Sermons From My Heart

To help you understand the importance of today’s lesson, I’m going to put on a little demonstration. I’m standing nice and straight, and now I’m going to bend at my waist. Now I’m looking straight down at the floor. That isn’t extremely uncomfortable. I could easily stay bent over like that for a few minutes, but what if I had to stay bent over like that all the time? What if I had to stay bent over like that day after day and year after year for eighteen years? That would be quite a different story, wouldn’t it? What if I went to the store and I needed something from the top shelf? I can’t even see the top shelf, much less reach the items on that shelf! I would have to depend on someone to find and get the items I needed.

In today’s Bible reading, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath when he saw a woman who was crippled. She had been bent over double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, He called her over to Him, touched her and said, “Woman, you are healed!” Instantly she could stand up straight. She was so happy that she began to praise God!

You would think that everyone in the synagogue that day would be happy and join the woman in praising God. Not so! The leader in charge of the synagogue was very angry that Jesus had healed the woman on the Sabbath day. He told the crowd, “There are six days of the week for working. Come on those days and be healed, but not on the Sabbath.”

Luke often highlights the reaction of the audience to Jesus’ actions. This instance may be especially significant, since it signals a growing rift between the joy of those who delighted in Jesus’ works and the anger of the religious leaders.

The Pharisees and their Sabbath traditions were the issue that most frequently provoked controversy in Jesus’ ministry. For example, nothing in Scripture forbade either the watering of an ox or the healing of the sick on the Sabbath. The Pharisees and their Sabbath traditions placed a higher value on animals than on people in distress. That corrupted the whole purpose of the Sabbath. When we care more for keeping the rules than we do for the welfare of people made in God’s image, we miss the whole point of our existence. In Romans 10:13, the Bible says, “love is the fulfillment of the law.”

We should not be too critical of the Pharisees, because we can be the same as them. We are prone to make rules about things. We see something that isn’t quite right, so we make a rule to deal with it. Before we know it, all of these rules become a heavy burden. After a while, God’s grace and the freedom Jesus came to bring us are nowhere to be seen.

Some of us might not be accustomed to thinking of the church as a place where hurting people are invited to “stand up straight,” especially people who are disenfranchised and marginalized by those who hold power and authority both inside and outside the Church. I’m thinking of the 2019 General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. A resolution to approve same sex marriages was approved by lay and clergy delegates but was defeated by the House of Bishops. Because resolutions have to be approved by a 2/3 majority in all three groups, the resolution was defeated. When the results were announced, there was sadness in the LGBTQ population. Thankfully many of the bishops who are in favour of same-sex marriages have announced that they will use their episcopal authority to allow same-sex marriages in their dioceses.

Every church has what is known as “the cold-water committee.” Whenever the fire of God starts burning in the hearts of some people, they rise up and pour cold water on it. Whenever there is a new and creative way to do church, they pour cold water on that idea. The cold-water committee is not an elected committee; the members are self-appointed. They think it’s their job to make sure things don’t get out of hand in their church. Their favourite phrases are, “We don’t do things like that around here,” or, “We’ve never done it that way before.” Like the leader of the synagogue, these people may even quote a little Scripture, but they are more into rules than into the liberty Jesus gives. We must not become a part of that committee, and we must not pay any attention when someone on that committee corners us to complain about something he or she doesn’t like.

The leader of the synagogue was angry at Jesus, but instead of taking it out on Jesus, he took it out on the crowd. In his rebuke, Jesus dealt with the real issue-the appropriateness of healing on the Sabbath. He was not simply teaching about fruitful living. His exchange with the woman was a living parable. He exposed God’s compassion for the people He made in His image.

Jesus answered the leader of the synagogue, “You hypocrite! All of you work on the Sabbath! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey and lead it out for water? Doesn’t this dear woman deserve to be healed, even on the Sabbath?” The leader was shamed, but the other people were happy and rejoiced at all of the wonderful things that Jesus did.

When Jesus spoke to the leader of the synagogue, He turned a tough conversation into a refusal to witness injustice. He saw that the leader was taking out his frustration on the wrong people and He intercepted it. Jesus didn’t just call out the leader. He took the abuse that was rightfully His instead of letting someone else get yelled at. He took responsibility and used His privilege to protect people who couldn’t defend themselves.

We know this sort of good leadership when we see it. It’s the boss who takes responsibility for the mistakes of his/her employee and deals with the lecture from upper management so the employee can focus on fixing the mistake and learning from it. It’s the spouse who takes over when they see that their partner’s tiredness and frustration is at risk of spilling onto the kids. It’s the pastor who meets with the self-righteous parishioner who just doesn’t think it’s right to let “those people” such as a gay couple, unmarried parents or a family of undocumented refugees worship here too. It’s the kind of leadership that nobody really wants to have to do, but good leaders know it’s part of the system-you have the power, and sometimes you have to run interference for those who have less.

When Jesus asked if it was lawful for the woman to be healed on the Sabbath, He wanted the people to think about what they are doing in life. The religious leaders thought they did all of the people’s thinking for them, especially with all of the 613 rules. Jesus asked a question that showed they had a lot to learn. Jesus knew that the larger purpose of the Sabbath was to free people from whatever holds them in bondage-including work. On several occasions Jesus showed radical care for the less fortunate. As people of faith, we are called on to place the needs of fellow Christians ahead of societal and religious norms.

The healing of the crippled woman should have made it clear to the religious leaders who Jesus really was-the one who is the Lord of the Sabbath and the one who has mastery over the power of evil in the world. But all they saw was a man who was breaking the Sabbath. The leader missed the true meaning of the Sabbath. What he missed was compassion, especially the kind of compassion that trumps legalism all the time.

The only way these religious leaders would have been happy for the Sabbath to be broken was if a person’s life was in danger. Jesus answers them by saying that what He was doing for the woman was necessary. It’s necessary to liberate people from the clutches of evil and this is a work that must continue seven days a week.

Jesus knew that rules are important, but he knew that the needs of people are more important. We need to learn that lesson as well. Whenever we see someone in need, the most important thing is to help them, no matter when or where it may be. True holiness is not strict adherence to the rules. True holiness means recognizing who we are-children of God. True holiness is setting the captives free. True holiness is being able to sing a fully-voiced song of praise.

Jesus didn’t stop at freeing the woman. He restored her to community-her community. At the same time, He called on that community to repent of its hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness and embrace her as its own-not as an object of pity or scorn, but as a daughter, as an heir, as a human being worthy of both love and dignity.

Keeping the Sabbath holy meant reserving that day for worshipping God. The people had various ideas about what constituted worship and therefore exactly what kept the Sabbath holy. People have similar ideas today. There are many people who claim to be able to worship God in nature, at a sporting event, or on the golf course. The proper way to worship God is to go to church on Sunday and enjoy fellowship with other believers.

We have to set aside our agendas to be present for those around us if that is what God needs us to do. How do we respond to unexpected opportunities to praise God and lead like Jesus? We have to remember the people around us. We have to be willing to help people who are in need wherever we go-restaurants, the doctor’s office, the grocery store, walking around our neighbourhood, or even driving down the road. The right thing to do is the most loving thing to do. Jesus wants us to care for one another, even on the Sabbath. Whenever someone is in great pain and suffering, we show the meaning of the Sabbath when we become agents of healing. The Sabbath is made for rest, and it is also made for showing God’s love through acts of care and hospitality.

Today we may feel chained, bent or broken. Jesus is calling to us. He is asking us to come to Him. He wants to set us free. He wants to straighten our souls, our lives, our future paths. Jesus came to straighten us so we could follow Him with lives of praise.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1413-1414)
2. “Jesus Heals on the Sabbath.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Bible (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
6. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 220-221)
7. Dave Wyrtzen, “Animals and People.” Retrieved from www.TurthEncounter.com
8. Beth Fellinger, “Messing with the Status Quo.” Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net
9. Berni Dymet, “When Rules Get in the Way.” Retrieved from bdymet@christianityworks.com
10. Kelly McFadden, “Removing the Mask.” Retrieved from www.homeword.com
11. Jeffrey Eisele, “Luke 13:10-17.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu
12. Rev. Dr. Ruth Hamilton, “Keeping the Sabbath Holy.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
13. “In the Moment.” Retrieved from support@leadlikejesus.com
14. David Dykes, “When You Get Out of Shape.” Retrieved from www.preaching.com
15. Ron Moore, “Crooked Timber.” Retrieved from www.ronmoore.org
16. The Rev. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary-The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost-August 25, 2019.” Retrieved from www.patheous,com/blogs/livingaholyadventure/2019/08/the-adventurouos-lectionary.html
17. Debie Thomas, “She Stood Up Straight.” Retrieved from www.jouorneywithjesus.net/lectionary-essays/current-essay

In the passage we just heard from Acts, Paul has once again been arrested for his faith and has been brought before Governor Felix in Jerusalem. The Jews hated Governor Felix, but the lawyer Tertullus showered false flattery on him, doing what politicians have always done-spinning the truth to their own advantage. Paul did not have a lawyer, but as a Roman citizen, he was no doubt familiar with Roman law. In his defense, Paul referred to Felix’s familiarity with Jewish laws, customs and beliefs. Felix was bound to give a just verdict.

