CHRISTIAN PRAYER

Time with Jesus - Sunday, 30 June 2013

Hi all,

 If we have a look at the Scriptures for today, we find they have a common focus. All five refer directly or indirectly to prayer. So, is there a right way and a wrong way to pray? 

The writer of Ecclesiastes seems to think so! ² Don't make rash promises, and don't be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2 NLT

Many, if not most Christians take one look at “Ecclesiastes”, shake their heads and walk away. Their concern is that it contains a number of statements which don’t fit in with their concept of “God’s Infallible Word”. After all, what do you with a book of the Bible which starts with the words, ¹ These are the words of the Teacher. He was the son of David. He was also king in Jerusalem. ² "Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is completely meaningless! Nothing has any meaning." Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 NIrV I confess I make this comment from personal experience. I was one of them!

Something Fishy?

Getting a better understanding of God’s Word, has been one of my objectives for as long as I can remember. In the course of this, I’ve had to ask a number of questions which have challenged my thinking. Perhaps the most important of these are, “Why is it there?” and “Who said it?” 

Incidentally, in asking these questions, it is essential to realise that only God can give a full answer. In other words, such questions must be seen as “prayer questions”. It took some time to realise that the two questions are interrelated and boil down to exegesis and hermeneutics. i.e. a right understanding of all the circumstances associated with the words of Scripture.

King Solomon Unlimited
Power, Wealth & Sex

In brief, to give a partial answer, we need to know we believe Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon when he was an old man. By then, his thinking had been significantly impacted by his many pagan wives. It has been suggested he had become a “backslider”. What we can say is that he had been changed by heathen influence. It follows that when, as an old man, he looked around at prevailing conditions, he would not see what he saw with younger eyes. That’s when his expression, “Everything is completely meaningless!” begins to make sense.

Solomon was perhaps the only man who has ever had absolute power in His kingdom. He also had access to almost unlimited wealth. On the moral front the Book of 1 Kings tells us, ² The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, 'You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.' Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. ³ He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD. 1 Kings 11:2-3 NLT Here then was a man who could do anything his heart desired. What he found was that without God, everything was meaningless.

Do Everything with
all your might

Solomon sums up Ecclesiastes with the following statement ¹³ That's the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands, for this is everyone's duty. Ecclesiastes 12:13 NLT

Two are Better then One

The great danger to all who have power and wealth is that it can shift our focus away from the One Who provides everything! Access to many, many sexual partners exacerbates this. The danger is we stop listening to God in prayer, and focus on His provision. If and when that happens, we will find, as have countless other men and women, everything is meaningless. Only God can provide meaning to His creatures. Find Him and meaning through prayer. Thus, Solomon’s statement, “Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” warrants its place in the infallible Word of God. Without God, everything is meaningless.

