A River of Prayer

Prayerwalking along the river is a favorite spot of mine. 

As I walk along I pray against my sin. I pray for my family, my friends, and my church. But, as I walked and talked with God today the image of the river became an image of my prayer life.

Like my prayers, this river changes. Some days it's choppy and churning, while other days leave it as smooth as glass. My prayers are like that too. Sometimes, I feel like a spiritual mess with more in my heart than I could ever let out through my lips. There are also the days I feel a great peace in the wake of a big answer from the Lord, or merely because I've learned to wait more patiently for the answer.

My prayers have changed alongside these waters. Certain prayers for my children have turned to praises, while others grow in persistence. Church emergencies are now water under the bridge, part of the testimony of God's work in our church. As I pray, I find God deepens the shallow expectations of many of my prayers.

The river also warns me against forgetfulness towards God's work. How many prayers have I sailed down this river? Water that was right next to me a few weeks ago has traveled hundreds of miles since. In the same way, so have many of my prayers. I've seen God answer, whether "yes" or "no", and I see that He continues working on my behalf. The river reminds me against merely throwing out new needs, but to thank Him for the requests that have since been handled by a loving, powerful God.

So whether your prayer life is choppy or calm, prayer still matters. Keep talking to God. Keep sailing those prayers down that river to the God who has created us and loves to hear from us. 

Who Really Wrote the Bible?

Did God dictate every word of Scripture, or simply inspire the men who wrote the words?

I've pondered and talked over this question with people for years. A recent reading through 1 Corinthians 7 led me to go ahead and write my thoughts on the subject.

"I, Not the Lord"
Paul's chapter on marriage reiterates God's command against divorce (1 Cor 7:10), but then he goes a step further. Paul writes that believers should remain married to their unbelieving spouses, if that spouse isn't overtly hostile to Christianity (1 Cor 7:12). But look at how he says it:

"To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her."

Paul seems certain that verse 12 isn't in conflict with God's standards, but he doesn't have a clear statement from scripture or Jesus to reference. So he qualifies that his words here didn't generate from any place he could definitively point to. These parentheses cause great hesitation in some people.

The written words of God
I actually see this parenthetical statement of Paul to be very encouraging to the idea of divine authorship. Paul understood he was writing more than just temporary letters. He reveals this by instructing the Colossians to pass their letter along for the church at Laodicea, and to read the (now lost) letter Paul had written to them as well (Colossians 4:6). These letters continue to be "passed along" in our churches today.

But if scripture is God's Word, why didn't God just write it down Himself? Simply put, God likes using us! It's incredible how involved God allows us to be in the process of Kingdom-building. The writers of the biblical books were tools in the hand of God. However, I don't believe they were mindlessly dictating, but utilized by the Lord as individuals. 

All Scripture is God-Breathed
2 Timothy 3:16 is clear that all scripture is "God-breathed". That means, God was intimately involved in the process. Some interpret this as God telling each writer every single word to write down. That just isn't the God I've gotten to know in my walk with Christ, and my reading of the Bible.

God was the inspiration, but the individual writers' fingerprints are evident as you read their books. Matthew was passionate about reaching the Jewish people with the Gospel, and so under the inspiration of God, he wrote a gospel that references the Old Testament and speaks to that audience.

Meanwhile, Luke partnered with Paul in reaching non-Jews for Jesus. Luke certainly could have written a gospel like Matthew's, but God inspired him to write based on his experience and concern for Gentiles. So while the two books contain similar details of Jesus' life, you can see the way God allowed the gospel passions of the individual to come through their writing.

This is why two pastors or bible teachers can cover the same passage with lessons that are absolutely biblical, but not identical. God has inspired the individual. Whether God dictated each word, or inspired the writers as they worked, God still has a touch on every letter of His Word. 

The Bible is God's Word
I have no doubts that the Bible is God's inspired Word. I've studied original manuscripts. I've attempted to live my life by it's words for decades, and encouraged others to do the same. Watching the impact of these words in my life and others, has only served to increase my confidence. I pray three things for you in reading this post:

1. That you will trust God's Word.
2. As a result of that trust, you will read and apply the Bible daily.
3. Remember God made you as an individual to serve Him in a unique way. Don't try to be like someone else!

Did Jesus Cheat?

The only time I cheated in school was Kindergarten. 

(Where was this shirt when I really needed it?!)

Even at that young age, numbers never made sense to me. But they made sense to Emily! And so I casually glanced at her answers on the way to my first ever 100%, sticker covered counting page! Thankfully, my 1st grade teacher realized I couldn't tell addition from subtraction and got me straightened out the following year.

So yes, I cheated.
But, did Jesus?

That's the question I was recently asked through my role as an online writer with GotQuestions.org

"Could Jesus really be a complete sacrifice if He rose from the dead? Isn't that cheating?"

I think it's a great question. And the good news is that Jesus didn't cheat death, He beat death!

Neither Jesus' death or resurrection were to be a surprise, clearly stating the need for both on numerous occasions:

"The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." Luke 9:22

So while Jesus knew that He was appointed both to die and to rise again, that didn't make His death any less of a sacrifice or hardship. In fact, to see the distress of Jesus crying out, "My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?", grabs me every time. So don't be of the impression that the cross was a breeze for Jesus since He would rise again.

Jesus rising from the dead wasn't cheating death, but beating death! His resurrection proved to everyone that when He offered us eternal life, He could deliver! Jesus says in John 10:28, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish." If Jesus were still dead, there would be no reason to believe such a claim.

So Jesus rising from the dead doesn't diminish the life and death He lived to become our complete sacrifice. Instead, it serves as the ultimate proof that Jesus can deliver on absolutely every promise He makes. 

You Don't Question God!!!!

A new Christian recently told me the one thing he knew is that you don't question God.

