The Problem with Ignorance of the Word of God

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge ~Hosea 4:6

Several people today say that “ignorance is bliss.” However, that is not always true. The result of driving on a road without the knowledge that the bridge is out could not be described as “bliss.” Being ignorant of an accident that occurred at the foot of a hill may not be pleasant when you arrive at the spot at your normal speed, especially if no warning had been given to the patch of ice that caused the accident. And no student ever enjoys the famous “pop quiz” that the teacher gives without any prior announcement. In all of these cases, ignorance certainly could not be described as “bliss.” Similarly, ignorance in our spiritual lives is not “bliss” either.

God chastised the people of Israel for their lack of knowledge. He set up a legal case against them because along with their lack of faithfulness and steadfast love, there was no knowledge of God in the land (Hosea 4:1). Such an ignorance of God led the people to commit grievous sins in God’s sight. Hosea tells us that among the people there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed (v. 2). Any sin against God brings ruin to the one who practices it. These sins incurred God’s judgment on the people. Their destruction resulted from their neglect of God and His commands. Had they known of God and been obedient to His law, then they would have avoided the judgment. But they did not know God due to the priests not teaching them. The priests rejected God and forgot about His law when they should have been instructing the people concerning it (v. 6). The people’s ignorance did not result in delight but disaster.

In many respects, the problem with the people of Hosea’s day can be seen with us today. We also can be described as having no knowledge of God in the land. The prophet Amos, a contemporary of Hosea, predicted a coming famine that would plague the nation. However, this would not be a physical famine but a spiritual one. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land-not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD (Amos 8:11). Such a famine appears to be apparent in the 21st century. Many lack a knowledge of God because they do not take the time to study His Word to discover this knowledge. They have placed the knowledge of other things as of greater importance than the very Creator Himself. Several in the church today have been described as “biblically illiterate.” Many can quote the latest sports statistics or explain the latest movie that serves as the current box office hit but they cannot begin to describe who God is as He reveals Himself in His Word. This is a problem with drastic spiritual consequences. J. I. Packer puts it well when he writes, “Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfold, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.” Neglect of God ends with spiritual destruction.

The remedy for this problem is simple. We must take time to study God’s Word to learn more about Him. This is the most important thing that we can do that will make an eternal difference in our lives. So, how is your knowledge of God? Are you growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) or would God’s indictment upon the Israelites also apply to you?

Love in Christ,
Lee

On the Application of Scripture

One thing that every Christian could work on more would be the proper application of Scripture. If one desires to understand the Bible correctly and in turn apply it properly, then they need to labor through rigorous research and study concerning what God intended the human author of the text to say to the specific audience addressed and what it means. One cannot just replace every "you" in Scripture with his or her self and view what is being said as being directed to them. Such a practice would lead to some interesting decisions in one's life. We all have heard the story of someone who prayed that God would show them what they should do and opens his Bible first to Matthew 27:5 which states that Judas went away and hanged himself. Then he turns in his Bible to Luke 10:37, Go and do likewise. Neither one of those statements were directed specifically to him and his ignoring their context led to dangerous peril. The following are some helpful things to remember to aid you in discerning God's Word rightly.

The Bible is A Book About God

The very first thing we need to realize about Scripture is that it is not about us. The Bible does not tell us "our story" but "His story." It is the written revelation of God to humans. Through it, God shows us Who He is and what He has done. It communicates God's work of redemption through His Son's death on the cross, subsequent resurrection, and the new life and restoration that brings. It does not serve as a self help book that tells us every single decision that we should make. Too often we treat that Bible as some sort of magical talisman or an 8-ball. Such is the mistake the man in the example in the opening paragraph makes. We should not ask simply "what does this say I should do" but instead "where does my life fit in with this story?" "How am I the sinner spoken of who has offended the Holy God?" "What has Christ done so that I can worship God as He created man to do?" "How does the new life that Christ gives to those who trust in Him enable me to be obedient to His commands?" We cannot forget that the Bible is a book about God and our study of it basically then is a study of God and man's relationship towards Him. To ignore this truth would lead to several misapplications of what God says in His Word.