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 30 June 2013					Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes							©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES			CHRISTIAN PRAYER
About 30 years ago, Tim Le Haye published a book describing the various types of personalities found in people. He described four basic styles. I can’t remember the details. But what I did see was that people are very different. Some of us have a happy disposition. Others are sad. Melancholy is how it was described. It’s just as well. We all react differently to different situations. One of the best examples of this is Obadiah and Elijah. Obadiah was the servant of the Lord, who hid 100 prophets of God in caves, away from the eyes of King Ahab. He had a position of importance in Ahab’s court. Today we would probably call him “non-confrontational”. Elijah was different. It takes bold-faced courage to take on 400 prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. Indeed, he knew that God was with him. A lesser man would have turned and run away.  Each served the Lord In his own way. This should not be a surprise. God had formed them in the womb to be exactly what they were. Elijah was bold and brash, except for when he was running away from Jezebel. Obadiah was more reserved and easily intimidated. We need both types in God’s service today. When it comes to prayer, we also have many different types of “prayer warriors”. Warriors may be a misnomer, because the ranks of the “prayer warriors” in the 21st century appear to be mainly women. There’s nothing wrong with this. What women lack in physical strength, God compensates them with dedication and commitment to prayer. In this regard, it is said that in WW2, England was delivered from the hands of Hitler because of the prayers of devout women. The men were fighting physical battles. The women were engaged in spiritual battles. Since things always happen in the spirit before they happen in the flesh, the women brought the victory which the men subsequently reinforced. There is no doubt that personality influences how we pray. Some prayers are bold and brash like Elijah. Others are quiet and reserved like Obadiah. In between there are many other styles. Our personality reacts and responds in prayer in accordance with our “comfort zone”. This is not surprising. That’s how we have been made. At the same time, in all our prayer, there must be reverence for God. He is our Heavenly Father and loves His children with a passion we can hardly conceive. But that does not give us the right to be casual and flippant with Him! In the final analysis, He is God. I would never dare shout at my physical father. We loved each other, but I was always respectful. It is no different with God. We shout at dogs not at God. We should make no demands. There is a need for decorum. The arrogant Pharisee received nothing. The humble tax collector was justified. Which one describes you best? Jim & Phyllida Strickland				2 Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God's in charge, not you--the less you speak, the better. Ecclesiastes 5:2 MSG 7 "When you pray, do not keep talking on and on the way ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. 8 Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him. Matthew 6:7-8 NIrV 26 They took the bull he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon. They said, "Baal, answer us!" But there wasn't a sound or an answer. So they danced around the altar they had made. 1 Kings 18:26 GW 10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:10-14 ESV 1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." Luke 11:1 ESV	Often I’ve been puzzled when Christian people shout. It seems, when they are praying, there’s some kind of a doubt, About the Master hearing. But God is never deaf! He hears when a soprano sings her highest treble clef. Even a faint whisper; He hears it like a bell, Even through the screaming of everyone in Hell. Other complications are our methods and our ways. Clumping up and down the room and shouting out our praise, Doesn’t make an impact. He seeks sincerity, In all the supplications which come from you and me. Don’t be like the priests of Baal, who slashed themselves with knives; Shouting “Come and hear us and prove you are alive!” Then they shouted louder. Perhaps he’d gone away? Sleeping in his bedroom? Or on a holiday? All of it was useless. The thing these priests had missed, Was he was just deity who never did exist. But stomping round their altar was what they liked to do. All they got was exercise. Does this apply to you? Jesus told the story of two men who went to pray. One man was a Pharisee with lots and lots to say. His was all thanksgiving, for how good he had been, Full of self-importance for all he’d done and seen. The other man was humble; he saw that tax was paid. And when inside the temple, the man was sore afraid. He knew he was a sinner. “Have mercy Lord”! He cried. And when he went back home again, he went there justified. He didn’t look to heaven, he merely beat his chest. Because he had been lowly, is why he had been blessed. Jesus told His people just how they ought to pray. Go into your closet and lock yourself away. Pray to God in secret and surely you will see, The blessing of the Master descending upon thee. In a public meeting when you gather for prayer. If there’s only two of you, know Jesus Christ is there. Pray to God and listen to what He wants to say. Then you can be certain of what you have to pray. Let Him give directions. Let Him take the lead. And He will reward you by filling every need. Jim Strickland Written 30th June 2012

DEALING WITH SIN

10 Living Words
The Moral Law

Time with Jesus - Saturday, 29 June 2013

1 - Do Not Worship
Other gods

Hi all,

We are all born with a sin nature. It has been passed down to us from Adam and Eve in the garden. But individually we are not born sinners. A new born baby has a sin nature; a tendency to sin. But the child is innocent. At that stage, it doesn’t even have a conscience to direct and satisfy its thoughts and actions. This all comes later. How much later, is difficult to predict. 

What we can say with certainty, it soon learns to bawl and squall when it is tired or hungry. In a short space of time it learns the fine art of manipulation. “If I bawl and squall, I get attention”. So it sets off on a course that in the end will lead to selfishness and sin.

3 - Do Not Take God's
Name in Vain

Paul describes the process very well in Romans 7. It is partially summed us as follows: ⁹ At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, ¹⁰ and I died. So I discovered that the law's commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Rom 7:9-10 NLT

One of our greatest problems is, most of us “love” our sin. A good illustration is adultery and fornication. While a couple are “in the very act”, neither of them care that it is sin. In fact, they “love” it! Indeed, in modern society we are told that it is a good and healthy “thing” to do. It’s a normal and natural creaturely craving. 

