Praying Pint

 

 

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
–Psalm 27:8

How can you guard against hypocrisy and ritualism in your prayer life? Make God the focus of your prayers. I think this is what the apostle Paul was talking about when he said, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Paul wasn’t talking about praying with your eyes closed all day long, walking around in a constant conversation with God. He was saying there is a way to pray in your spirit while going through the activities of your everyday life.

 

Missionary Frank Laubach wrote a short book called The Game with Minutesabout training yourself to think about God and talk to God at least once every minute. Let me share with you several suggestions adapted from Laubach’s book to help you get into the habit of praying throughout your day by focusing on God.

 

• As you get up and get ready in the morning, tell God your thoughts about whatever you’re doing, even if it’s as mundane as choosing your clothes or making a cup of coffee.

 

• In social settings, think or whisper “God” or “Jesus” as you glance at the people near you. This will remind you to view people not only as they are but also as the people God wants them to be.

 

• At mealtimes, set an extra chair at the table to remind you of God’s presence.

 

• When you’re reading a book or an article, read it to God. Also, share with Him the emails and letters you receive, knowing He sympathizes with both the good things and the bad things in your life.

 

• When you’re trying to solve a problem, talk to God about it instead of talking to yourself.

 

• Keep your Bible or another reminder of God someplace where you will see it as you go to sleep. Allow God to have the last word of the day. Then let your eyes and mind begin there in the morning.

 

That’s the essence of real prayer. Prayer is not a theological formula to reach a distant deity who may or may not be there. Instead, prayer is an intimate conversation covering every detail of your life with the One who truly loves you the very most. That’s the kind of prayer that really works. (Jeffress)

 

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Colossians 4:6

The apostle Paul created lists in his letters. He listed the spiritual gifts (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-10), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), the acts of the sinful nature (Galatians 5:19-21), and others. But he never ordered his lists in terms of importance—except in one instance. In 1 Corinthians 13:13, he listed the three most important virtues in the Christian life: faith, hope, and love. And of these three, he said love is the greatest.

Nowhere is love more important than in the words we speak to others. The Bible speaks clearly about the power of speech. Proverbs 18:21 says that our words have the power of life and death. The apostle James warned his readers about the power of speech and how easy it is to be double-minded when it comes to our words: “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:10). If love is the greatest virtue, surely our words should be spoken with love at all times.

Look for ways today to speak words that reflect God’s love, words that convey grace to others. (Dr. Jeremiah)

Our words reveal our thoughts.

 

A Rest for the People of God

Heb 3:7-19  Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,  do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,  where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.  Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’  As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”  Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.  As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”  For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?  And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?  So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

 

 

Merry Christmas !!!!

 

Matthew 6:19-23    “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

A big house on several acres with multiple cars in the driveway. A prosperous life full of comfort and free from suffering. The opportunity to plot your own course and achieve your dreams through hard work and diligence.

These are a few examples of what some consider the American Dream, that national ethos which was summarized in the Declaration of Independence: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

On the surface, this is almost all you could ever ask for—the opportunity to choose your own way and have the freedom to pick your path to happiness. It’s certainly something that is not promised in other parts of the world. Many would give everything they have to come to the United States and pursue the American Dream.

I must ask, though: How’s your American Dream going? Are you finding the happiness you’re free to pursue, or has your American Dream become a nightmare?

You see, I love the idea of the American Dream. I love the belief that we all have opportunities in this great country, and if we’re willing to work and sacrifice, we can reap the benefits. With that said, there’s a bit of an inherent risk with that attitude. When it’s all about me (I’m working hard, I’m making my way, I’m going to do what I need to get ahead), it leaves very little room for the One who has promised that He has a plan for us.

I believe in the American Dream and agree that we should all work hard, for the Bible has plenty to say about downfalls of laziness. But I also believe that it’s impossible to find true and lasting peace and happiness through simply chasing prosperity and comfort.

Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21, ESV).

I don’t think I’m going too far out on a limb by assuming that many of you reading this are struggling with something in your lives. Maybe the American Dream has come true for you and you have all the money that you could ever need, but you’re finding that the material possessions aren’t buying you any happiness. Or maybe you’ve worked hard every day of your life but nothing has come easy, and it feels like you’re spinning your wheels with little hope of ever catching up, let alone getting ahead.

Regardless of where you are in the journey, I’d humbly suggest that you examine your life and see if everything you’re amassing—both your successes and struggles—are bringing you happiness and hope. Truly consider if you’ve allowed Jesus to consume your life. Are you following His path and calling, rather than your own?

The American Dream is fine—incredible, in fact—but don’t forget that for Christians “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20, ESV). By turning your eyes to Jesus, you not only find joy here on earth, but have hope for eternity as well. (Graham)

 

 

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail.
Revelation 12:7-8

Because we do not see the warfare that takes place in spiritual realms, it is easy to forget that it even exists. In his vision of the End Times, John saw the war between God’s angelic agents and Satan (Revelation 12:7-9).

The oldest example we have of this warfare occurred in Job’s life. Satan wanted to prove to God that Job was only faithful because God had put a “hedge” of protection around his life (Job 1:10). That is, God had prevented Satan from having access to Job and his family. But God removed the hedge and allowed Satan access to Job in order to prove that his faithfulness was not based purely on blessing but on love for God—which Job ultimately proved.