The Bible is a Book That Points to Jesus

Again, the Bible is not about us. It points to Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself acknowledged this. He stated that the Scriptures, referencing what we call the "Old Testament," testify about Me (John 5:39). The Law pointed to His coming in that He can be said to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17). He explained to the two men on the road to Emmaus the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures, again referencing the Old Testament (Luke 24:27). Paul says that all of the promises of God find their yes in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). Many passages that we try to apply to us actually apply to Christ. I love Matt Chandler's example of how several like to take the narrative of David defeating Goliath and make that out to convey that we can defeat the "giants" in our own lives. But we are not the point, Jesus is. David serves as a type of Christ; the one through whom the Messiah would come. It is about Jesus. We relate more to the cowering and fearful Israelites who did not have the nerve to stand up to the giant. We need to pay attention to how the Scriptures point to Christ to guard against misapplying something to ourselves that instead speaks of Him.

The Bible is a Book That Redirects Our Focus

David Powlison describes the Bible as "rescripting" our lives. He states, "Application today experiences how the Spirit 'rescripts' our lives by teaching us who God is and what He is doing." Our original focus revolves around ourselves. We are born viewing ourselves as the center of the universe. We think that everything is about us, we are okay, and we know what is right for us. There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 16:25). If we are truly studying what Scripture says, it will move us away from ourselves and redirect us to God. It will show us that it is not about us but about Him. That we are God's and that He demands our obedience and not the other way around. It is through the Bible's doctrinal teachings about God and His work that shifts this perspective. This is why doctrine is so practical and necessary. Having the right focus leads us to living the right way. We cannot know how to please God unless we know Who He is and what pleases Him. Our spiritual growth comes from our growing knowledge about Christ. That is doctrine! Peter instructs us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Recognizing that the Bible is about God and centers on Christ can dramatically "rescript" our lives by redirecting our focus from ourselves and our ways to Christ and His ways.

The Bible is a Book That Has a Context

One of the biggest reasons for our misapplication of God's Word is our failure to examine the context. It was reported that when asked about the most important thing to take into account when studying Scripture, that Augustine said the following: "I answer three things: context, context, and context." We must always take into account the context of the passage studied to ensure that we do not misapply it. Our goal as Bible students always is to seek to understand the original inspired meaning of the original author's words. To do this necessitates that we take what is written in its historical context (when it was written), its cultural context (where it was written), its literary context (how it was written), its authorial context (why it was written), and the congregational context (whom it was written). Neglecting to examine such contexts will leave one without a fuller picture of what the text is teaching and then lost when it comes to the appropriate application of it. We need to thoroughly study these contexts so that we understand what the text is saying and what it means. We can't have a clear picture of what it means and its application in our lives without it.

To understand Scripture and properly apply it to our lives takes rigorous work and time. But it is well worth it if we truly desire to know God and live to glorify Him. We cannot know Him if we do not study His Word in its appropriate context and we can't glorify Him without first studying to know what glorifies Him. We also need the "rescripting" that Scripture does when studied in its original context to understand its original meaning. I encourage all who read this to strive, with the grace that God gives, to be better students of the Word. To labor, with the Spirit's guidance and direction, to seek to understand what He has said and what it means, so that you may love Him more and live to glorify Him.

In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Why Pray if God Is Sovereign? (Part 4)

(By Matt Waymeyer)

Today’s post concludes our series on this important topic, with a fifth and final reason why believers should pray in light of God’s sovereignty.

5. God has ordained prayer as a means by which He accomplishes His eternal purposes.

At this point, some may wonder how it is that Scripture can teach both that God providentially brings all things to pass in conformity with His eternal purpose and that the prayers of men can have a significant affect in the unfolding of world history. The seeming contradiction between these two truths vanishes, however, when one realizes that “the same God who has decreed the end has also decreed that His end shall be reached through His appointed means, and one of these is prayer” (The Sovereignty of God, 167). In other words, God in His infinite wisdom was pleased to ordain prayer to be a means through which He accomplishes His good pleasure in and through His creation. As A.W. Pink writes,

God has decreed that certain events shall come to pass, but He has also decreed that these events shall come to pass through the means He has appointed for their accomplishment. God has elected certain ones to be saved, but He has also decreed that these ones shall be saved through the preaching of the Gospel. The Gospel, then, is one of the appointed means for the working out of the eternal counsel of the Lord; and prayer is another. God has decreed the means as well as the end, and among the means is prayer (Ibid., 171).