The first serious charge levelled against Paul was rebellion. The Romans did not tolerate people who incited rebellion. If the Jews could support this charge with concrete evidence, Paul would have been punished severely. If Tertullus named specific incidents, Felix could have Paul’s case transferred to the governor in whose jurisdiction the incidents took place. The Jews wanted Paul to be tried by a governor that they had some influence over. Paul recounted his schedule from the previous twelve days, when he arrived in Jerusalem, to show that the charge of creating dissention among the Jews was simply not true.

The second charge levelled against Paul was teaching heresy. Tertullus referred to Christianity with contempt by referring to it as “the sect of the Nazarenes.” Tertullus planned to portray Paul as the leader of a group that posed a threat to Rome. The Roman government was tolerant of religious movements as long as they were peaceful and did not seek to subvert the authority of Caesar. Paul argued that he had as much right to follow the Way as the Jews had to follow Judaism. Erasing the picture Tertullus painted of him as a radical, Paul noted that the roots of the Way were in the soil of Judaism: both religions believe in one God, embrace the Law and the Prophets, and believe in the resurrection of the dead.

The third offense that Paul was charged with was blasphemy. That charge was without merit. Why would Paul go into the temple to comply with the ordinances for sacrificial offerings and give alms for the poor and then defile the temple by taking a Gentile with him? This would have destroyed his credibility as a rabbinic scholar.

The Sadducees rejected much of the Old Testament, while the Pharisees rejected the Old Testament’s witness to Jesus Christ. In other words, both groups rejected Jesus. Paul saw the Old Testament as the inspirational word of God and believed everything it taught. Paul saw the Christian faith as the fulfillment of his Jewish upbringing. He worshipped the same God he always had, and he had complete faith in the Scriptures. Today, Christians are called on to see both the Old Testament and the New Testament as the inspired word of God, and we must believe everything that it teaches.

Paul never tried to earn a standing before God, but he did try to live out the righteousness that God had credited to him through his faith in Jesus. Paul wanted his conduct to reflect well on Jesus. In both cases Paul set a good example for us to follow as Christians.

When Paul referred to Christ’s resurrection, a longstanding feud between the Sadducees and the Pharisees erupted into an open argument. Belief in the resurrection was not a crime under Jewish law or Roman law. It is not a crime to believe that there is going to be a resurrection. If God is going to raise the dead in the future, why is it absurd to believe that He has already raised Jesus from the dead?

The Jewish leaders had a legitimate argument with Paul over the interpretation of the Scriptures and whether or not they lead to the conclusion that Jesus is the Messiah. The debate continues today, but no one should be thrown in jail, whipped, executed or otherwise persecuted because of what side they took in the debate. God doesn’t force us to believe. We have the right to decide for ourselves. While the Bible is the only unfailing and completely reliable guide to what is wrong, God has given each of us an internal moral compass. The conscience can be a powerful moral voice that helps guide our behaviour, but it can also be beaten into silence so that it no longer warns us that what we are about to do is wrong. If we want our conscience to play the role God intended, we have to work at it.

The witnesses to Paul’s alleged crimes didn’t show up for Paul’s hearing, nor did the Jewish leaders prove him guilty of a crime. The only verdict Felix could render that was consistent with Roman law was not guilty. This would have angered the Jews and could have led to more trouble. Felix’s main responsibility as governor was to keep law and order, so he decided not to make a decision. He adjourned the hearing with the excuse that he needed more information.

When Paul was on trial, he defended himself and his faith. His defence won new converts, but some people refused to listen to him. This proves that although God’s wisdom is wiser than any other type of wisdom, some people will never accept it, especially if they are not Christians. Similarly, when we are persecuted for our faith, we must defend ourselves by becoming Christ’s mouthpiece. If we are arrested and put on trial for being Christians, would there be enough evidence to convict us? If that happened, would we readily admit, “I’m guilty” and accept the consequences? We must tell everyone what Christ has done for us in our lives, and we must tell them what Christ can do in their lives.

Today is the only day we ever have. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow may never come. There are many reasons why we put things off-apathy, fear, anxiety, uncertainty, habit, indifference, passive resistance or just plain not getting around to it. Whatever the reason, there are some things that are far too important to put off until a more convenient time-and that includes putting our lives right with God.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1528-1529)
2. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1544-1546)
5. Dave Wyrtzen. “Jesus in Custody.” Retrieved from www.TruthEncounter.com
6. Dave Wyrtzen. “Countering Lies-Just the Facts.” Retrieved from www.TruthEncounter.com
7. Dave Wyrtzen. “Slick Presentation.” Retrieved from www.TruthEncounter.com
8. Victor Robert Farrell, “Steady.” Retrieved from crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Dr. Paul Chappell, “The Path to a Strong Conscience.” Retrieved from daily@dailyintheword.org
10. Dr. Randy White, “I’m Guilty!” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. Richard Innes, “Procrastination.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org/encounter/daily.php

In this passage from Luke’s Gospel, we are at a turning point. Jesus is heading toward Jerusalem. His baptism will be His death, and it will be decision time for His people. They could accept His claims to be the promised Messiah, the Son of God, the one who fulfilled Isaiah 53 and become God’s ultimate sacrifice so that sin could be forgiven or join the religious leadership that declared Him a blasphemer. There was no middle ground. Their choice was to either join Jesus’ Kingdom or remain enslaved in Satan’s tyranny. There was no middle ground then and there is no middle ground today.

There were bad things going on, but the people wanted to ignore them and put on rose-coloured glasses. We also have bad things going on in our lives with crime, evil and a falling away from God. It’s easier for us to ignore it all, but God wants us to see the world as it really is and understand the seriousness of it all. We have to recognize that there is sin in our world.

The Jewish leaders refused to accept the fact that they were misleading God’s people, especially with the 613 rules about how people could worship God and what they could and could not do on the Jewish Sabbath. The leaders stuck to these rules and refused to ask God for forgiveness. They were warned that they would be punished one day.  Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders, turned over to the Romans, and nailed to a cross. It wasn’t the anger of those who rejected Him that they needed to fear. It was the storms of divine judgment that would come upon all who choose not to turn from their sin and cast themselves upon God’s forgiveness in Christ. It was a fatal mistake to be playing the religious role and not discern that Jesus would sweep away all the pretending.

Jesus’ baptism of fire and crisis of decision can mean his own impeding trial and execution, or it can mean the turning point in our own lives when we are called to choose a path of discipleship that will bring with it some form of pain as well. This lesson points us toward the full fruition of God’s kingdom-the redemption and salvation Jesus came to accomplish-and calls us to live in hope and preparation for that time.

The tension that Jesus felt was a tension that was harnessed to the interest of others. He was on His way to the cross and the tension was not to be loosed until He pronounced the words, “It is finished.” The tension, however, did not leave Him frustrated and bad-tempered. It left Him calm and composed, with a prayer for the forgiveness of His enemies on His lips. It drove Him not to pieces but to peace-the peace of achievement and victory. This was so because the tension was harnessed to God’s perfect will-hence it was a constructive urge.

Rejecting Jesus causes division. To reject Jesus was to reject God and remove oneself from citizenship in God’s kingdom. The pressure is on to choose yes or no about Jesus because the end times are near.

When Jesus speaks of bringing division, even discord, he wasn’t talking about division for its own sake. Jesus was not merely a dangerous agitator, no matter what his enemies might have alleged. He knew that the people of his day had often grounded their identity and their hopes for a meaningful unity in the wrong things. He knew that the Gospel of the Kingdom would inevitably disrupt the familial ties, ethnic and national allegiances in which the people of God had sought security to the detriment of God’s purposes.

Even Jesus longed for His Father to end all evil and bring in the full expression of His kingdom-yet that was not God’s plan. Fire is the image of judgment, and baptism is the image of suffering; both must come as God planned from eternity past. Whatever discomfort or impatience a person feels can be put before the Father, who loves His children and controls all things.

Jesus is the “Prince of Peace” but the peace He brings in this world is internal, not external-and it is reserved for those who love Him. He brings division, however, to those who neither love nor want the truth. In this world, truth divides, and Jesus wanted to prepare His disciples for the rancor that would come from those who refused Christ.

We are not to settle for false peace. We are not to put up with situations where our spiritual lives are in danger. Jesus said that He came to start a fire on the earth. Fire destroys anything that is temporary and refines anything that is durable. We are often attached to things that are temporary. Jesus’ fire will make our identity and soul endure forever.

Jesus lamented that the people of His age had become adept at reading signs of the weather to interpret imminent weather patterns yet ignored the biblical signs of the Messiah’s coming. He called them hypocrites because they cared more for the ever-changing weather than they did about professed allegiance to the eternal God. When people see the coming of a storm they can make preparation for it. When people know that a natural disaster is coming, they do what they can to save themselves. The Scriptures speak clearly of the coming judgment of Christ being preceded by dissention and anguish-all things that are happening in the world today. But with all the knowledge, there are few who take heed of the spiritual wisdom that is in the word of God. There are many who might make a passing reference to Scripture, but there are few who really take the time to listen closely, to hear and to put into practice what it is saying.

