. Instead, he said, "Let he who is without sin be the first to cast a stone." Wow.
However, sin has lost its control! This is a lie from the enemy! Once you repent of the law and accept the blood of the Lamb, you're redeemed. The enemy can't rightfully touch you. So how can he get you? By whispering in your ear all the bad things you have done in the past, in the present, and even in the future. Listen, there's no condemnation, period. Even for sins that are going to happen without you knowing. Proverbs even says, "the righteous man falls 7 times...[so shall he] gets up 7 times." The Bible does not judge our righteousness for being perfect, but for coming to Jesus just as we are.
Follow the Spirit, not the sin. The irony of the whole [self-]condemnation ordeal is that many times we choose to listen to the spirits behind the sin instead of God. As if the evil spirits know us better than the Creator of the Universe and the world. He knows us by name, the number of hairs on our head, and knows the number of days in our lives. So when he says that he loves us, he welcomes us back with open arms, and he has sent his Son to come and break the bondage of Death, why do we allow it to rule us?
-----
Man just typing this out is getting me pumped. Due to time restraints, I will have to elaborate on other verses in Romans 8 somewhere down the road.
Stay vigiliant!
-----
Romans 8 - NLT
(taken from BibleGateway.com)
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the powera]">[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed youb]">[b] from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.c]">[c] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
There is no condemnation. None! All the things you've done--lying to your parents, cheating on a test for school, stealing a dollar or two from your friend for lunch money, sleeping around with your boy/girl friend, watching porn, getting into fights, letting your anger get out of control, swearing your head off, etc. (the list could go on forever)--it's done! It is over with. There's no reason why we should feel condemned for it.
We condemn ourselves/each other. One of the biggest reasons why Christians backslide away from their faith is because of the condemnation they give themselves once they sin. Once we commit these sins, we often say to ourselves, "Oh, I can't worship God after I just did that" or something along those lines. Even worse, people judge and condemn others for their actions, be it good or bad. Too often, it is the Christian body that becomes the source of criticism as if we do not sin ourselves. Jesus never told a sinner to get out of the church. Not once. Instead, he said, "Let he who is without sin be the first to cast a stone." Wow.
However, sin has lost its control! This is a lie from the enemy! Once you repent of the law and accept the blood of the Lamb, you're redeemed. The enemy can't rightfully touch you. So how can he get you? By whispering in your ear all the bad things you have done in the past, in the present, and even in the future. Listen, there's no condemnation, period. Even for sins that are going to happen without you knowing. Proverbs even says, "the righteous man falls 7 times...[so shall he] gets up 7 times." The Bible does not judge our righteousness for being perfect, but for coming to Jesus just as we are.
Follow the Spirit, not the sin. The irony of the whole [self-]condemnation ordeal is that many times we choose to listen to the spirits behind the sin instead of God. As if the evil spirits know us better than the Creator of the Universe and the world. He knows us by name, the number of hairs on our head, and knows the number of days in our lives. So when he says that he loves us, he welcomes us back with open arms, and he has sent his Son to come and break the bondage of Death, why do we allow it to rule us?
-----
Man just typing this out is getting me pumped. Due to time restraints, I will have to elaborate on other verses in Romans 8 somewhere down the road.
Stay vigiliant!
Monday, April 20, 2009
God is love
"16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (1 John 3:16)
"God is love." (1 John 4:16)
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40)
20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)
Main Idea: God is love, therefore, we also are to love.
Jesus demonstrated the fullness of His love through washing His disciples feet. He loved us so much, that we was willing to humble himself, and serve the disciples, doing a task that not even slaves did. In the body, along with in the world, we are to love people. We are to be willing to lay down our lives for our brothers, and to treat others as we would desire them to treat us. Let us be the Body, let us be believers that love, for we know, that out of faith, hope, and love, love is the greatest(1 Corinthians 14).
Challenge: Love a brother today. Ask him how he is? See how his day is? Pray for him.
"God is love." (1 John 4:16)
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40)
20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)
Main Idea: God is love, therefore, we also are to love.