Understanding this relationship between the sovereignty of God and the prayers of men begins with recognizing the comprehensive nature of God’s eternal purpose. Richard Pratt writes,

God’s plan is so comprehensive that it not only includes the final destinies of things but also includes the secondary, creaturely processes that work together to accomplish these ends. For instance, God does not simply ordain light to shine on the earth each day; He also employs the sun, the moon, the stars, and countless other things to accomplish that end. God does not merely determine that someone will recover from a disease; He uses doctors and medicine to accomplish the healing. As the playwright of history, God did not simply write an ending for the book of time. He wrote every word on every page so that all events lead to the grand finale (Pray With Your Eyes Open, 109-10).

In other words, the “all things” which God works out “according to the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11) includes the means that He uses to bring about His ultimate ends. God uses the sun to bring light to the earth, He uses doctors to restore people to health, and He uses prayer to bring about many things He has purposed in eternity past.

When one wants to cross the street safely, he uses the crosswalk and looks both ways before doing so; when one desires his family members to turn to Christ for salvation, he seeks to proclaim the gospel to them; when one desires to provide for his family, he works hard at his place of employment. And in the same way, when one desires such-and-such to happen, he prays to God to bring it about, recognizing that prayer is one of the means through which God brings about His purposes here on earth.

Several examples in Scripture indicate that God has ordained prayer as a means to accomplish His eternal plans. First, when Abraham sojourned in Gerar in Genesis 20, he lied and told King Abimelech that Sarah was his sister, at which time Abimelech took Sarah into his harem of wives (v. 2). In response, God closed all the wombs of the household of Abimelech and threatened the king with further judgment if he did not restore Sarah to Abraham (vv. 7, 17). However, at the same time that God warned Abimelech of this judgment, He also told him, “[Abraham] is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live” (v. 7). In other words, God revealed to the king that His plan was for Abraham to pray and intercede for the King so that divine judgment would be withdrawn. Then, in verse 17, God’s preordained plan came to fruition: “And Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children.”

A second example can be found at the end of the book of Job. God addressed Job’s friend, Eliphaz the Temanite, saying,

I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly (Job 42:7b-8a; NIV)

Then, as verse 9 reveals, Eliphaz “did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer” (NIV). From this it is clear that God not only ordained that His wrath toward Eliphaz would be turned aside, but He also ordained that the means He would use to accomplish that end would include the intercessory prayer of His servant Job.

A third and final example of God’s ordination of prayer as a means to accomplish His end can be found in God’s promise to Israel of future restoration in Jeremiah 29. In verse 11a, the Lord told Israel that He knew the plans that He had for her. In other words, the God who knew the end from the beginning was not unaware of what He had purposed for Israel’s future. He continued by telling Israel that His plans were “for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (v. 11b). What will happen in the future when God’s plan unfolds and He providentially brings it to pass? He continued:

“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile” (vv. 12-14).

God will restore His people in response to their prayers, but these prayers—rather than being an intrusion into God’s eternal plan—are actually part of God’s plan. Both the means and the end—the prayers and the restoration—have been ordained by Him and will be brought to pass by Him (cf. Ezekiel 36:37).

Prayers of petition and intercession, then, should not be thought of as attempts to alter the eternal purposes of God. As Pratt writes, “Trying to alter the eternal decrees of God through prayer is like trying to reach the moon on a trampoline; it is impossible. Our petitions cannot interrupt God’s plan for the universe anymore than a trampoline can break the power of earth’s gravity” (Pray With Your Eyes Open, 109). Instead, prayer should be understood as “one of the many secondary causes through which God fulfills His plan” (Ibid., 110).

It is obvious, then, that one need not deny the sovereignty of God in order to be committed to a life of fervent prayer. For such a life begins in an obedient submission to the command of God and the model of Christ, it flows out of the recognition that God is able and willing to respond to the prayers of His children, and it rests in the assurance that God has sovereignly ordained prayer as a means to accomplish His purposes.

by Pulpit Magazine

Why Pray if God Is Sovereign? (Part 3)

(By Matt Waymeyer)

So far, we have considered two reasons to pray in light of God’s sovereignty. Today we will consider two more.

3. God is able to respond to our prayers.

Rather than hindering the prayers of believers, the sovereignty of God ought to motivate them to pray, for “prayer grows from the certainty of God’s omnipotence and sovereignty” (The God Who Hears, 47). Put another way, if God does not reign in sovereignty over His creation and is not able to accomplish whatever He desires in and through it, why bother requesting of Him what He is unable to deliver?