God speaks to people throughout Scripture, but the people had to listen, just like we have to listen today. Hearing is not the same as listening. Listening involves thinking, but in many cases this does not happen. The people in Jesus’ time had this problem, and we still have this problem today. How often do we make up our minds about someone or something without really listening to the entire story?

Sin causes division. People don’t want to give up their sin, and that causes the division that Jesus talks about. In these situations people should be patient and wait, pray and listen. No one likes conflict or division. We want reconciliation, but we want reconciliation that is cheap and easy. Jesus tells us that reconciliation won’t be easy. Jesus paid with His life so that we could be reconciled to God.

There needs to be some division between right and wrong, but it has to be according to Jesus’ standards, not ours. Strong actions bring divisions because the call to follow Jesus demands a complete response from us. We can’t serve both God and man.

Jesus’ proclamation is appropriate when we consider the would situation today. We only have to look at the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump to see that this is true. The world is full of hatred and division. Jesus’ work is meant to upset the oppressive systems and powerful people who cause division. He wants the change in our lives to affect the world.

The reality of God’s judgment comes when we least expect it-like a thief in the night. The reality of judgment does not wait until Jesus comes again-it becomes real for us at the moment of death. There is no chance after death to make our peace with God. Are we ready? How do we know?

Following Jesus means more than merely adopting new beliefs. It also means adopting a new way of living. Being a follower of one who accepted and honoured disreputable people means that we have to do the same, rejecting the easy temptation of judging others and instead inviting them into our lives. To be a follower of the one who preached love and forgiveness is to practice the same, particularly when it comes to those who differ from us even (and maybe especially) in terms of what they believe. Faith is an invitation to live differently now, to see those around us neither as souls to be saved or threats to be deterred, but rather to see them as God’s children to be loved, honoured and cared for.

Jesus invites us to enter patterns of behaviour and belief that will require change, movement and motion from us. That movement will cut households and families to the core. Christ didn’t come to bring a false peace. He came to free us from sin’s tyranny. We can’t save ourselves. The cleansing fire Jesus refers to is our need for God.

Jesus predicts the impact His message of love will have on our self-centered human nature. He has come to turn the world’s value system upside-down. He knows the process won’t always be pretty. Those who benefit from the status quo will fight to oppose anyone who tries to change things, just like people opposed Jesus. They will keep their blinders firmly in place to avoid having to see the reality of the situation in the world today. Jesus insists that they take their blinders off so they can see that things are not the way God intended.

Jesus’ words in this passage are God’s invitation for us to be committed to Christ, the church and the mission of the church. That mission is to be the love of Christ in all situations of life. The mission of the church is to evangelize other people so that they would come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. The mission of the church is to work for social justice and social compassion for all people on the globe.

It’s time to ask ourselves some questions. Have we ever had to suffer because of our faith in Jesus? Have we ever experienced conflicts in our relationships with coworkers or even family members? Have our beliefs gotten us rejection, isolation, alienation, or just smirks? Was it because we took a stance on behalf of the poor, immigrants, newcomers, people of other faiths and races? Has criticism of our society made us outsiders to the mainstream attitudes of those around us? Or, have we just avoided conflict by not speaking up and acting when we should? There can be no peace as long as there is injustice in the world.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1413)
2. Mark Kay Eichelman, “Seeing Clearly.” Retrieved from www.sermonsuite.com
3. Pastor Ken Klaus, “Peace at all Cost?” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
4. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; p. 215)
5. Dave Wyrtzen, “Before It Rains.” Retrieved from www.TruthEncounter.com
6. Dave Wyrtzen, “Jesus the Divider.” Retrieved from www.TruthEncounter.com
7. Selwyn Hughes, “How Jesus Handled Tension.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. Kevin & Amber Marten Bergeson, “Luke 12:49-56.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu
9. “Volume 2; Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time -C- August 14, 2016.” Retrieved from volume2@lists.opsouth.org
10. “Bible Study, Proper 15 ( C )- August 14, 2016.” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
11. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 20^th Sunday-C-August 14, 2016.” Retrieved from firstimpressions@lists.opsouth.org
12. Erick J. Thompson, “Commentary on Luke 12:49-56.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2951
13. The Rev. Alan Brehm, “Blinders.” Retrieved form http://thewakingdreamer.blogspot.com/2013/08/blinders.html
14. David F. Sellers, “Jesus Christ: Troublemaker.” Retrieved from https://us6.campaign-archive.com/?u-dbffd2070718c7bb6alb9b7e0did=c7e5eegddc
15. The Rev. Edward Markquart, “Christ Brings Division.” Retrieved from www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_c_christ_brings_division.htm
16. Christopher Jacobsen, “Luke 12:49-56.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu.

Hannah’s prayer provides a framework for the events in the rest of 1 and 2 Samuel. God’s sovereign plan-to raise up the poor and humble while bringing low the high and mighty-would be vividly portrayed in this era of Israel’s history. The truths of Hannah’s prayer were echoed centuries later in Mary’s prayer, also known as The Magnificat.

In this passage Hannah prayed from joy. The main point in her prayer is that God is a righteous judge. He brought down the proud Peninnah and exalted the humble Hannah. Peninnah was the other wife of Hannah’s husband Elkanah. Hannah was barren and prayed for a child while being mocked by Peninnah for being childless. God humbles everyone who opposes Him. We can smile at our enemies when we remember that we serve a God who takes great delight in saving and redeeming us.

Hannah not only cried out to God in prayer, but her prayers were accompanied by bitterness. Her prayer was filled with feelings of frustration and injustice. She wanted vindication in the form of conceiving and bearing a son who would redeem her in the eyes of both Peninnah and her husband. 

Peninnah placed great expectations on Hannah. Sometimes when people place great expectations on us we do silly things. Self-promotion or bragging (which is what Peninnah did) generally hides a deep insecurity. We can’t please everyone. The best thing that we can do is to be the best we can possibly be.

Hannah was more than a mother who understands that all of our children are simply on loan from God. Her life was centered on God. She attributed her barrenness to God, she prayed to God, she made a vow to God, she was blessed in God’s name, and she gave her son to God.

Hannah’s prayer declares God’s glory and His trustworthiness. It declares that God is sovereign and that we can trust Him when times are tough. Hannah’s prayer is about the longing of God’s people for the promised Messiah. Because of Hannah’s prayer, God blessed the people with the prophet Samuel. Hannah surrendered to God’s plan. Her promise to give her son back to God is a good example of dying to self, and it is a good example for us as Christians to follow today.

Hannah had to be broken so she would have a new strength that is not human in origin. All of us have to be broken for the same reason. We, like Hannah, realize that we are powerless, and we have to turn to God. God humbles the exalted and exalts the humble. Hannah professed God to be her rock. She built the foundation of her life on her faith in God. She set a good example for us to follow.

Dr. Helen Roseveare, who was a medical missionary in Africa, told the story of a remarkable answer to prayer. A mother had died in childbirth leaving a dangerously premature infant child. They had no advanced facilities, so their normal practice was to keep the baby warm with a hot water bottle. But as they filled the bottle it burst because the rubber had decayed in the African climate. Unfortunately, they had no replacement. Dr. Roseveare doubted the baby would live. But that day they prayed with the other children at the mission.

Dr. Roseveare recounted, “During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt consciousness of our African children. ‘Please, God,’ she prayed, ‘send us a water bottle. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, the baby will be dead; so, please send it this afternoon.’” She was stunned at the girl’s simple faith, hardly daring to believe the prayer could be answered. But that very day she received a package sent by friends from her home church in England. Not only had the package been five months in the mail, but it was the first package she had received in four years on the field. Among the supplies it included was a new hot water bottle that saved the baby’s life.

Both this story and Hannah’s prayer show that there is no restriction on God’s ability to meet and supply our needs. Yet all too often we fail to receive what God could and would give us simply because we lack the faith to ask Him to work. Jesus said that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains. Hannah and the child Ruth had faith, and when they prayed, mountains were moved. If they can pray and have their mountains moved, so can we.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 361)
2. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. Berni Dymet, “Bragging and Boasting.” Retrieved from berni@christianityworks.com
5. Sharon Betters, “The Legacy of Two Songs.” Retrieved from dailytreasure@markinc.org
6. Sharon Betters, “Hannah’s Song.” Retrieved from dailytreasure@markinc.org
7. Sharon Betters, “No Rock Like our God.” Retrieved from dailytreasure@markinc.org
8. Dr. Paul Chappell, “The Joy of Answered Prayer.” Retrieved from daily@dailyintheword.org
9. Os Hillman, “The Strength of Brokenness.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
10. Raul Ries, “Is God Your Rock?” Retrieved from www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/somebody-loves-you-raul-ries/sonebody-loves-you-september-22-2018.html
11. Bob Cornwall, “A Soul Poured Out.” Retrieved from www.bobcornwall.com/2018/11/a-soul-poured-out-lectionary-reflection.html
12. Stan Mast, “1 Samuel 1:4-20.” Retrieved from https://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/proper-28b/?type=the_lectionary_gospel

“Look at that!” exclaimed Manuel. He pointed to two thermometers hanging side by side on the wall next to the window in his grandparents’ kitchen. “One of these says seventy-two degrees, and the other says forty. This one closest to the window must be wrong–it’s warmer than forty in here.”