We are told that animals “mate” and that we are merely the highest form of animal. So do whatever turns you on. When told that it is sin, the usual reaction is to laugh and call you a “killjoy” and a “prude”!

Trying to inform men and women that God is not a killjoy is not easy. On the contrary, He wants us to enjoy life. How to explain this to others is difficult. 

7 - Do Not Commit
ADULTERY

One way is to take a careful look at the Moral law, the law of God we know as the 10 Commandments. If we do, we will find that they are not irksome. In fact they give us ample latitude for living a good life. They are sometimes called the 10 Freedoms! Living within these parameters helps us to love God and our neighbour. 

8 - Do Not Steal

For example, if I love my neighbour, I will not want to seduce his 16 year old daughter. I will not want to steal from him or kill members of his family. I will honour my parents. I will not revere idols and will remember to honour God and take a day off work for devotions and spending time with my family. None of that is difficult. The hardest bit is not to covet. We tend to like the new things the neighbours have bought and would like them too.

9 - Do Not Lie

The reason we don’t stick within the 10 living words is usually because of greed in some area. The lust of the eyes; the lust of the flesh; the pride of life; one of these is always at the root of sin. Fortunately, I find that, as Phyllida and I grow older, coveting the neighbour’s stuff is less and less of a problem. I may like the idea of driving the latest top of the range Mercedes. But the associated insurance, running and maintenance cost is not really something we need right now. Our 2005 Atos and 2009 Honda are more than enough. 

Paul expressed this to the Philippians as follows: ¹¹ Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. Philip. 4:11 MSG. For us to carry on this way for a few more years is all Phyllida and I really want to do. This way, we keep our minds away from sin.