Daniel discovered that a war in heaven for three weeks had delayed an answer to his prayers (Daniel 10). And Paul taught that we are in a struggle with principalities and powers in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

Do not let your guard down. Pray that God would keep a hedge of protection around you and your family as you pursue a righteous life. (Jeremiah)

There is no holiness without a warfare. 

 

 

Hebrews 9:27  And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Revelation 11:13    In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

 

The apostle Peter observed a way of thinking common among most people. When confronted with the truth about the end of the age, people would say, “All things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). In other words, because life continues uninterrupted, we tend to think it will go on that way forever. But such is not the case.

When describing the two witnesses who will testify during the Tribulation period, the apostle John saw a severe earthquake that would happen in Jerusalem and kill seven thousand people. He saw them as terrified and giving “glory to the God of heaven.” But their fear was not a reverential fear of the Lord, rather it was a fear of death. He gave no indication that the disruption in their lives prompted them to turn to God and secure their salvation. Instead, their fear of death only hardened their hearts further.

After death comes the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Don’t miss the chance to secure your eternal destiny through faith in Christ. (Jeremiah)

As death finds us and life leaves us, so judgment will find us. 

 

Heb 9:23:28  Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.  Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,  for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.  And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,  so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Perfection. Have you ever seen it? Sure, we may look at a snowflake, a flower, or a child’s smile and we feel that we are looking at perfection. In our mind’s eye, it may seem that way, but that snowflake will soon dissolve, the flower is missing a petal, and the child will certainly have his share of misbehavior. The fact of the matter is that in this world, it is very rare—impossible, even—to find something without spot, without blemish, without defect.

The same can be said of the Old Testament sacrifices—they were not perfect. They did not purify anything and never truly dealt with sin and judgment. But when we look at the sacrifice of Jesus, the most pivotal moment in history, we witness something that is faultless. Hebrews 9:23–28 shows us that Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect.

First, Jesus’ sacrifice purified everything—even itself (vv. 23–24). Christ’s blood not only purified mankind, but Heaven as well. Why Heaven? Was it corrupted because of Satan’s presence or defiled because of God’s wrath? No! Christ’s blood had to cover everything, and therefore even the way into Heaven must be covered and enshrouded with blood in order to cover man as he comes to God. The sacrifice of Jesus is what makes it possible for us to enter into Heaven. We have been cleansed through the blood of Jesus on the cross.

Second, Jesus’ sacrifice does not need to be repeated (vv. 25–26). Every year under the old covenant, the High Priest had to make atonement for the sins of the nation on Yom Kippur. However, since the blood of animals is incapable of permanently atoning for sin, the High Priest had to repeat the sacrifice year after year. Not true with Jesus’ sacrifice. He never had to repeat it because it was a perfect sacrifice—the shed blood of a Man for men. He died once for all.

Finally, Jesus’ sacrifice is perfect because it took away judgment (vv. 27–28). There is an old joke that says that the only two sure things in life are death and taxes. There’s certainly some truth to that statement. Man has an appointment with death that he cannot avoid and he must keep. Man dies once—not twice (except for Lazarus who died twice, and Elijah and Enoch who did not see death). And just as man dies once and then is judged, Christ died once to take away our judgment. That is the point of Hebrews 9:23–28.

Jesus’ sacrifice was so perfect that it purified everything from you and I to Heaven itself; it never had to be repeated, and took away our judgment.

Take a moment today to appreciate the incredible impact of Christ’s death and resurrection; the purifying final act that took away judgment for those that call upon His name. What a joy to place our eternal hope in Him! (Graham)

 

 

Zec 1:3  Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.

“Says the Lord of hosts,” is the announcement given multiple times in this little verse. What is being said must be of great importance to Him, and therefore should be extremely important to us. What was so urgent? It was a call for God’s people to repent and return.

Notice that the call to return is voiced by Him who remained steadfast and not the one who has wandered away. How different the Lord is from us. When someone does not desire our company, we will be the first to distance ourselves quickly. After all, why should we stay when our absence is desired?

But thanks be to God! He never gives up on those who would rather not have His companionship. God’s willingness to heal a fractured relationship with one of His children is beyond human reason and resource, for He is always there when a wayward child returns.

The Lord of hosts’ sovereignty encompasses the stars, the heavens, and all the powers of the universe. His name implies the boundless resources at His command for His people’s good. It is unfathomable that anyone would willingly leave such a God, and yet they do.

Are you sensing a distance between you and God? It is you who have moved, not Him. If you have been careless in your walk, disobedient, or even rebellious toward the Lord, take His call seriously. Repent! and return now and enjoy the bountiful blessings of His presence once again. The Lord of hosts is waiting. (Hibbs)

 

 

 1 John 5:19: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”

1Co 15:24  Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.

If God is sovereign, the whole world can lie under the influence of Satan.

The same person who wrote about Satan’s influence in the world also recorded a vision of the End Times in the book of Revelation—the apostle John. In that vision, John saw a time when “the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to his servants the prophets.” While John doesn’t specifically describe the nature of the mystery, it surely has to do with the culmination of evil and catastrophe on the earth in the End Times and the coming of God’s Kingdom on earth—a day foreseen by the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:24).

Do not be anxious about the pervasiveness of evil in the world. The day is coming when it will be removed and righteousness will reign. (Jeremiah)