“Nope. They’re both right,” said Grandpa. He pointed to a small tube running from one of the thermometers out through the window frame. “This tube allows that thermometer to show the temperature outside. The other one shows the temperature in this room. That’s why they can be right next to each other and have two very different readings.” His eyebrows furrowed in thought.

“Uh, oh!” said Manuel with a grin. “Grandpa’s about to give us a mini-sermon. I can tell by the look on his face.”

Grandpa ruffled his grandson’s hair. “These thermometers might be compared with two Christians standing side by side,” suggested Grandpa. “One is warm when it comes to God while the other is cold–far from God and not really interested in the things of the Lord.”

“So neither of them are good?” asked Manuel. “My teacher at church said it wasn’t good to be a lukewarm Christian.”

“She’s right,” agreed Grandpa, “but I’m not talking about a lukewarm Christian. I’m talking about one who has warmth and love for God and His people–one who spends time with the Lord and serves Him by serving others. One who prays, attends church, enjoys spending time with Christian friends, and reads and obeys God’s Word.”

“And I guess the cold Christian knows the Lord but isn’t interested in learning more about God or serving Him, right?” asked Manuel.

Grandpa nodded. “They’re probably more often involved in the things of the world, hanging out with the wrong crowd, and not concerned about sharing God’s love with others.” Grandpa took his Bible from the kitchen table. “Time for our daily Bible reading,” he said. “Let’s read some verses from Galatians that describe some of the characteristics of a warm and cold Christians, shall we?”

“Okay,” agreed Manuel. “I definitely don’t want to be a cold Christian!”

What is the difference between the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh? The Spirit wants to please God, and the flesh wants to please itself and the world.  The condition of our souls strongly influences the fruit that comes out of our lives. If there are any areas of our souls that have been damaged in some way, we will produce bad fruit in those areas. Bad fruit doesn’t necessarily point to a horrific past or abuse. It can simply mean that there are areas of our soul that are still not Christlike.

Which will we allow to dominate our lives-the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit? As long as we are in the flesh there will be a conflict between the flesh and the Spirit. If we give ourselves over to the world of the flesh, serve that world and allow ourselves to be determined by it, the flesh will continue to assert its desires in opposition to the Spirit. The Spirit who lives in every Christian opposes the flesh. We can be certain that the Spirit will be triumphant if we walk in the Spirit.

The flesh is a menace to our eternal destiny-a menace that we have to fight every day. The battle won’t be won overnight. We might win an initial victory, but the war continues because we are continually exposed to the flesh.

So what are the works of the flesh? They fall into three categories: sensual sins, spiritual sins, and social sins. These wicked deeds are clearly seen and are performed out in the open. Paul lists them as:

1. Adultery
2. Fornication. The word fornication is often associated with sexual vice, but it also means everything that defiles us and distracts us from a right relationship with God and thus from right living.
3. Uncleanness. Paul is concerned about moral impurity that soils our lives and separates us from God.
4. Licentiousness. It describes lewdness and sensuality, but it also refers to unrestrained violence, pleasure at any cost, and desire and lust that doesn’t care for what other people think.
5. Idolatry, or allowing anything to take the place of God. It is the act of worshipping anything other than God. We are created to worship God, love people and use things. Too often we use people, love self and worship things.
6. Sorcery, including the reading of horoscopes. Magic and witchcraft are man’s effort to control God, to compel God to fit into man’s plans and do man’s bidding.
7. Envy.
8. Murder. Envy leads to jealousy and a bitter mind, which can lead to murder. In Genesis, envy and murder stood with man’s rebellion against God as the original sin.
9. Drunkenness and revelry. They were socially-acceptable forms of recreation in Paul’s time, as they are in our time. Today, they are more destructive. People are killed or injured in car accidents caused by drunk drivers. Families have been destroyed by alcohol. Children are neglected because of money spent on alcohol.

Notice that most of the works of the flesh are social sins. It is in our personal relationships that the flesh most often appears. By adding the phrase, “those who practice such things,” Paul wants readers to understand that this is merely a short catalog of common sins, not an exhaustive or complete list. Paul does not say that anyone who has ever done any of these things will be excluded from heaven. Rather, those who have a habit of sin are excluded from the kingdom because they were never really included-they were never truly saved.

In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, and each following fruit of the Spirit is another expression of love. This distinction between the fruit of the Spirit and the work of the flesh was a result of Paul’s experience. He rebelled against God and thus he was at war with himself. Christ’s love reconciled Paul to God. Paul’s life was integrated with God and with other Christians. It brought him together inside.

Paul lists nine character traits that the Holy Spirit produces in a believers’ life. Jesus Christ is the supreme example of every spiritual quality, having embodied the fruit of the spirit perfectly because each one is inextricable linked to who He is. The fruit of the Spirit is godly attitudes that characterize the lives of those who belong to God, have faith in Christ and possess the Holy Spirit. The Spirit produces fruit which consists of 9 characteristics or attitudes that are linked with each other and are commanded of believers throughout the New Testament. Specifically, they are:

1. Love. It is the summing up not merely of the law, but of all true spiritual life.
2. Joy. It’s the only source of obedience to God.
3. Peace-with God and with each other.
4. Longsuffering-patience, controlling ourselves and supporting other people. Patience is hard for three main reasons:
   1. Overload. We have too much to do and not enough time to do it. It leaves no breathing room, which leads to impatience.
   1. Unrealistic expectations. We place high expectations on people who are close to us-people such as our spouses, children and close friends. When they don’t live up to our expectations, we get impatient. We forget that people aren’t perfect, so they can’t live up to every expectation that we place on them.
   1. Pride. When we think we deserve better treatment than the treatment we receive, our egos get inflated and we get impatient.
5. Kindness
6. Goodness-the type that afflicts the comforted and comforts the afflicted.
7. Faithfulness-our trusting response to God in Jesus Christ. Because our faith is in God’s faithfulness, we can be faithful in word and deed and reliable in our discipleships. It is at the heart of all relationships. It prevents families and societies from falling apart. It is the one element that has the ability to encourage us to persevere in times of failure and heartache.
8. Gentleness-being faithful and submissive to God even in the midst of trial. A gentle person knows his or her strength but submits that strength to Christ in a ministry of love and caring for others. For example, Albert Schweitzer was once asked to name the greatest person in the world. He replied, “No one can properly determine the greatest person in the world. The greatest person…is some unknown person who at this very moment has gone to help another person in the name and with the loving Spirit of Jesus Christ.”
9. Self-control-temperance, or refusal to give free reign to impulse and desire. It makes us fit for God, fit for ourselves and fit to serve others.

The fruit of the Spirit reveals our dependency on and sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit. Calling these Spirit-produced characteristics “fruit” indicates beauty, spontaneity, quietness and growth instead of effort, labour, strain and toil. The use of the singular word “fruit” indicates that there is a unity and coherence in the outworking of these virtues.

The spiritual person has a body and a soul. He has been changed from what he was before spiritual birth. When he was converted, his spirit became united with God’s Spirit. He received his impetus from the Spirit and not from the flesh. His mind was being renewed and transformed. His emotions were characterized by peace and joy instead of turmoil. The Spirit gives us the tools we need to deal properly with life’s trials, but if the fruit of the Spirit has not matured in our lives, we will face even more problems.

Why is there often such a great difference between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit? Why are so many believers living so far below their potential in Christ? Why are so few of us enjoying the abundant, productive life we have already inherited?

Part of the answer is related to the process of growth and maturity as the individual believer appropriates and applies his spiritual identity to his day-to-day experience. Another part of the answer is due to our ignorance of how the kingdom of darkness affects our progress to maturity. Satan actively tries to block our attempts to grow into maturity as God’s children. We must know how to stand against him.

Everyone who is Christ’s died with Him on the cross, but believers must also crucify the fleshly desires connected with their as yet unglorified bodies. The struggle between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit is similar to a tug of war contest. Paul looks back to the cross of Christ, where the death of the flesh and its power to reign over believers was actually accomplished. Christians must wait until their glorification before they are finally rid of their unredeemed humanness, but by walking in the Spirit they can please God in this world.

For Paul, the word “flesh” is a reference to our entire selves, not just a part of us that is dirty and distasteful. To live in the flesh is to live as a member of human society in a physical body. The word “flesh” also means a domain of power, or a sphere of influence in which we live. Paul urges the Galatians and us to remember that as Christians we are to walk in the Spirit. It is the regulating force in our lives. If we walk in the Spirit, our Christian liberty won’t be an opportunity for the works of the flesh to take hold. The Spirit is the daily, sustaining, inspiring, and guiding power of the Christian’s life. It makes real the Christ that lives in us. It sanctifies us and brings us to real maturity.

The flesh and the Spirit are so contrary to one another that walking in the Spirit automatically excludes walking in the flesh. Although believers still experience fleshly desires, they will battle those desires rather than repeatedly indulging in them. Over time, a Christian should increasingly bear the fruit of the Spirit and be more successful in his or her battle against sin.

Freedom is not unrestrained behaviour. A life of doing whatever we want, whenever we want, is in reality a life of bondage rather than freedom. To be led by the Spirit implies that we are allowing ourselves to be led. As we invite the Holy Spirit to direct us, He enables us to defeat the power of the flesh more and more so we can walk in the way of freedom and righteousness.

