Praying Pint

 

John 1:12  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Acts 16:31  And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

What is our answer to the many confused persons who keep asking: “How can we know that we have come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ”” First, we stand together on the basic truth that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. A second fact is that men and women are saved by faith in Christ, alone; without works and without our merit. However, the fact that Christ came to save sinners is not enough-that fact in itself cannot save us. Now, in our day, the issues of believing faith and the gift of eternal life are clouded and confused by an “easy acceptance” that has been fatal to millions who may have stopped short in matters of faith and obedience. Faith is believing and receiving, as in Acts 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved;” and as in John 1:12: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name.” (Tozer)

 

1 Timothy 6:7    We have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

How can we conquer the mountain of materialism? In a word, contentment. The Greek word in the Bible translated as “contentment” was used by the Stoics to imply that people are self-sufficient–we don’t need to look outside ourselves for satisfaction. Paul Christianized the word. He wrote, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. . . . I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11, 13). We don’t hang our happiness on outside circumstances; we look inward to our relationship with Jesus Christ.   Notice Paul said he “learned to be content.” Contentment doesn’t come naturally to us, but it’s something we can learn. Let me offer three aspects for application for learning to be content.   First of all, thank God for what you already have. In 1 Timothy 6:8, Paul said, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” How often do you sincerely thank God for the meal in front of you instead of just saying the words? How often do you thank God for your job instead of complaining about it? Greed and gratitude cannot exist in the same heart.   Second, recognize the dangers of materialism. Verse 9 says, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare.” If you focus on money, you become easy prey for “get-rich-quick schemes” and dishonest people. You can also fall into “many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction” (v. 9). Wealth or the pursuit of wealth can lead to wasteful spending, illicit relationships, the breakup of families, and falling away from God altogether.   Finally, remember your possessions are temporary. Verse 7 says, “We have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.” I’ve never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul. When you die, you can’t take your possessions with you. That’s why the ultimate misuse of your life is to spend it pursuing things you’re going to leave behind. As Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “Not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” You are more than what you own. And the best use of your life is to spend it pursuing the things of eternity–things that will last forever. (Jeffress)

 

 

Romans 8:18-25  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

 

Those spiritual blessings in heavenly places which are ours in Christ may be divided into three classes: The first is those which come to us immediately upon our believing unto salvation, such as forgiveness, justification, regeneration, sonship to God and baptism into the Body of Christ. In Christ we possess these even before we know that they are ours, such knowledge coming to us later through the study of the Holy Scriptures. The second class is those riches which are ours by inheritance but which we cannot enjoy in actuality until our Lord returns. These include ultimate mental and moral perfection, the glorification of our bodies, the completion of the restoration of the divine image in our redeemed personalities and the admission into the very presence of God to experience forever the Beatific Vision. These treasures are as surely ours as if we possessed them now, but it would be useless for us to pray for them while we journey here below. God has made it very clear that they are reserved for the time of the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:18-25). The third class of blessing consists of spiritual treasures which are ours by blood atonement but which will not come to us unless we make a determined effort to possess them. These are deliverance from the sins of the flesh, victory over self, the constant flow of the Holy Spirit through our personalities, fruitfulness in Christian service, awareness of the presence of God, growth in grace, an increasing consciousness of union with God and an unbroken spirit of worship. These do not come to us automatically nor must we wait to claim them at the day of Christ’s coming. They are to us what the Promised Land was to Israel, to be entered into as our faith and courage mount. (Tozer)

 

Romans 11:19-21  Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

Psalms 138:6    For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.

Proverbs 28:26    Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

Isaiah 2:11    The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

Believers can sometimes think too highly of themselves. We forget that every difference between us and the worst of sinners is because of God’s free, sovereign, and gracious work in our lives. We need to remember that we are still weak and can be overcome, still foolish and prone to wander, still sinful and easily influenced. Satan is strong, determined, subtle, malicious, active, and persistent. The world is attractive, deceptive, empty, and full of traps. Remembering these things keeps us from becoming spiritually careless.

A proud Christian is rarely fruitful and is often allowed to stumble. That is why Scripture warns, “Let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” David fell. Peter fell. Thousands of others have fallen too, and their failures still warn us: do not be proud, but walk in reverent fear. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

So let us cultivate a humble heart and a steady dependence on God. As we do, we will be kept safe, made holy, and led into lasting joy. (Smith)

 

 

1 Samuel 12:21     Do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.

In the 1940s, radio listeners tuned into a suspenseful new dramatic episode of Quiet Please entitled, “Nothing Behind the Door.” Three men climbed to the top of a mountain to break into a mysterious little house near an observatory. Inside they found a sealed door, which they forced open with great foreboding. As it turned out, it led to nowhere. Behind it was nothing but emptiness. It was a psychological image that shocked listeners with the emptiness of human existence.  But open doors are not always God’s doors, especially when we force them open. Some opportunities lead nowhere spiritually. Behind them we find only disappointment, regret, and hollowness.

As we go through life, we will see many doors, but unless God is leading us to them and through them, they will lead nowhere. Let God open the right doors for you. Do not turn aside to other doors or opportunities, for we do not want to go after empty things which cannot profit and which are nothing.  (Dr. Jeremiah)

When God allows one door to close, it may be because he is preparing to open a more effective door.

 

Colossians 3:1  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Psalms 107:9  For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Spiritual hunger and thirst are fulfilled in the Lord Jesus, while at the same time they are enlarged for more of Him. This satisfaction overwhelms all lesser longings. Fleshly yearnings are never fulfilled, and every attempt at such satisfaction soon cloys.

