Dec 18, 2022
Young families in a suburb of North Carolina started a church; and after two years, it was just exploding. They had to move into a bigger building, but after a bit, an adult bookstore bought the building across from them. So now this church was sharing a parking lot with an adult bookstore. They tried to fight it. They sent letters to the mayor, stood before the city council, petitioned for the bookstore to be moved. Nothing worked.
The church called for 21 days of prayer and fasting. Isn’t it funny that we tend to pray last? As they prayed, around day 14, a giant thunderstorm hit the community. Lightning struck the adult bookstore, and it burned to the ground.
The bookstore sued the church, saying, “We want you to pay for the lost wages and the building because your prayer meeting burned our business down.” The church protested, “It’s not our fault. It was a thunderstorm, and we’re not paying for anything.” My favorite part of this, though, was when the judge stood up and said, “I’ve never seen anything like this. We have an adult bookstore that believes in prayer and a church that doesn’t.”
Wouldn’t it be amazing if God always answered prayer that fast? The thing is that he sometimes does, but sometimes he doesn’t. He doesn’t work on our schedule, so then we start to think that he doesn’t answer prayer.
Maybe you’re in a desperate position right now financially, or your marriage is struggling, or serious health issues are on the table. It would be amazing if you prayed, then your answer was waiting for you as soon as you turned around! How many of you know, though, that it doesn’t usually happen that way? Lightning doesn’t strike the buildings — or people — we pray about, and God doesn’t immediately heal or move. There’s a reason for this. When our prayers don’t get answered quickly, we have to trust God and God’s plans for us.
The Bible says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV). How many of us really believe this? How many of us are willing to wait to see God move?
Dec 16, 2022
We have become so preoccupied in proving God that we have not prepared our hearts for the great tests of life whereby God proves man. Could it be that the great trial you are now facing, the burden you now carry, is actually God at work proving you?
We see an amazing thing in 2 Chronicles 32:31: God left a great king for a season to prove him. “God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that he might know all that was in his heart” (2 Chronicles 32:31, NKJV). God proved an entire nation to find out what was really in its heart. “You shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2).
Do you find yourself in strange circumstances? Do you feel forsaken and alone? Do you fight a losing battle with an unpredictable enemy? These are signs pointing to the proving process. Often, while in the righteous pursuit of God’s work, a steward of the Lord finds himself apparently forsaken and tried to the limits of endurance. Every man God has ever blessed has been proved in the same manner.
Victory is always desired, but should you fail, remember this: It is what remains in your heart that God is interested in. What is your attitude after you have won or lost the lonely battle? Your devotion to him is his desire.
Jesus has promised never to leave us or forsake us, but the record of scripture reveals there are seasons when the Father withdraws his presence to prove us. Even Christ experienced that lonely moment on the cross. It is in these times that our blessed Savior is most touched by the feeling of our infirmity, and he whispers, “I pray for you, that your faith fail not.”
Jesus says we are to take up our cross and follow him (see Matthew 16:24). What is that cross? It is the flesh with its frailness and weakness. Take it up and move on in faith, and his strength will be made perfect in you. Is your cross of self and sin too heavy? My friend, take up your cross and follow on. Christ understands and is there beside you to lift the heavy burden!
Dec 15, 2022
Jesus loved Lazarus, and he also dearly loved Lazarus’ two sisters, Mary and Martha. Their home was an oasis for the Son. We know Lazarus and his family loved Jesus, but the scriptures are most emphatic in pointing out Christ’s love for them. “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick” (John 11:3, NKJV).
“When Jesus heard that, he said, ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” (John 11:4).
Jesus knew that his Father intended for this miracle to give him glory and give them confidence and faith, but what an experience of deep suffering it turned out to be for Jesus. The disciples doubted him; Mary and Martha doubted him, and so did the weeping friends of Lazarus. Did Mary know how deeply she hurt him when she accused him of being preoccupied and disinterested in their problem? “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).
Did Martha know how it hurt her Master when she questioned his resurrection power? He had plainly told her, “Your brother shall rise again,” but his word was not enough. She answered, in essence, “Oh, yes, on resurrection day he will arise, but that doesn’t help today” (see John 11:24).