I told him he actually knew less than he thought.

People often say to question God is presumptuous and even faithless. I argue there are two ways you can question God. One is acceptable, and one is not. 

The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk questioned God. With all the evil he saw around him, he questioned if God was paying attention.

"...why do you look idly at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?" Habakkuk 1:13

Take a few minutes to read the short book of Habakkuk, and you find this man questioning God on every page! What's more remarkable, is that each time he brings his questions and complaints, God is willing to answer Habakkuk's questions and accusations.

Why would God do this? Essentially, it was due to the attitude this prophet displayed in his questions. Habakkuk closes his book saying that even when the situations around him don't make sense, 
"...yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." (Habakkuk 3:18)

1) The wrong way to question God
Questioning Him in anger, unwilling to hear the response. You refuse to allow God's purposes to have priority above your own.

2) The right way to question God
Questioning in sincerity, willing to hear. You recognize that God doesn't always work the way we do (Isaiah 55:8-9), and so you genuinely seek to understand.

To question God correctly, doesn't mean you can't be honest in your emotions. If you read all of Habakkuk's short book, you see a man with very raw emotions. But, he didn't allow his feelings or circumstances to close him off to genuinely listen for God's answers. This honest dialogue between a man and his God, ultimately satisfied the prophet and settled his heart for what was to come.

So talk to God. Bring your questions, because He can handle them. And while you're at it, be sure to bring your thanks as well for all the ways He's worked before. 

Making Time for Priorities

You have two choices:

• Become the most decorated soldier in the history of the 30th Infantry, OR...
• Read the Old Testament 70 times in your life, and the New Testament 280 times.

(General Harrison on left)

3 Star General William K. Harrison chose both.

Harrison lived an amazing life of military service. He was the first American to enter Belgium in WWII, received numerous medals and honors for valor, and was part of United Nations Command during the Korean Conflict.

He even caught up his Bible reading after three days on the front lines holding off Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. By Harrison's 90th birthday, he had not only read the Bible repeatedly, but was profoundly impacted by it.

And you can't find any time to read the Bible?

Oh how I love your law!
  It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
  for it is ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
  for your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged
  for I keep your precepts.
-Psalm 119:97-100

I've been there. Feeling there's no time to read while finding time for Netflix, video games, and social media. My intention isn't to beat you up, but to remind us of the gifts we receive from God's Word...

• That encouraged me during joblessness
• That reminds me of grace when I realize my sin
• That teaches me to live like Christ

My days spent with the Bible are much better than the ones without it. Would you agree? Then look today at what priorities you need to set to spend your time on the most important things.

They Need A Hero!

Maybe it's just a boy thing. 

Growing up, I dreamed of being the hero. Childhood daydreams (usually during Math class) allowed me to rescue the helpless and fight the bad guys. Even joining the National Guard in college provided a chance to pay for school while serving as a defender to my fellow citizens. 

But if a situation arose that really called for a hero, would I be ready? This question became real with the stunning news story of a local woman attacked in a convenience store. The video shows a man taking her to the floor and trying to rob her as grown men backed away or merely watched! After a long struggle, the assailant finally left when threatened by the manager with a taser. 

Watching the video, I insisted that I would have stepped in and been the hero. But the more I consider it, I wonder how ready I truly am for such a moment?

The words from "Ride" by Twenty-One Pilots comes to mind...

I'd die for you

That's easy to say

We have a list of people that we would take

A bullet for them

A bullet for you

A bullet for everybody in this room

But I don't seem to see many bullets coming through

See many bullets coming through

Metaphorically I'm the man

But literally I don't know what I'd do

The truth is, I have opportunities like this on a regular basis. There are people all around me who are in spiritual danger. Their souls are under spiritual attack as the enemy blinds them to the salvation that is only found in Jesus. And like the bystanders in the convenience store, I miss opportunities to be a hero for someone's soul.

"...he who is wise wins souls." Prov 11:30 (NASB)

Are you ready to be a spiritual hero? There is no shortage of endangered souls. Instead of arriving at the end of our day, counting missed opportunities, let's begin our day in prayer and preparation to be a witness for the gospel of Christ. As Christians, we have been saved not only for our benefit, but to spread that message of hope in a hopeless world. It's time to be the heroes God has equipped and called us to be!

A Wedding, A Stroke, A Funeral...in One Week!

This is the kind of week that makes me think about my life.

After completing a couple's pre-marital counseling, I finalized plans for their big day. It makes me think back to my own special day almost 18 years ago.

Then I dealt with a long-time church member who suffered a stroke. While conscious and seemingly aware of her surroundings, she was unable to communicate in any meaningful way.

And to wrap up the week, another long-time member passed away who had been unable to attend church for years. Her story on this earth is now over, and I wonder if she felt important things were left undone?

These weeks can be pretty emotionally daunting for me. Not just as a pastor, but as a person. And when I think about these situations, I'm reminded of the words of the great Garth Algar:

Do you wish your marriage had the same bliss as those honeymoon days? Stop lamenting how it used to be, and make it better today! Listen more! Love expressively! Stop waiting for him/her to make the first move!

Do you fear a medical condition that could rob you of opportunities with your family? Then treat each moment as a gift, ensuring that if your voice were suddenly gone, your family and friends would have no doubt in regards to your love and thoughts towards them.

Do you worry that death will come with things left undone? Then stop waiting! What keeps getting put off until tomorrow? In the words of that "other Garth", what if tomorrow never comes? Confess your dreams to God, seeking His approval and enabling to accomplish them!

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1 (And sort of the Beatles...)

Life is full of seasons. Don't long so much for a summer that may never come, that you fail to enjoy the beauty of winter. Everyday you have a pulse, you have a purpose. So live it now while you can!