To illustrate, if a five-year-old boy repeatedly asks his mother to make it stop raining on a Saturday morning, this may create a precious memory, but in the final analysis the boy’s request is misguided. As much as his mother might like to alter the weather, she simply lacks the ability to do so, and therefore to request this of her makes little sense. But when the children of God come before the throne of grace, they come with the full assurance that their heavenly Father is able to accomplish whatever He is pleased to do, for nothing is too difficult for Him. And this ought to motivate them to pray.

“To be worth praying to,” Hunter writes, “God has first of all got to have the power to do what we ask. Second, he must have sovereignty over creation to do what he wants to do” (The God Who Hears, 48). So perhaps the question, “If God is sovereign, why pray?” could be replaced with the question, “If God is not sovereign, why pray?” Believers must come to their God presenting to Him their requests because He has both the authority and the ability to grant what they have requested in their petitions and intercessory prayers.

4. God actually does respond to prayer.

The fourth reason that believers should pray is that God not only can, but actually does change the course of history in response to prayer. Jesus said, “[A]sk, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.” As Wayne Grudem points out, Jesus “makes a clear connection between seeking things from God and receiving them. When we ask, God responds” (Systematic Theology, 377).

Scripture is filled with examples of God granting to His people what they have requested in their prayers of petition and intercession. First Chronicles 4:10a records the prayer of Jabez in which he said, “Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!” In response to Jabez’s prayer, “God granted him what he requested” (v. 10b). In Exodus 32:10, God told Moses of His intentions to destroy the people of Israel because of their idolatry. But Moses interceded on behalf of Israel (vv. 11-13), and in response to his prayer God relented and did not destroy them (v. 14). And as James records, God responded to the earnest prayers of Elijah in both initiating and ending a three-and-a-half-year drought (James 5:17-18; cf. Genesis 18:22-33; 32:26; Daniel 10:12; Amos 7:1-6; Acts 4:29-31; 10:31; and 12:5-11).

At the same time that it is acknowledged that God is sovereign, then, it must also be acknowledged that “[t]he effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16b; cf. 4:2). In fact, immediately after answering the question of how to pray in Luke 11:2-4, Jesus goes on to answer the question of why to pray by giving two reasons—because God rewards diligence in prayer by granting requests (Luke 11:5-10), and because God delights in giving good gifts to His children (Luke 11:11-13).

In the words of Richard Pratt, then, “Prayer is a powerful human effort that can significantly affect not only the lives of individuals but the very course of world history” (Pray with Your Eyes Open, 112). This truth, no doubt, should be a powerful motive for the children of God to pray. As Grudem writes,

If we were really convinced that prayer changes the way God acts, and that God does bring about remarkable changes in the world in response to prayer,…then we would pray much more than we do. If we pray little, it is probably because we do not really believe that prayer accomplishes much at all (Systematic Theology, 377).

By. Pulpit Magazine

Why Pray if God Is Sovereign? (Part 2)

(By Matt Waymeyer)

Why Pray?

In this series, we will consider five reasons why believers should pray in light of the sovereignty of God.

1. God has commanded us to pray.

The most obvious reason to pray is that God has commanded us to pray. This is evident throughout the teachings of both Jesus and the apostle Paul. Jesus taught His disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13, introducing the prayer with the words, “Pray, then, in this way” (v. 9). Afterward, He instructed His disciples to be persistent in their prayers (Luke 11:5-13). In Luke 18:2-8, Jesus told them a parable “to show that at all times they ought to pray” (Luke 18:1). And upon arriving at the Garden of Gethsemane, He instructed them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:40).

The apostle Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17); he instructed the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (4:6); he charged the Colossians, “Devote yourselves to prayer” (4:2); he wrote to the Ephesians, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf…” (6:18-19a); and he urged Timothy “that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men” (1 Tim 2:1).

The point is clear: God has commanded us to pray, and our response to this command must first and foremost be one of obedience. Even if we never reach a clear understanding of the relationship between the sovereignty of God and the prayers of man, the fact that God has commanded it should be enough to move us to pray. When God promised Abraham a son through whom he would become a great nation (Gen 21:12b) and then commanded him to sacrifice that very son (Gen 22:2), Abraham bowed the knee of submission before His Creator and simply obeyed what was commanded of Him (Gen. 22:3-10). The believer who asks the question “Why pray?” must follow his example and do the same.