How painful it must have been for Christ to have his dearest friends doubt that he had all the power they needed. “Don’t you know who I am yet?” is what the Lord seemed to be asking when he said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).
I don’t think we know how deep his pain was at that moment. His own disciples couldn’t grasp the concept of who he was. It was hurtful enough that his own nation of people knew him not, but could those he dearly loved not recognize his power? If we, his dearest friends, will not trust his power and faithfulness, who will? We call him friend and Lord, but we do not live our lives as though he has the power needed to keep us victorious and joyful in all our pain and difficulties.
What truly satisfies the heart of our Lord is the child of his who rests completely in his love and tender care.
Dec 14, 2022
Jesus went up to Jerusalem at Passover and entered the temple (see John 2:13-17). What he saw appalled him. Merchants had taken over the house of God! He came seeking a house of prayer, and what he found was a preoccupation with the promotion, display and sale of religious merchandise. The religious leaders were counting their profits. Men of God had become peddlers of religious merchandise, running about promoting their goods.
Tables had been set up everywhere in God’s house to promote and sell sheep, oxen, doves, candies, incense and other merchandise for religious purposes. Money changing hands made the loudest noise in the house, money that was being made on God and religion.
What terrible pain caused our Lord’s compassionate heart to boil with holy anger? His great suffering caused his meek spirit to rage with righteous indignation. Can you picture that moment? With a whip in hand, our Lord stormed into the temple and began flailing in all directions, overturning the tables piled high with merchandise. He scattered the promoters, pitchmen and hucksters.
“Out!” he thundered. “Take these things away! Do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise!” (John 2:16, NKJV). It was probably one of the most painful experiences in all his ministry, but he could not stand by and permit his Father’s house to become a den for religious thieves.
Are we willing to fellowship with Christ in this aspect of his sufferings today? Do we share his hurt at seeing God’s house once again being turned over to merchandisers? Will we be outraged by the horrible commercializing of the gospel? Will we feel his rage against spiritual hucksterism enough to withdraw from all such activities? Do we feel his hurt enough to renounce ministries that grind out merchandise just for the sake of making money?
Can we share his suffering at this point enough to stand against those who would turn God’s house into a theater or entertainment center for promoters? Can we grieve over all the profiteering on the name of Jesus? Can we get our eyes off the cash and back on the cross?
Dec 13, 2022
In recent months, I have read many sad, pitiful letters from believers who are still bound by sinful habits. Multitudes of struggling Christians write, “I can’t stop gambling… I’m in the grips of an alcohol addiction… I’m having an affair, and I can’t break it off… I’m a slave to pornography.” In letter after letter, these people say the same things. “I love Jesus, and I’ve begged God to free me. I’ve prayed, wept and sought godly counsel. I just can’t break free. What can I do?”
I’ve spent much time seeking the Lord for wisdom on how to answer these believers. I pray, “Lord, you know your children’s lives. Many are devoted, Spirit-filled saints, yet they don’t have your victory. They don’t know freedom. What’s going on?”
At one point, I studied the biblical passages containing God’s promises to his people. I was reminded that the Lord pledges to keep us from falling, to present us faultless, to justify us by faith, sanctify us by faith, keep us holy by faith. He promises that our old man is crucified by faith and that we are translated into his kingdom by faith.
The one thing common to all of these promises is this phrase: “by faith.” Indeed, all these things are matters of faith, according to God’s Word. So I came to the only clear conclusion about these struggling Christians’ problems; somewhere at the root of their bondage is unbelief. It all boils down to a simple lack of faith.
Are you struggling to gain victory by your willpower? Are you fighting the battle in your old nature? Paul points out, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:4-5, NKJV).
Your victory must come not through weeping or striving but by faith that Jesus Christ has won the battle for you. Indeed, Paul says there is only one condition attached to God’s promises: “If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard” (Colossians 1:23).
Christ surrendered everything to his Father in order to be a totally obedient Son. We are to do likewise. We are to be totally dependent on the Father, just as Christ was.