Victory comes through surrender to Christ, not self-effort. Because our flesh has already been crucified and we have already received the Spirit, Paul urges us to live in our practice what we are already living in principle. Walking in the Spirit leads to helpfulness and service, not to provoking one another, pride or conceit. Such characteristics are incompatible with the fruit of the Spirit.

We have a choice. Either we live by the power of the Holy Spirit, which leads to righteous behaviour and spiritual attitudes, or we live by the law, which can only produce unrighteous behaviour and attitudes. Walking by the Spirit should be part of our active obedience to God. Our desire for sin will be left unfulfilled and overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In our flesh we are very poor imitations of Christ because of ignorance and not being able. Instead of trying to imitate Jesus, we can be excellent dwelling places for His Spirit. When Christ enters us, everything that is possible for Christ becomes possible for us.

How is your relationship with the Holy Spirit today? Have you spoken with Him yet? Are you listening for His voice in your heart as you read the Bible, listen to a sermon, sing songs of praise and worship Him? When you read the Bible, is it real and personal for you? Are you following the Holy Spirit as He convicts you of sin or moves you to pray or suggests that you speak to someone about Christ? Does your way of life bring joy to Him or does it grieve Him?

What would your temperature be on a spiritual thermometer–warm or cold? Is your life filled with love for God and for those around you? If not, you’re probably focusing on the world instead of God. Warm up your spiritual life by reading the Bible and talking to God every day.

Our one desire should be to be made whole and to be as much like Christ as we can be. When we do, we’ll find God putting on our heart the desire and the courage to carry the message of hope and healing to people who are hurting. God knows the best way for us to learn is to get out and experience life for ourselves, walking in the Spirit and listening to Him as we go. If we want to get the most out of life, we have to be reachable. We have to let the Holy Spirit guide our steps. That’s the only way we can learn how to excel in every aspect of life.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1631-1632)
2. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 106-118)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “A Higher Law.” Retrieved from noreply@ltw.org
6. Paul Schreiber, “Help for the Fight.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
7. Doug Fields, “The Enemies of Patience.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. Dr. Tony Evans, “The Raging Battle.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Neil Anderson, “Living Below Our Potential.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. Neil Anderson, “The Spiritual Person.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
11. Steve Arterburn, “Recovery is Like an Onion.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Peter Briscoe, “Experiencing Life Today-April 13, 2015.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
13. Dr. Jack Graham, “How You Can Excel in Life.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
14. Christine Caine, “Good Fruit.” Retrieved from Biblegateway@e.biblegateway.com
15. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Closer than a Brother.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
16. John North, “Galatians 5:16-25.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
17. “Spiritual Thermometer.” Retrieved from info@keysforkids.org

All of us are stewards.

Does that seem strange to you? Well, it shouldn’t. All of us have responsibilities over one corner or another of God’s household. Just as we have to look after our own households, we also have to look after the part of God’s household that he has given us to look after.

The task may seem to be difficult or even impossible, but we do not have to be afraid. Jesus assures us that we will overcome, not by drawing on our limited resources or by force but by relying on our Father’s generosity to his flock. It isn’t over until he says it’s over. Life’s hardships and tragedies are a reason to sit tight and wait for his return. They are not an excuse for us to bail out. Life’s trials do not matter if we are faithful to Christ. The kingdom is ours. Stress will be a distant memory. Worry will turn to rest.

“Treasure” refers to a place where one keeps valuables, such as a vault. Jesus urged his disciples to cling to their love for God and his kingdom above all. Everything else they should hold loosely. The giving of alms to the poor generates treasures in heaven, so it makes no sense to limit almsgiving to that which is of little value.

Humanity looks for solutions but wealth, prestige, glamour, sexuality, substance abuse and rebellion are not solutions. All of them have failed miserably. Sometimes we hold on to our possessions because we are afraid of what will happen when we get rid of them, including our money. Given the current worldwide economic situation, this concern is understandable. In addition, people have accumulated earthly possessions in the hope that they would provide security, when they need to lay up treasures in heaven instead. We need to let go of the lives we fearfully protect and hold on to before we can receive our heavenly treasures. If we centre our lives on our possessions, then our lives will revolve around protecting and keeping them. This obsession could get to the point where we will live in constant fear that they will be taken from us. As we accumulate stuff we find that we have to keep our doors locked or install alarm systems or join groups such as Neighbourhood Watch.

This does not mean that we have to give up all of our possessions. In fact, we need some of our possessions in order to live both now and in the future. The key is getting rid of possessions that we don’t need. We can do what early believers did and sell some possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. We can also donate these possessions to the poor or to stores that serve the poor such as Value Village or the Salvation Army Thrift Store or local church yard sales.

If we look at our belongings and decide that there are some things we can never part with or if it’s something God told us to give away and we can’t give it away, then we do not own that item. It owns us. We are possessed by our possessions. They become idols for us, and the Bible says in Ezekiel 20:7, “Get rid of every idol.” To put it another way, in a recent newspaper column Billy Graham answered a question about how much debt is too much. In his reply, he asked:

“What place do things have in your life? Have your possessions become so important to you that they possess you, rather than you possessing them? Are you more concerned about impressing others than living wisely? Most of all, have things taken the place God should have in your lives?”

We don’t need to be afraid of possessions. If they come, we can use them to do God’s work in our world. We can go to the other extreme by giving away so many of our possessions to the poor that it causes hardship for us. There is a time for extravagant gesture as well as a time for practical concerns. There is a time to do things such as fixing the roof, painting walls or feeding the poor, but there is also a time to celebrate. If we feel that we can’t have things or if we feel that we must have them, we are letting the things of the world rule our lives. We must go through life as stewards of everything God gives us.  We need to heed these words from the hymn, “We Plow the Fields and Scatter:”

We thank thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seed time and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food:
No gifts have we to offer
For all thy love imparts,
But that which thou desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.

All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all his love.

Being good stewards is one of the things we should be doing while we wait for Christ to return. We must not use the Lord’s delay in returning as an excuse not to do anything. We have to do the things we would do if Christ returned today. When Christ returns he will serve his faithful servants who are prepared for his return, just like he served the disciples by washing their feet. If we have kept God first in our lives, he will sustain us. He will give us what we need. He won’t give us everything we want when we want it. In fact, he might not give us what we want at all. His choice will depend on the nature of our wants and whether or not they fit in with his plan for our lives.

The way we use the gifts God gives us is evidence of our stewardship. It will show if we are faithful servants with God’s interests in mind or if we have forgotten who we belong to and neglected tending what God has given us. If we obey God and make his priorities our priorities, we will receive incredible blessings, and these blessings are part of our heavenly treasure. For example, some of you might know that I post all of my sermons online. To date they have been seen over 200,000 times, and I have received many positive comments.

A few years ago I received an email from a Lutheran minister in North Carolina. I know it’s a legitimate email because I received a telephone call from him shortly after I received his email. Since parts of the email tie in with my message, I’d like to share them with you.

Hello Craig —

I want to let you know how much I appreciate the sermons you post on your website — they are wonderful. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing.

I am a Lutheran pastor here in North Carolina, USA and I am always looking for good sermon resource material. Do you mind if I do some “begging, borrowing, and stealing” from what you offer? I will be honest with you in stating that I am not the most original writer when it comes to sermon preparation.  If only I could do a fraction of what you have done and continue to do!

Well, Craig, I hope I am making some sense out of all my ramblings…but wanted you to know how I feel…where I am coming from in writing to you…and TRULY asking for your permission to make use of the materials you provide — it is some of the best I have ever seen and it should be shared with many of God’s people, through the personality of various preachers.  I personally believe that our gracious God speaks to us through Holy Scripture and he can also speak to us through what others have said and written —and, dear friend, He certainly speaks to me through you — and for that I am most grateful.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter and may you continue to be blessed with the ABUNDANCE of our Lord’s MARVELOUS love.

 In Christ, Ed Harper

People who help others find themselves caring about the people they help. Also, they will enjoy the meaningful life that results from meeting those needs. God wants us to enjoy and share the abundant life that comes from fellowship with others and a right relationship with God. In a 2016 edition of The Canadian Disciple newsletter, Rev. Dr. Jen Garbin, Regional Minister for The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada wrote the following:

“We are not called on to walk alone or only in one way…but we are to encounter each other, share our stories, learn from one another, challenge one another, celebrate together and support each other’s work.”

We must be ready at all times for Christ’s return, because he could return at any time. No one knows when Christ will return. Neither the Bible nor history contain secret messages that, when decoded, reveal the date. Until that day, his followers must actively wait and willingly work. Jesus has given us a mission. We are to take the Good News to the world. We need to be always alert and engaged in this mission. This include using our possessions. The caring Christian community is called to be less anxious about its own welfare and more concerned about those in need. Doing so reflects our heart. Our heart reflects what we value the most.

Throughout Scripture the heart represents the centre of our being, our desires and our reason. Our hearts will be where our treasure is. Those who are greedy and anxious about stuff put their emphasis on worldly goods. Those who trust in God’s provision invest their hearts in heaven. When Chris returns, we will have to give an account of how we looked after everything he has given us. Our hearts will affect how we look after things. Where are your hearts right now? Where do you want them to be in eternity?