The Great Commandment
Love God & Love Others

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 29 June 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes					©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	DEALING WITH SIN
One of the “best descriptions” I’ve heard concerning sin, is on a tape made many years ago by a Bible teacher called Paris Reidhead. This particular tape is sometimes called the “best Bible Teaching tape of the 20th century”. I can’t verify the validity of this. But I have a CD recording along with a typed transcript of that teaching. Speaking about humanism, Paris said that it was “like a miasma that seeps up out of the gratings over the pit of hell”. His theology may not be right, but I must confess that it’s a very good comment on humanism and on sin. Sin is insidious. It seems to arrive unannounced, unwelcome and unknown. We have all heard about inherent sin. This is our sin nature. We are born with it “written into our genes” as it were. That beautiful little new-born baby has a tendency to sin. The child may not be aware of it. But it won’t be necessary to teach him to lie. He can do it without any “sin lessons”. That little baby is capable of being a monster of iniquity. If left unchecked and without correct guidance, we have a potential Hitler in our midst. Sin has the way of developing in us. Perhaps the best example of this is the guards in the Nazi Death Camps. After committing horrendous atrocities during the day, they would go home and play with their children; love their wives and pets and sing Christmas Carols. It was possible because they had grown used to behaving like monsters in the camp. There was no longer a sense of revulsion in them toward what they were doing. It was their jobs which they performed with typical Teutonic dedication. This is not to be understood as a criticism of the German people. The fact is all of us can quickly descend into the depths of barbaric cruelty. We see a similar trend in serial killers. The first murder is carried out with fear of the consequences. The second murder is a little easier. Eventually, murder for them is like buying an ice cream. It’s done without regret or remorse of any kind. Sin is exactly like that. At first we find it difficult. Then, as the transgression is repeated, it becomes automatic and hardly noticed. God help us when we get there. We could arrive at a place where our conscience is so seared that we don’t even realise what we are doing is sin. Fortunately, or unfortunately, God is not like this. He never gets unimpressed by repeated sin. If anything He gets angrier with each repetition. He hates sin with a passion that we can hardly understand. All sin. He is equally angry with murder as with telling lies. But He had a “problem”. He loves us and hates our sin. For you and me it’s a catch 22 situation. He will judge each and every sin. Nothing is swept under the carpet. His “anger” with sin is “equal” to His love for me and you. Somehow He had to reconcile these two all-consuming opposites. He has done this in and through the death of Jesus on the cross. Righteousness and mercy have met and kissed. In the light of this, He is able to forgive us. His justice is completely satisfied and we are able to receive His mercy. But this does not give us a licence to continue in sin. Sin demands repentance. No repentance, no forgiveness. It’s that simple. He is able and willing to forgive us from all our sins. He says He will remember our sins no more. That’s His part. Our part is to repent and turn away from sin. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my rebellious ways. Remember me, O LORD, in keeping with your mercy and your goodness. Psalms 25:7 GW 22 I made your rebellious acts disappear like a thick cloud and your sins like the morning mist. Come back to me, because I have reclaimed you. Isaiah 44:22 GW 25 "I am the one who wipes out your lawless acts. I do it because of who I am. I will not remember your sins anymore. Isaiah 43:25 NIrV 18 "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18 ESV 34 A man will not need to teach his neighbour anymore. And he will not need to teach his friend anymore. He will not say, 'Know the LORD.' Everyone will know me. From the least important of them to the most important, all of them will know me," announces the LORD. "I will forgive their evil ways. I will not remember their sins anymore." Jeremiah 31:34 NIrV 19 Once again You will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under Your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! Micah 7:19 NLT 17 I'm sure it was for my benefit that I suffered such great pain. You love me. You kept me from going down into the pit of death. You have put all of my sins behind your back. Isaiah 38:17 NIrV 18 Who is a God like you? You forgive sin and overlook the rebellion of your faithful people. You will not be angry forever, because you would rather show mercy. Micah 7:18 GW 5 May grace and peace come to you from Jesus Christ. What Jesus gives witness to can always be trusted. He was the first to rise from the dead. He rules over the kings of the earth. Give glory and power to the One who loves us! He has set us free from our sins by pouring out his blood for us. 6 He has made us members of his royal family. He has made us priests who serve his God and Father. Give him glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Revelation 1:5-6 NIrV	I’m sure God has a problem when He looks down on us. He sees the creatures He has made all making quite a fuss. It seems we do not listen. He tells us what to do. But we pay no attention; at least not me and you. We cannot spot His meaning so rather like a cat, We give a look that tells Him, we are not doing that. Sometimes we are like canines. We spin around and bark; And when He tells us what to do, it seems we do not “hark” Why is it we don’t listen? Why is it we ignore, The Master’s strict instructions? To listen is a chore! Thank You for Your mercy. You know the mess we’re in; And when we do not listen, we know it is a sin. But we are not “sin conscious”, instead our minds are seared. With You we’ve grown familiar, and You are not revered. In fact we rather like it. We look at sin as “fun”. We’re playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded gun! Why should I even bother? There’s folk much worse than me. I am a special sinner the blood of Christ set free. But God is not a prostitute. We cannot “use” His grace’. We do not have a licence to sin in any place. We know You want to wash us, clean as the driven snow. But change is inconvenient. Can we not take it slow? And here’s the contradiction; You’re wanting to forgive. But find You cannot do it, because we want to live, Just like the unsaved sinners whom we see all around. We lie and steal and cheat and kill. In us there is not found, A tiny speck of righteousness; except that of our own. And we should reap the consequence of all that we have sown. But Lord, You are forgiving. We only have to turn; To put aside iniquity. That’s what we have to learn. And though our sin is scarlet, You’ll wash us white as snow. If we’ll come in repentance, forgiveness we will know. You overlook rebellion in someone who’s contrite. You’ve said you won’t remember, things not done in Your light! Our sins You will dispose of into the deep blue sea. If we will turn and come back home and put our trust in Thee. Our sins will then be blown away just like the morning mist Righteousness and mercy will both have met and kissed.       Ps 85:10 And we will gaze in wonder at the marvel of your ways, In total incredulity. And Father, we will praise, The God of our salvation in wonder and in awe. You are the One Who’s worthy; the God Whom we adore. Jim Strickland Written 29th June 2012