2. Jesus modeled a life of prayer.

A second reason believers should offer prayers of petition and intercession to God is that such prayer was modeled by Jesus who “would often slip away to the wilderness and pray” during His ministry (Luke 5:16). Jesus’ consistent example of fervent prayer to the Father is evident throughout the gospel accounts. During His ministry in Galilee, Mark records that “in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there” (Mark 1:35). After feeding the five thousand in Bethsaida, Jesus sent the multitudes away and “went up to the mountain by Himself to pray” (Matt 14:23).

On the night before He chose the twelve disciples, Jesus “went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). Later Luke refers to a time “while Jesus was praying alone” (9:18), and eight days later Jesus “took along Peter and John and James, and went up to the mountain to pray” (Luke 9:28). And who could forget His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:39-44; Mark 14:35-39; Luke 22:41-45) or the “High Priestly prayer” of John 17? And what believer fails to cherish the fact that He lives to intercede even now on our behalf (Heb 7:25)?

In offering prayers of petition and intercession, Jesus was not ignoring or denying the sovereignty of His Father. This is obvious from several of Jesus’ prayers, not the least of which include His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:39-44; Mark 14:35-39; Luke 22:41-45). As Hunter writes, “He knew that by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge he would be put to death by being nailed to the cross (Acts 2:23). He told the incredulous disciples this at least three times…. Yet in Gethsemane, as Mark tells it, he ‘fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him’ (14:35)” (The God Who Hears, 51). In other words, even though Jesus was well aware that His death at Calvary had been preordained by God, He still saw fit to petition His Father that this cup might pass from him.

If the followers of Christ are to be imitators of Him and “walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6), they too must be characterized by fervent prayer for themselves and for those around them. Knowing that Jesus prayed as a way of life may not clear up the tension that exists in believers’ minds between the sovereignty of God and the prayers of men, but it should motivate them to imitate the One who Himself saw no disparity between His own prayers and the sovereignty of His Father.

Why Pray if God Is Sovereign?

(By Matt Waymeyer)

* Matt pastors Community Bible Church in Vista, California. He is a graduate of The Master’s Seminary, and a periodic contributor to Pulpit.

The story is told about a small town in the south. For many years, this town had been “dry” in that no alcohol was ever sold or served there. But one day a businessman in the area decided to build a tavern. In response to this new tavern, a group of Christians from a local church became concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. Shortly after the prayer meeting that night, lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground.

In the aftermath of the fire, the owner of the tavern sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible for his loss. But the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. After his initial review of the case the presiding judge began the trial with an official statement. He said: “No matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear: the tavern owner believes in prayer, and the Christians do not.”

It is very easy to dismiss the power of prayer, isn’t it? It is very easy to drift into thinking that prayer is a nice sentiment, but in the end, a waste of time because it doesn’t really make any difference anyway.

For some people, this kind of dismissal arises from unbelief and doubt that God really can answer prayer. For others, however, the question that paralyzes their prayer life is this: If God is sovereign, why pray?

In other words, if God will simply do what He wants to anyway, why offer prayers of petition and intercession? Why bother requesting that God do such and such when everything has been ordained by Him beforehand? If prayer consists of pleading with God to change His eternal purposes, isn’t such an undertaking feeble at best and arrogant at worst?

Although there are no easy answers to these questions, Scripture is not silent on this issue. My purpose here is to examine the Bible’s teaching on the sovereignty of God and the prayers of man with the goal of answering the question, “If God is sovereign, why pray?” This will be done by briefly defining what it means that God is sovereign and then by offering five answers to the question of why people should pray.

God Is Sovereign

When people make plans, it is not uncommon for those plans to fail or to be thwarted in one way or another. In contrast to His creatures, however, Almighty God always brings about that which He has purposed. In a word, God is sovereign.

This truth is perhaps most clearly seen in the words of Isaiah 46:9-11, where God demonstrated His superiority over the Babylonian idols by declaring:

Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure”; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.

In this passage, God indicates that He both purposes what He desires to happen and then actually brings those purposes to pass. In other words, God providentially brings about in time and history what He has sovereignly ordained in eternity past. As the apostle Paul writes, God “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11).

The truth of God’s sovereignty over His creation is taught throughout Scripture. The psalmist declares, “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Ps 135:6; cf. 115:3; Dan. 4:35); Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord, it will stand;” and Proverbs 21:1 states, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.” As W. Bingham Hunter writes, “From a biblical perspective, your world-history book should be prefaced with 2 Kings 19:25: ‘Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In the days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass’” (The God Who Hears, 49).