“Do we think of, and rejoice in, our blessings more than in the Person in whom we have them? As to even our doctrinal blessings, there is a wonderful charm about them when they are new to us, and they sustain the soul for a certain time; but when the first joy of them passes away, a settling-down process commences. Every new bit of blessing may seem to put a new bit of life into us, but it gradually loses its luster and power, and we become just ordinary Christians – we make very little progress.

“It is as we take the Lord Jesus by faith into the affections of our hearts that we make spiritual progress. It is as He occupies an enlarged place in our affections that we go on. The head may be filled with general theological information without producing one spark of heart-affection for the Lord Jesus, and the soul remains in a state of spiritual emaciation.

“Many have been misled by thinking that by reading the Bible you become like Christ – transformed; but you will find diligent students of the Word, who may never say anything incorrect in doctrine, yet who never seem to grow in grace and walk in spiritual reality.

“All blessings of this dispensation of grace are wrapped up in a Person, and, by means of the Word of God, we make spiritual progress as our hearts learn to find everything in Him – the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us.”  (Stanford)

 

Proverbs 23:4–5     Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.

We should appreciate money without worshiping it. We should save money without hoarding it.   Finally, we should use money without trusting it. Proverbs 10:15 says, “The rich man’s wealth is his fortress.” Money can protect us against some things. That’s why God commands us to save for the future. But look at the balancing word in Proverbs 18:11: “A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own imagination.” The ultimate security that money promises is an illusion. Money can’t protect us against everything.   In Luke 12, Jesus told a parable to illustrate this truth. Jesus described a rich man who had so much excess that he didn’t know what to do with it. Then he came up with a plan: He would build bigger barns to store all his goods so he could put his feet up and live in luxury. But while he was dreaming of security and luxury, God said to him, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” (v. 20).   Money can’t protect you from your mate having an affair, your children rebelling against you, or your body developing cancer–and it certainly can’t protect you from death. At any time, you could be taken from your possessions, or your possessions could be taken from you.   From 2010 to early 2020, the Permian Basin in West Texas experienced the greatest oil boom in history. But that changed on April 21, 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude went negative for the first time in history. You had to pay people to take the oil off your hands. David Arrington, a Texas oilman, placed a humorous sign outside his office in downtown Midland: “Will trade oil for toilet paper.”   Everything you have can disappear overnight. That’s why Proverbs 23:4–5 says, “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.” Use money, but don’t put your ultimate trust in it.  (Jeffress)

 

 

Romans 10:14-15     How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

 A doctor saves lives with medicine and skill. But we don’t need a medical degree to do and say something that will heal a life. We carry something just as powerful: a word spoken at the right moment, in the right tone, with the right intention. A word of faith that reminds someone who they are. A word of love that tells someone they are seen. A word from Scripture that lands exactly where the wound is.

Malachi saw a day coming when “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays” (Malachi 4:2). Light that heals as it shines. Not light that exposes and condemns, but light that restores. That is what Jesus brought. And that is what He calls us to carry into every room we enter.

And then there is the word that goes further than any of these. The word that does what no medicine can do. The gospel: the news that God came, that He died, that He rose, that the door is open. It is the only word that can move a person from death to life. Not metaphorically. Eternally.

Paul called it “the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Not a suggestion. Not a philosophy. Power. The kind that changes where a person spends eternity.

If the tongue has the power of life and death, then the most life-giving thing it can ever do is carry that word. The most beautiful sentence a human mouth can form is the one that tells another person: there is a way home.

We will all speak dozens of times today. Most of those words will feel small and inconsequential. We won’t remember them by evening. But the people who receive them might.

A doctor needs years of training to save a life. We just need our tongue. The question is what we do with it. Did the words we spoke today leave people more alive? Or less? (Bible Portal)

 

Proverbs 18:21  The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. 

Proverbs 10:20-21    The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.  The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.

Ephesians 4:29    Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

 

A little girl handed her mom a compliment one afternoon that she didn’t deserve. “Mommy, this is the best ice pop ever.” It was fruit I had blended and frozen. Nothing special. Just fruit. She was four then. She is fifteen now. Her mom had forgotten about it until recently. And then it came back to her, and she couldn’t let it go. A few days later, when she dropped her off at preschool and overheard her tell her teacher: “Oh, I love your skirt.” The teacher stopped mid-sentence. She smiled the way people smile when they weren’t expecting to. She didn’t know she was doing anything significant. She was just saying what she saw. Her mom has not forgotten it since.

James didn’t choose this image casually. In the ancient world, fire was not a convenience. It was a terror. A single spark in a dry season could take a village. Entire forests, entire harvests, entire ways of life, gone in hours, from one ember that landed wrong.

James is not reaching for a polite metaphor. He means it literally: you are carrying something that has the same destructive potential as the thing that has leveled civilizations. And you reach for it without thinking, dozens of times a day.

The image gets harder from there. James says the tongue “corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire” (James 3:6). Not just the moment. The whole course of a life. Words spoken in anger, in jealousy, in carelessness do not stay where they land. They travel. They embed. They shape the story a person tells about themselves for years afterward. I know this is true. I have been on both ends of it.

James pushes further than most of us are comfortable with. With the tongue, he says, “we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness” (James 3:9). Out of the same mouth. The same voice that sings on Sunday. The same lips that pray.

He says plainly: this should not be (James 3:10). And then he asks the question that won’t let us escape: can a spring pour both fresh water and salt water from the same source? (James 3:11). The answer is no. Which means the problem is not the words themselves. The problem is what is producing them. The tongue only reveals what is already there.

That is the harder truth. We can modify our words without changing what generates them. We can become more careful speakers without becoming different people. And James is not interested in more careful speakers. He is interested in transformation at the source. (Bible Portal)