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN; Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1412)
2. “We Plow the Fields and Scatter.” Retrieved from http://www.hymnary.org/text/we_plow_the_fields_and_scatter
3. Pastor Rick Warren, “Don Just Get Rid of Your Stuff. Sell It!” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
4. The Rev. Dr. Jen Garbin, “Forks.” Published in the July 21, 2016 edition of The Canadian Disciple and retrieved from www.canadadisciples.org
5. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
6. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1983; pp. 212-215)
7. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006)
8. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles, 2005)
9. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1421-1422)
10. Bayless Conley, “The Secret to God’s Provision.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. Paris Renae, “Hard Things.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Richard Neil Donovan, “Exegesis for Luke 13:32-40.” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
13. Mark Sargent, UMC, “On Stuff.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
14. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016, pp. 332-339)
15. Richard Mansel, “Contentment is Never Found in Things.” Retrieved from www.forthright.netg/2016/07/26/contentment-3/
16. Billy Graham, “How Much Debt is Too Much?” Retrieved from http://www.arcamax.com/healthandspirit/religion/billygraham/s-1848539?print&ezine=202
17. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 19^th Sunday -C- August 7, 2016.” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
18. Heather Lear, “Evangelectionary for Sunday, August 7^th, 2016.” Retrieved from http://www.evangelismconnections.org/evangelectionary-for-sunbday-august-7-2016/

Hello boys and girls!

Do you have a favourite toy or piece of clothing?

How do your treat it? Do you take care of it or are you rough with it?

All of us have things that we have to take care of especially if we have received it as a gift. Do you know someone else who have given us things to take care of? God has given us things to take care of. Can anyone tell me what they are?

God wants us to take care of things that he has given us, but he also wants us to take care of other people, especially the poor. Sometimes that means we have to sell what we have and give the money to the poor. We can also give anything that we don’t want or need any more to the poor. When we do this, we will store up treasures in heaven because we will show that we love others as we love ourselves and as God loves us.

How else can we store up treasures in heaven? We can store up treasures by doing things to help others. For example, we can visit the sick, help to feed the hungry, cheering up someone who is sad, praying for one another, working in a homeless shelter, being a friend to someone who is lonely, forgiving someone who has hurt us or saying you’re sorry when you hurt someone.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank you for the treasures we have on earth. Help us to be faithful each day in building up treasures in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

Bibliography

1. “Searching for Treasure.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
2. “Treasures in Heaven.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4KIds.com

The passage from Hosea 11:1-10 is a story of God mourning over his people. He loved Israel like a parent loves a child, but Israel spurned him. Even though he was rejected, God still loved Israel and could not renounce his chosen people. It is a metaphor for what Jesus did. Jesus was rejected by some of the people, but he still loved them even to the point of dying on the cross. Christ’s death and resurrection are symbols of God’s never-ending love for us.

God’s lonely heart is also a metaphor for all broken relationships-divorce, estrangement, separation or death, for example. The loneliness really hurts when others are in trouble or on a collision course. We want to step in and help, but our efforts are sometimes rejected. When this frustrates us, we can sympathize with God’s anguish over his people. We remember the time when we have rejected him. We remember the times when we have tried to run our own lives. Sometimes we edge him out of our lives until life’s problems and pressures become so severe that we become homesick for God. We can feel God’s heart beating and yearning for his people. When we repent, we begin our Christian life and unlock the secret to receiving daily strength and courage.

All of us want to be praised, including God. God wants us to praise him so much that he made it the turning point in our deepest, darkest problems and anxieties. When we praise God, we acknowledge that he can use even the most painful events in our lives. He takes us just the way we are. He doesn’t care if we are rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, how intelligent we are or how powerful we are. He only cares that we will “let go and let God”.

Even though God loves his people, he can’t ignore their sins just like a parent can’t ignore it when a child misbehaves. God’s righteous nature demands that sin be punished. Because he loves his people and because he demands that sin be punished, he provided a substitute in Jesus. Jesus paid our sin debt on the cross so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. This fulfilled God’s purpose and plan to reconcile his people to him. This also gives us hope and a future. God’s love will always outweigh his punishment.

Each of us has two natures that are constantly at war with each other-a worldly nature and a spiritual nature. We have to choose which one we will feed. One will win and the other one will lose. We have a free will and we can decide which nature will win. We can decide if we will follow the flesh or the Spirit. Whether or not we live a Spirit-filled life will be determined by how often we say “yes” to the leading of the Spirit and “no” to the temptations of the flesh. If we do not deal properly with our old sinful nature, it will hinder our ability to live a Spirit-filled life. Worldliness will make us more miserable than non-believers.

We all long for things to fill the emptiness in our lives. Most of us try to fill that emptiness with material goods. Some even go so far as to fill this emptiness with drugs, alcohol or sex. These things will not fill the emptiness in our lives. In fact, they will only make things worse.

Jesus told the frustrated brother in Luke 12:13-21 that possessions and the work required to get them are not important. While we do have to work to provide food, clothing and shelter for ourselves, the only real possession we must strive for is a right relationship with God. As Christians, one of the most important things we can do is focus on what really matters-God. The problem is that very often we allow our daily lives to take our focus off of the ultimate prize. We become distracted and lose ground in our walk of faith, but if we keep our eyes on Jesus we will keep our heaven-focused perspective on life’s challenges when they happen. In the words of a famous saying, we must not “sweat the small stuff”.

When we become followers of Christ we have to follow certain rules or guidelines. These are not meant to put us into a religious straitjacket. They are designed to change our nature from a wicked human nature to a spotless spirit-filled nature. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:1-11 that we have to put off our old sinful nature with its reality, ravages, power to delude us and ability to draw us away from our new lives in Christ. Some people might think that this demand is old-fashioned, but we have modern sins such as sexual immorality, dirty-mindedness and envy. We have to cut these out of our lives just like a surgeon sometimes has to perform radical surgery to save a patient’s life.

Jesus is our surgeon. He will cut out the diseased parts of our lives. If we do not allow Jesus to operate on our sinful nature, we will face final judgment. We must set our minds on heaven because our life is now in Christ. Our true life is now in the spiritual world. Just like Jesus died for us, we have to die to sin. We can’t fight spiritual battles unless and until we die to our old ways of life.

Paul also calls on us to give up our concern for the things of this world. In other words, he calls on us to give up our concern for material goods. Jesus says the same thing in the parable of the rich fool, which is found in Luke 12:13-21. We are to forget about greed, possessiveness and covetousness. Greed amounts to idolatry. We must focus on what we have instead on what we do not have. Envy is a sin that we as Christians have to get rid of. Envy is a battle with God. We resent his decisions and accuse him of being unfair. Envy pulls us down. It curses us with misinformation, lies, deceit and fraud.

Jesus did not condemn the man for his success or his wealth. What he did condemn was the man’s concern for himself and the lack of concern for the people around him or for the things of God. The man showed no gratitude to God for the gifts he was given. He showed no concern for widows, orphans, the starving or the helpless. His wealth could not save him from the fate that awaits all of us-death. We must balance our personal needs with the needs of others and the needs of the world around us.

Many of you, especially those of you who are of older years, might remember the hippie movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was an era where disillusioned, long-haired youth rebelled against the Vietnam War, institutions and society’s emphasis on material goods. Strange as it might seem, many of these hippies were converted and baptized thanks to the ministries that were started as a response to the hippies’ countercultural values. The hippies identified with Jesus and the disciples. Jesus was unconventional just like the hippies were. Jesus and his disciples defied the establishment in their time just like the hippies defied the establishment. Jesus, the disciples and the hippies had simple lifestyles and simple ways of expressing their faith. They wore robes and sandals and preached a message of peace and love. Both groups lived communally and preached a simple lifestyle, including a de-emphasis on material wealth.

Treasures that really count can’t be measured in gold or silver or any material goods. True treasures can only be found in a life dedicated to God. To do this, our minds must be on heaven, which is the ultimate treasure. Greed for material goods imprisons us. Greed for God sets us free. The material world is superficial. God looks beyond it to see where our hearts really are. If we really love God, we have to periodically undergo a spiritual house cleaning, just like most of us give our homes an annual spring cleaning. We have to get rid of everything that hinders our relationship with God. Just like spring house cleaning is hard work, spiritual house cleaning is hard work, but just like a house smells nice and fresh and clean when spring cleaning is finished, our spiritual house cleaning gives us a new look and the new feel of a life with Christ.

Jesus tells us that our life with God makes us realize that most of our fears are unfounded. That is because the only real world we live in is the kingdom of God. What makes us as Christians different from everyone else is not that we have savings accounts, but that the true saving in our lives is the saving we have when we believe in Jesus and what he did for us on the cross. Our lives consist of something more than what we can have here on earth. Our true life is still being revealed to us every day.

Our real value as Christians is when we are rich towards God. That involves loving God and loving one another above all, forgiveness, generosity, gentleness and hospitality. It involves more than believing in these things. It involves incorporating them into our daily lives. This is the way that we truly discover the dream that God has for us as well as the kingdom of God that is here for us now, and our true lives and their value.

Each one of us has the faith that the things of God will get done regardless of circumstance or the daily routine of life. That faith gives us hope. It sees us through long days and nights, trials and troubles. It encourages us to wait, watch and anticipate. It gives us the assurance that God is not finished yet.