(To Be Continued Tomorrow)

by. Pulpit Magazine

Satan Is Defeated

This week has been really rough. Some of you know that I will (Lord willing) be moving to South Africa for about 6 months, to work with a missions organization, I am also for the first time in a while blessed to be in a relationship with a wonderful young woman.
I know this doesn’t sound like is was a rough week, but I believe because the Lord is working so much by through His Grace in my life, the Enemy (Satan) is really wanting to destroy what God is doing.
This past week It seems like every temptation imaginable has been put in front of me, and the enemy has been telling me all kinds of lies, from this or that person doesn’t like me, to me having lost my salvation.
I was sharing a little of this last night with a dear friend, she told me I need to rebuke the devil, tell Him he was not in control of my life. I belong to Jesus. I knew this of course, but it wasn’t clicking, I was in a bad state, but my friend was there to be His hands
It sort of reminds me of the story of Peter walking on the water to Jesus. Do you think if the other apostles would have joined him on the water, They would have been able to hold him up until he put his gaze back on the Lord? I feel in the same way my friend, was being a flotation device in a since, until I could look back up, and see the face of Jesus. Praise God for the people he puts in our lives.

The Lord through the obedience of my friend was able to bring me to a point where I could focus on the word, and here is what the Lord has shown me in scripture.

1) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7(ESV) if I resist the Devil he will leave.
2) I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 1 John. 2:12(ESV) Why fear? I am saved by the grace of God.
3) The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" Luke 10:17(ESV) I have through Jesus Christ, and by the grace of God, authority over these spirits.

Jesus has already defeated Satan, Praise God.


SDG,

Bud

Prayer is a monologue.

Many people in various denominations in the world view prayer as a dialogue but I don't agree with that thought.

In the O.T. God spoke through prophets and then God came to earth and spoke for Himself in human form. 

Prayer is a monologue.

God no longer speaks to people directly, but mostly through His word and occasionally other people and circumstances. If you have ever been fortunate enough to be the recipient of God working in another person (what I like to call God with skin on) it is a blessed, wonderous experience.

God reaching out through his word is astounding, to be praying fervently for something and then to open your bible and read a passage that speaks directly to you and your experience is a powerful show of His love. 

For Example:

I am disabled, people pray for my healing all the time and one day I had been discouraged by yet another person who was frustrated because they had been praying for me and yet I was not healed, or even slightly better than before. The usual comment of "you must not have enough faith" had come up and I was angry (at them not God). I opened up my bible and staring out at me was a verse I had never read before.

"3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5

yet another person had told me I was doing something wrong and that it was MY fault I was disabled, yet here, God was very clearly showing me that it is not from a lack of faith that I am ill! There is good to be had from my inabilities that I may learn to rely on Him and His grace.

So the next time you are praying strongly for something you need or something a loved one needs, open His word.

Soli Deo Gloria

Reformed Anon Girl

Grace Upon Grace

This is not the main subject of this blog, but I must give God Glory for it anyway. Many of yew know that I am (Lord Willing) moving to south Africa for a little to work in a radio as an engineer. I created a group for those that are willing to be praying for me while I am over there working. I have been so blessed to see how many people have dedicated themselves to praying, for not only me but for the work in South Africa. Watching the body at work is amazing. Thank you God for each one of these Servants.



Now for the Main Subject of this Blog.
A few months ago a close Friend of mine Hans asked me
“ Bud, Have yew ever played the game of chess”
” No” I said, “I don’t play games at all “
His response to this was “Bud, You play Chess with Life”
I didn’t understand what he meant, and he proceeded to show me how I can, and tend to move pieces (people) around the chessboard to accomplish my “will”
I took this to heart, and started praying about it, and through this one small word I can see where the lord was able to prune not only this but other areas of my Life.
However, After stumbling a bit this week, I was noticing that the heart of selfishness, that I’m going to call this game of chess, was trying to surface again, I was chatting with my best friend on Skype. I had to get off because I really didn’t know what was going on, so therefore didn’t know how to explain to my friend, Needless to say she was a bit confused, but gracefully let me go.

I was able this morning to contemplate, after the Lord gave me wisdom in the situation, how wonderful the Grace of God really is. Fist I got to see it in my friend, who with the patience of job, put up with my foolishness. I also got to see in how God is taking my selfish heart, and continuing to prune it, so that He can get glory in the end. Praise God!!!!

SDG

Bud