Jesus demonstrated the fullness of His love through washing His disciples feet. He loved us so much, that we was willing to humble himself, and serve the disciples, doing a task that not even slaves did. In the body, along with in the world, we are to love people. We are to be willing to lay down our lives for our brothers, and to treat others as we would desire them to treat us. Let us be the Body, let us be believers that love, for we know, that out of faith, hope, and love, love is the greatest(1 Corinthians 14).
Challenge: Love a brother today. Ask him how he is? See how his day is? Pray for him.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Waiting on God
8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. (James 4:8)
4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)
31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Main Point: Waiting upon God is essential in your life.
Recently I(Richard) felt in my life a little rollarcoastery, where my spiritual life is up and down, up one week and down another, up one day, and down another. Yet, this verse just struck my heart, and I realized that it is when I wait on God, God will renew my strength. I prayed today to God is that I'll be like King David, that I one thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord, gazing upon the beauty of the Lord, seeking Him in his temple.
4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)
31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Main Point: Waiting upon God is essential in your life.
Recently I(Richard) felt in my life a little rollarcoastery, where my spiritual life is up and down, up one week and down another, up one day, and down another. Yet, this verse just struck my heart, and I realized that it is when I wait on God, God will renew my strength. I prayed today to God is that I'll be like King David, that I one thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord, gazing upon the beauty of the Lord, seeking Him in his temple.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
What are you meditating on?
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
(Joshua 1:8 NIV)
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
(Psalm 119:15-16)
Main Point: Meditating on God's Word is key to a successful Christian walk.
As said on previous posts, God's Word is absolutely vital in our Christian walks. It is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path(Psalm 119:105). Therefore, we should make every effort to be sure that we are walking according to His Word. That is where meditation comes in. Meditation may sound like a mystical weird word; nevertheless, it is very simple and practical. It is to simply engage in thought or reflection. It speaks in 1 Timothy 4:7 that we are to train ourselves to be godly. Pondering and thinking thoroughly on God's Word, seeking understanding and insight, is a great step in training oneself in godliness. We are to be doers of the Word, and not simply hearers, as it says in James 1:22. Let us fill our minds and hearts with God's Word, letting it overflow our in our lives. Let this be the prayer of our hearts.
25 I am laid low in the dust;
preserve my life according to your word.
26 I recounted my ways and you answered me;
teach me your decrees.
27 Let me understand the teaching of your precepts;
Psalm 119:25-27
Challenge: Meditate on a specific scripture passage this week, seeking God to mold you in becoming more like Him. Ask for understanding, ask for His ways, and He will answer.
(Joshua 1:8 NIV)
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
(Psalm 119:15-16)
Main Point: Meditating on God's Word is key to a successful Christian walk.
As said on previous posts, God's Word is absolutely vital in our Christian walks. It is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path(Psalm 119:105). Therefore, we should make every effort to be sure that we are walking according to His Word. That is where meditation comes in. Meditation may sound like a mystical weird word; nevertheless, it is very simple and practical. It is to simply engage in thought or reflection. It speaks in 1 Timothy 4:7 that we are to train ourselves to be godly. Pondering and thinking thoroughly on God's Word, seeking understanding and insight, is a great step in training oneself in godliness. We are to be doers of the Word, and not simply hearers, as it says in James 1:22. Let us fill our minds and hearts with God's Word, letting it overflow our in our lives. Let this be the prayer of our hearts.
25 I am laid low in the dust;
preserve my life according to your word.
26 I recounted my ways and you answered me;
teach me your decrees.
27 Let me understand the teaching of your precepts;
Psalm 119:25-27
Challenge: Meditate on a specific scripture passage this week, seeking God to mold you in becoming more like Him. Ask for understanding, ask for His ways, and He will answer.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Understandings of a Human
I was reading Proverbs 30 today (in part because I attempt to read a Proverb a day in hopes of gaining more wisdom) and the chapter spoke deeply to the roots of my heart. I will break it down by parts.
Source: Bible Gateway
Translation: NLT (I love NIV and NKJV, but NLT rocks)
Proverbs 30
Proverbs 30
The Sayings of Agur
1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message.[a]
I am weary, O God;
I am weary and worn out, O God.[b]
2 I am too stupid to be human,
and I lack common sense.