God wants us to have hearts that burn with a passion for a future with him. Our focus on God will help us face life’s victories and defeats. Whenever we do what we feel like whenever we feel like it, it is not pleasing to God. On the other hand, God is pleased when we praise him. When we call upon God and seek his will for our lives he will give us wisdom and perspective. He will direct our steps and calm our fears.

If we are to be like Christ, we must think like he does, see the world as he does, and discern human needs like he does. We are to think like Christ, act like Christ and be like Christ. We must find ways to use our broad Christ-like minds to serve others in God’s glory. We need to be humble.

We are all adopted children of God. We are indebted to him for his favour, but we do not have to repay him because he has everything. All he wants is for us to live in a way that will benefit us. We need to surrender our lives and our wills to him. If we love God, we will love His truth, His Word, His presence and glory, His power at work within us to will and do of His good pleasure, His fruit and gifts borne in and exercised through us, His Church, His salvation, and His kingdom of righteousness, joy and peace. If we love God, we will truly love the things we ought to love and we’ll find some other way of expressing our appreciation for the material things we have.

Bibliography

1. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
2. Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Vol. 22: Hosea/Joel/Amos/Obadiah/Jonah (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1990)
3. Lee Ann Dunlap, “A Father’s Heart Cry”. Retrieved from http://www.esermons.com
4. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
5. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Hid With Christ”. Retrieved from ww.joniandfriends.org
6. John Barnett, “What is Materialism?”. Retrieved from http://www.dtbm.org
7. Rick Warren, “Refocus on Pleasing God”. Retrieved from http://www.purposedriven.com
8. Joni Eareckson Tada, “What God Wants”. Retrieved from ww.joniandfriends.org
9. Steve Arterburn, “His Perspective…and Yours”. Retrieved from http://www.newlife.com
10. Dr. Harold Sala, “Misinformation-or Just Plain “Lies””. Retrieved from http://www.guidelines.org
11. T.M. Moore, “The Truths You Ought to Love”. Retrieved from http://www.colsoncenter.org
12. Steve Arterburn, “A Glimpse of Glory”. Retrieved from http://www.newlife.com
13. Dr. Bill Bright, “The Story of Two Dogs”. Retrieved from Insights_with_Bill_Bright@crosswalkmail.com
14. Dr. Harold Sala, “Where Your Treasure Is”.  Retrieved from http://www.guidelines.org
15. T.M. Moore, “The Mind of Christ”. Retrieved from http://www.colsoncenter.org
16. C.P. Hia, “Adopted”. Retrieved from http://www.rbc.org
17. Karen Ehman, “Spring Cleaning”. Retrieved from Encouragement_for_Today@crosswalkmail.com
18. Richard Neill Donovan, “Noticeable Christians”. Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org
19. The Rev. Dr. Sam Matthews, UMC, “Then How DO We Live?” Retrieved from http://www.day1.org
20. The Rev. Catherine A. Caimano, “This Very Day, Our Lives are Being Demanded”. Retrieved from http://www.faithandleadership.com
21. Sharon L. Blezand, “Problematic Preaching About Bigger Barns”. Retrieved from http://www.stewardshipoflife.org
22. Dr. David Jeremiah, “The Return of the Jesus People”. Turning Points Magazine, August 2013, pgs. 6-7
23. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Sandals and Scandals”. Turning Points Magazine, August 2013, pgs. 8-11
24. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Earthen Vessels”. Turning Points Magazine, August 2013, pgs. 16-19
25. Daniel Stroud, “Bible Study, 11 Pentecost, Proper 13(C)”. Retrieved from http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
26. The Rev. Anjel Scarborough, “Relationships Are the True Treasure”. Retrieved from http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com

What is the one thing that both the church and society need today?

The answer can be summed up in one word-revival. Not only will a revival bring us and society back to God, it will also allow us to remember what God has done for his people in the past, what he is doing for them now, and what he will do for them in the future.

The message of Psalm 107 conveys what God has done for his children and how lovingly he has dealt with them. God withholds punishment (which is deserved) and gives mercy and grace, which are not deserved. The psalm gives thanks for God’s enduring, steadfast love. He is willing to forgive his people even when they are unfaithful.

The psalm begins with a call to praise, followed by a warning to confess our sins. The psalm is concerned with the entire community giving thanks, but individual members of the community also give thanks. Specifically, they gave thanks to God for saving them from slavery in Egypt and guiding them to the Promised Land. The wanderers in verses 4 to 9 also represent those lost in a desert of loneliness, routine futility and affluence that never satisfies. They, like the Israelites, search without hope and without help, unable to find their way home until they return to God.  It nudges us to move from our comfortable lives to imagine the hearts and lives of refugees, wayfarers, pilgrims and others who are coming to the cross from all over the world. They were in bondage and are now free. Since we were also bound by sin, we will naturally have compassion with these pilgrims.

Like the people of Israel, we wander in spiritual darkness and are rebellious, fearful and wicked. We are easily distracted by the world, and this is understandable. The world is so attractive to us that it overwhelms us to the point where we neglect our relationship with God. In the end we are humbled by the consequences of our disobedience. We turn back to God who forgives us, but then we become complacent and find ourselves back in darkness. This is a never-ending cycle. In spite of this, God’s love is steadfast. He never turns us away when we return to him.

Today, we and the church need to return to God. We need revival. Many churches have seen a decline in membership and attendance. For example, a poll conducted by the Pew Research Centre found that the percentage of Canadians surveyed who say that they attend church at least once a month fell from 43 percent in 1986 to 27 percent in 2012. Society needs to pray to God that he will restore the church so that it can evangelize the people. Society needs to pray that God will pour out his Holy Spirit with a message of repentance and godliness. Society needs restoration and freedom from bondage. God was faithful to his people in the past, he is faithful to his people today, and he will be faithful to his people in the future. His faithfulness opens a gateway to repentance and revival.

There is a spiritual thirst in the world today. Both the world and the church need revival. They need to heed the words of the old song, “That Old Time Religion”:

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion

 Give me that old time religion

 It’s good enough for me

 Makes me love everybody

 Makes me love everybody

 Makes me love everybody

 It’s good enough for me

 It has saved our fathers

 It has saved our fathers

 It has saved our fathers

 And it’s good enough for me

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 And it’s good enough for me

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion

 Give me that old time religion

 It’s good enough for me

 It was good for Hebrew children

 it was good for Hebrew children

 It was good for Hebrew children

 And it’s good enough for me

Revival can only begin when we claim God’s mercy. It will restore a proper vision of who God is, his goodness, his moral perfection and his mercy. If we trust that he is merciful, we will experience his mercy.

Adversity often forces us to admit our need for God. For example, the Israelites were wanderers in the desert with no home. They suffered from spiritual and physical hunger as well as physical and spiritual thirst. In their time of need, they returned to God. They had no illusions of grandeur or superiority. In contrast, sometimes the church lives under the illusions of power, money, traditions and rituals. God often uses adversity to bring us back to him. He wants us to rely on him instead of relying on ourselves. He wants the longing in our souls to drive us to him. He wants to satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst. He wants to give us hope for the present and the future. He wants to give us vision and direction. When we approach our situations with gratitude, it takes our focus off of our problems and puts it onto God.

Adversity often leaves scars, and all of us have them. We have received these scars in one of two ways: because of what has been done to us by others and because of what we have done to ourselves. These scars are nothing to be ashamed of if we are Christians. They are an invitation to share Christ’s healing power with the world, just like the psalmist showed the scars of the Israelites. If we are not ashamed of our scars, people will recognize Jesus, especially when we tell our stories of emotional, physical, spiritual and relational healing. If we are true children of God, we will say so publicly and not be ashamed of it. We will gladly tell everyone about God’s unfailing love, how he changed our lives and how he can change their lives.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN; Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 777-778)
2. Pew Research Centre, “Canada’s Changing Religious Landscape.” Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/2013/06/27/canadas-changing-religious-landscape/#decline-in-canadians-attendance-at-religious-services
3. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4. Williams, D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 14: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989, pp. 276-277)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 810-812)
7. Sharon Janes, “The Power of Your Story.” Retrieved from www.girlfriendsingod.com
8. Rick Boxx, “A Walk of Gratitude.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
9. Scott Schauf, “Commentary on Psalm 107:1-3,23-32.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2490
10. Lisa Nichols Hickman, “ON Scripture: Immigration: Journey to a New Life.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
11. Houston, David: “Old Time Religion.” Retrieved from http://www.metrolyrics.com/old-time-religion-lyrics-david-houston.html
12. Craig Condon, “Memories, Faith and Forgiveness.” Retrieved from the author’s personal library.

A pilot was flying a single-engine airplane when the engine suddenly quit. He tried everything he could think of to restart the engine, but he wasn’t successful. He radioed the nearest airport, which was 100 miles away, and explained the situation. He asked the air traffic controller for advice. The reply he got was, “Repeat after me. Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Jesus often prayed. For example, He prayed at His baptism, in the wilderness, before the appointment of the apostles and at His transfiguration. The disciples were impressed by the excellence and fervor of His prayers. John the Baptist taught His disciples to pray, and Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus’ answer became known as the Lord’s Prayer. It teaches us three things:

1. The gifts and graces of others should lead us to want them as well.
2. The true method of praying can be learned only by being properly taught by God.
3. It’s proper for us to think beforehand what we are to ask for.