3 I have not mastered human wisdom,
nor do I know the Holy One.
4 Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down?
Who holds the wind in his fists?
Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak?
Who has created the whole wide world?
What is his name—and his son’s name?
Tell me if you know!
Isn't it amazing how God is using an honest man, completely useless and broken before the Lord, to prophesy about Jesus?! Look at verse 4--this man, Agur, comes before God in anguish and pain about his lack of humanly understanding, is the only man in ALL of Proverbs to reference the Son of God! This is truly what Paul was talking about in 1 Corinthians 1, where he says God will use the weak to shame the wise.
If you are reading this and you are one of those Christians who tends to think that you do not know or understand much of the Bible, CONGRATULATIONS! You may very well be used to prophesy or declare the Word of God! I reflect upon all the times I have poked fun at my friends or acquaintances for lack of common sense, but why have I prided myself into making others seem foolish?
5 Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
6 Do not add to his words,
or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
The Word of the Lord cannot be tarnished or changed. As it says in Hebrews, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I realized that as a preacher, not only can you not alter what God has planned to say, but you HAVE to say what's on God's mind. This is scary! What if people will get offended by what God has to say? I have no choice, and neither do you because the Word of the Lord is not declared through simply preaching, but word of mouth, such as sharing the Gospel with friends, family, and strangers. I have been rebuked by the Lord through many ways: other people's messages, my authorities, my friends and accountability partners, through a series of unfortunate events.
7 O God, I beg two favors from you;
let me have them before I die.
8 First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
Here is an often asked ice-breaker: What would you do if you had a million dollars? However, my question right back is, "Why would I want a million dollars?" Surely, there is nothing in this world I can buy that will satisfy me! An iPod will only get outdated by another iPod, and a 2009 car will be trumped by its 2010 successor. Lord, I just pray for satisfaction with my finances, not an abundance; only give me the abundance if you want to bless me to bless others.
I will continue verse 10 to 19 sometime in another post.
--dan
Source: Bible Gateway
Translation: NLT (I love NIV and NKJV, but NLT rocks)
Proverbs 30
Proverbs 30
The Sayings of Agur
1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message.[a]
I am weary, O God;
I am weary and worn out, O God.[b]
2 I am too stupid to be human,
and I lack common sense.
3 I have not mastered human wisdom,
nor do I know the Holy One.
4 Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down?
Who holds the wind in his fists?
Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak?
Who has created the whole wide world?
What is his name—and his son’s name?
Tell me if you know!
Isn't it amazing how God is using an honest man, completely useless and broken before the Lord, to prophesy about Jesus?! Look at verse 4--this man, Agur, comes before God in anguish and pain about his lack of humanly understanding, is the only man in ALL of Proverbs to reference the Son of God! This is truly what Paul was talking about in 1 Corinthians 1, where he says God will use the weak to shame the wise.
If you are reading this and you are one of those Christians who tends to think that you do not know or understand much of the Bible, CONGRATULATIONS! You may very well be used to prophesy or declare the Word of God! I reflect upon all the times I have poked fun at my friends or acquaintances for lack of common sense, but why have I prided myself into making others seem foolish?
5 Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
6 Do not add to his words,
or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
The Word of the Lord cannot be tarnished or changed. As it says in Hebrews, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I realized that as a preacher, not only can you not alter what God has planned to say, but you HAVE to say what's on God's mind. This is scary! What if people will get offended by what God has to say? I have no choice, and neither do you because the Word of the Lord is not declared through simply preaching, but word of mouth, such as sharing the Gospel with friends, family, and strangers. I have been rebuked by the Lord through many ways: other people's messages, my authorities, my friends and accountability partners, through a series of unfortunate events.
7 O God, I beg two favors from you;
let me have them before I die.
8 First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
Here is an often asked ice-breaker: What would you do if you had a million dollars? However, my question right back is, "Why would I want a million dollars?" Surely, there is nothing in this world I can buy that will satisfy me! An iPod will only get outdated by another iPod, and a 2009 car will be trumped by its 2010 successor. Lord, I just pray for satisfaction with my finances, not an abundance; only give me the abundance if you want to bless me to bless others.
I will continue verse 10 to 19 sometime in another post.
--dan
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