Jesus did not say that the disciples should use His exact words whenever they prayed. He was suggesting a pattern. This pattern has six separate ingredients. This pattern can be easily remembered by thinking of the six letters in the author’s name-CHRIST.

1. C-Concentrate on the person you are praying to, and not on the prayer.
2. H-Hallelujah. Jesus says, “Hallowed be thy name,” meaning, “Holy be thy name.” The word hallowed defines the person of God.
3. R-Ruler.” Thy Kingdom Come.”  God is the ruler of the kingdom that will come some day.
4. I- “I need and I feed.” When we ask God to give us our daily bread, we are asking Him to give us what we need.
5. S-Saviour. Our prayer affirms that God is our Saviour. He will forgive our sins.
6. T-Triumph. “Lead us not into temptation.” We are asking God to try to keep us from sinning so often. We don’t have the strength to face our temptations. That’s why we pray to God and ask Him to deliver us from evil.

So why is prayer important? In his book, A Call to Prayer, scholar J.C. Ryle gave the following reasons:

1. A habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian. The greatest people in the Bible were people of prayer. They took their problems, challenges, hopes and dreams to God regularly, and so can we.
2. A habit of prayer brings great encouragement to the one who prays.
3. A habit of prayer creates holy men and women. The more we seek out God, the more our hearts are aligned with what God desires for us and we become holier people in the process.
4. If we do not pray, we run the risk of backsliding in our faith.
5. A habit of prayer brings peace and contentment. We live in a sin-filled world where sorrows and troubles are plenty. How do we fight this? When we cry out to God, He offers peace that transcends our understanding.

The Lord’s Prayer should be called “The Disciples’ Prayer” because it provides a pattern for all disciples to follow: honour God, submit to His will, depend on Him to meet needs and forgive sins, and ask for strength to forgive others and to resist the devil. At the heart of it all is Jesus’ distinctive vision of God as Father.

The prayer teaches us to forgive others if we expect God to forgive us. It doesn’t mean that by forgiving others we deserve forgiveness ourselves, but that it is a state of mind without which God can’t consistently pardon us. We are to forgive everyone who has hurt us.

It’s also proper to persevere in prayer. God will answer our prayers after long and frequent requests. A good example is the parable of the widow and the unjust judge. God doesn’t promise to give blessings at once. He only promises that He will do what we ask or that He will answer our prayer in His own time and in His own way. He leaves people to persevere in prayer until they feel their dependence on Him. Sometimes we need to know the depths of our own desires, and we need to cry out to God with an enduring persistence. We have to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking. Persistence is the key. When we see God answer those prayers, we are encouraged to continue praying for other things as well. Our persistence will be rewarded. God will give us what we need. All we have to do is ask. Sometimes we don’t even have to ask and it’s still ours to receive.

Prayer produces in us the character of waiting-the kind of waiting that brings us the answer and not the answer to us. Prayer reshapes us and our understanding. God brings good even from those prayers that have a different result than what we had hoped for.

God is almighty and He works mightily, but He will not and cannot work if we do not labour together with Him in prayer for His will and pray “with all prayer and supplication” (as written in Ephesians 6:18) to grant Him the maneuverability to work in our lives. God wants to do many things, but He can’t because we do not sympathize with Him and we have not prayed so as to prepare ways for Him.

Just like the man persevered in asking his neighbour for a loaf of bread late at night, Jesus challenges us to ask, seek and knock. God is always there, ready to help when we ask, seek or knock-unlike our friends. He wants to help us because we are His children and we ask Him for what we need. Seeking is intense asking and knocking is intense seeking. Jesus was not speaking of the forgiveness of sins or of faith. He was speaking of knowing God in a real and personal way. As we pray to God and get to know Him, we will be changed. God loves us just the way we are, but He refuses to leave us that way. He wants us to be just like Jesus, and one way we can be like Jesus is to pray like Jesus did.

One of our big problems with prayer is that we do not see God answer our prayers as fast as we would like, so we give up. Could the reason we have not seen answers be due to the fact that we have not persisted in prayer? God will answer our prayers at the right time. He will provide for our needs. He wants to show Himself mighty and strong in our lives. The greater the problem we are facing, the greater the glory when He comes through.  

Prayer is not a special activity reserved for special times, special places or special people. Prayer is not the private property; prayer is mercifully ordinary. Prayer is what we’re wired for. Prayer is what we as God’s children do. If we stop and think about it for a minute, prayer is a reason to relax and rejoice.

Getting to know God is the key to understanding the heart of God, which is the source of the abundance of blessings He pours out on our lives, unworthy as we are. While some are more interested in the help God provides, knowing Him is the key to understanding the nature of prayer and how this brings us into harmony with the will of God.

God is one friend who will never let us down. He is the friend who is always there, who never puts us on hold, and who never turns us away. Even though He doesn’t always give us what we want, or what we think we need, there is one gift He always gives: The Holy Spirit. In the words of that famous hymn:

What a friend we have in Jesus

All our sins and griefs to bear

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Showing hospitality was a moral obligation in the ancient world, and the man in the second part of Luke’s Gospel passage faced a responsibility he could not meet unless he received help. Likewise, believers should see themselves as people in desperate need before the only One who can meet that need. Those who come to God with persistence, as this man did with his neighbour, will know the power of prayer in their lives.

All of us have a hunger for God, including one person who wrote to Billy Graham a few years ago. He wrote,” My parents were atheists, and I’ve never believed in God. But I’m older now, and I’m beginning to wonder if I’m right. How can I know if God exists?” In his reply, Billy Graham wrote the following words:

“I can tell from your letter that you honestly want to know if God exists, and I commend you for this. All too often people say they want to know if God exists—but in reality they don’t, because they know He’d make them change their way of living. “

“But I also sense that you aren’t simply curious about God. You have within you a hunger for God—a hunger that God Himself has placed within you (even if you don’t see it this way right now). God made us, and our lives are only complete when we give Him His rightful place. Don’t suppress that hunger He has placed in your soul, and don’t try to fill it with anything less than God. Put Jesus’ words into action: ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’”

The idea that prayer is a passive activity has no place in the word of God. Prayer is persistence, conflict and spiritual warfare. Prayer is at the very heart of the life of faith. Prayer is simply talking to God and listening to Him. It’s like falling in love. Suddenly your life takes on a whole new meaning. You’ve got a new centre, a new relationship with a person that gives you excitement and joy. You are talking to the person you love, and you can talk to him or her all through the day, driving, showering, walking down the aisles of the supermarket, going to sleep or waking up.

When Jesus was tempted by the devil while He was in the desert, He was able to defeat the devil by quoting Scripture. When we as Christians understand that we can pray directly to God, when we can take a passage of Scripture and understand it under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we are on the road to surviving victoriously in whatever set of hostile circumstances that may come along. One discovery will lead to another. We will let the Holy Spirit use us to touch the lives of others and minister to their needs.

Prayer is a matter of faith-taking God at His word and trusting His promise to work on His people’s behalf-even when His work is invisible, when the answers are long in coming, and when He seems to be withholding His blessings. The act of persistent prayer proclaims a believer’s commitment to Him.

In the Holy Spirit we partake of God’s friendship. Through His Spirit, God comes to be in us and with us, to talk to us and listen to us, and we to Him. It’s a sign of His friendship. God gives His Spirit to us if we ask, and then the dialogue begins.

We pray because Jesus wants us to. We pray because it’s what we as God’s children do. We pray because we want to and our yearning is precious to God. We pray because what we need the most is God’s Spirit in us. With or without words, and regardless of our circumstances, our prayers usher in God’s Spirit and remind us that we are not alone in this hurting world. God’s Spirit will be with us if we accept Christ as our Saviour and let Him into our hearts and lives.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp.1408-1409)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
3. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 192-200)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1417-1419)
6. “Day 22 These: Facing Temptation.” Retrieved from Onceplace@crosswalkmail.com
7. Pastor Dick Woodward, “The Pursuit of God.” Retrieved from crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. Paul Estabrooks, “Led by the Spirit.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. “Pray with Persistence.” Retrieved from info@dailydisciples.org
10. Pastor Jack Hibbs, “Persistent Prayer.” retrieved from devotion@reallifewithjackhibbs.org
11. Os Hillman, “A Remnant That Prays.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
12. “Are We Asking?” Retrieved from www.forthright.net
13. Rev. Billy Graham, “How Can I Know If God Exists?” Retrieved from https://www.arcamax.com/healthandspirit/religion/billygraham
14. Arthur Schoonveld, “A Friend at Midnight.” Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net
15. Dr. Harold Sala, “God’s Pockets.” Retrieved from guideleines@guidelines.org
16. Kelly Givens, “Do You Pray?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
17. Dr. Jeff Schreve, “When Prayer Has Power.” Retrieved from www.christianity.com/devotionals/from-his-heart-jeff-schreve/
18. The Rev. Janet Hunt, “A Young Man, His Dog and How Much More Will the Father Give….” Retrieved from www.dancingwiththeword.com
19. Debie Thomas, “When You Pray.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net