Prayer, Promise, and Patience

The foundation of our prayers is that God’s promises are sure. This is something we all know, but often do not demonstrate that knowledge through our actions. Of course, true faith is demonstrated not by what we know but by how we live. This is dramatically illustrated in the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. We all know the story, but do we understand the profound importance of its lesson?

Let’s begin with a little bit of background. God had called Abraham to leave his home and family and go to the land God would show him. Part of that calling was that God promised to give to Abraham a land and descendants. That is a bit oversimplified, but for our purposes it is sufficient.The problem was that Abraham and Sarah had no children. God called Abraham when he was 75 years old and Sarah was 65. In spite of that, they believed and trusted that God would give them a child as he had promised.

However, we are impatient creatures and continuing to believe after a time of seeing no results is not easy for us. So it was with Sarah. She knew she knew that the probability of having a child was very slim, so she offered her handmaid to Abraham as a surrogate wife. While hindsight tells us this was a mistake and that the whole concept is outside of God’s will, this was a customary solution to the problem of infertility at the time. So, Abraham fathered a child by Hagar with the idea that this would fulfil God’s promise of an heir, but it did not. Furthermore, it created a greater problem, jealousy between Sarah and Hagar that resulted in Sarah treating Hagar so harshly that Hagar left the household for a time. (See Genesis 16:6-16)

But whatever the relationship between Sarah and Hagar, this plan did not fulfil God’s promise or plan for Abraham and Sarah. God’s plan was to do for Abraham and Sarah that which was impossible for man to do for himself. Harold Lindsell, editor of the Harper Study Bible makes the following comment about the situation:

This incident reveals how two genuine believers may seek to fulfil God’s will by normally acceptable methods but spiritually carnal ones . . . It was not until Abraham was a hundred years old that Isaac was born (21:5). From the length of time between the promise and the fulfilment we can draw the lessons that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isa 55:8,9). Patient waiting would have produced the desired results without the additional problems created by impatience and lack of faith. God always rewards those who have faith to believe his promises.

There are two important points here. First, normally acceptable but carnal methods never accomplish God’s eternal promises or purposes. God’s purpose here was to do what man could not do. It is always so in God’s redemptive work. God did not give Abraham and Sarah a child until Sarah was 90 years old and “it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.” (Genesis 19:11) God did not give them a child until Sarah was biologically no longer able to have children. Again, God did what was impossible for man. This is exceedingly important. At every step of God’s redemptive plan, he is doing what man cannot do. When Jesus told Nicodemus that we must be born again, he was saying that what is impossible for man—to enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born—is possible for God—through the regeneration of the human heart. (John 3) We see this so often in the Scripture. When the Israelites needed water, God did not lead them to an oasis in the desert, he gave them water from a rock. They could have stumbled across an oasis with or without the work of God, but only God can give water from a rock. When God needed to be glorified in the day of Elijah, he instructed the prophet to soak the altar in water and then sent fire from heaven to consume “the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” (1 Kings 18:38) There are lots of other examples. Get out your Bible and read. You will find them everywhere. God does the impossible for us and we need to have faith in him rather than settle for the normally acceptable but carnal solutions as we so often do.

The second point from Lindsell’s comment is that patience would have produced the same result without the additional problems caused by Abraham and Sarah’s human solution. God waited to give them a child until Sarah was no longer able to have children. He had to wait so that he could do what man could not do. So it is for us. We are often impatient and do not see the glory of God. What a shame.

It is important that we not judge Abraham and Sarah too harshly. They had the same difficulties we have. They were impatient as we are. We too look to carnal solutions to spiritual problems and accept them as normal simply because those around us are doing the same. (The pragmatism that dominates the church today is just one example.) In Abraham and Sarah’s case, God did indeed keep his promise to give them a child. He is faithful and all things do work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) May we always have the patience to allow him to do what only he can do rather than trying to find human solutions to spiritual problems.

Pet Peeves

We all have our pet peeves. You know what I mean. It is that little something that really irritates us. Everyone has at least one. Most of us have several. They range from the serious to the ridiculous, from the important to the trivial. There is no end of pet peeves in this world. A couple of years ago I asked some Christian brothers on an internet forum to list their top three pet peeves. Here are a few examples:

• Squeezing the toothpaste from the middle.
• Wearing a cowboy hat and tennis shoes or cowboy boots and short pants.
• Trite sayings on bumper stickers, such as “No Intolerance Allowed.”
• People who move to a new community and immediately compare everything to their former place of residence.
• Drivers who pay no attention to the road because they are talking on their cell phones.
• Toilet paper hung “upside down” in the bathroom.
• There were a lot more, but you get the idea.
  

In spite of the proliferation of pet peeves, I have one that falls into the important category. It drives me crazy when I ask someone for prayer and they respond with advice. Yes, they pray as well, but before they have a chance to pray, they are offering their solution to the problem. I don’t need their solution to the problem. I need God’s solution to the problem. I know they mean well, but their actions speak volumes about their view of God and prayer.

This is even common among mature believers who understand the power of God and his sovereignty. I even find myself doing it at times. In spite of all our experience that says God answers prayers and that he desires to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves, we still instinctively seek human answers to spiritual problems. How short-sighted we are! Only God can change a man’s heart. Only God can effectively defeat the enemy in our lives. Only God can truly heal our illness and lift our spirits. True, there is a time for the counsel of godly men, but it does not replace the fervent prayers of those same godly men. God doesn’t need any suggestions from us. He already has the answer. We need only ask him for it.

Let's Begin All Over Again

The New Year is upon us, and as usual we are all thinking about our resolutions for 2008. You know what I mean. We all make them; resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, be more faith in our spiritual disciplines, and many more. Unfortunately, we rarely keep them for more than a few days. Soon we are back to our old habits and our old problems. Things don't change and we continue in the same rut. In time we get to the point we wish we could start all over. We have made such a mess of our lives that we want to forget about the past and start again without all the disapointments and guilt of our broken dreams and failures. Unfortunately, we can't un-ring the bell. What is done is done. Or, is it?

The Scripture presents God as both holy and redemptive. In reality, he is a God of new beginnings. There are many examples of those who had failed in life beginning again with some tremendous results.

• Jonah failed God, but after he began again the entire city of Nineveh found God.
• The Book of Judges depicts a nation that began again seven times, each time God freed them from their failures and their oppressors.
• David commited adultery and murder, yet was able to begin again and lead the nation of Israel to both spiritual and political greatness.
• Isaiah was a man of unclean lips, but God let him begin again and we have some of the most beautiful, inspiring, and comforting words in the Scripture from those formerly unclean lips.
• Peter failed his Lord miserably by denying him and yet the Lord later said to him, "Feed my sheep," which is exactly what he did, beginning with the sermon on the Day of Pentecost in which about 3,000 souls were added to the kingdom.
• John the Baptist's entire ministry was one preaching the message of beginning again.
• Jesus told Nicodemus that he could be born again.
• Paul said that if anyone be in Christ he is a new creation.

So, yes, we can begin again, start over, be truly born again. It is what our faith in a redemptive God is all about. Now the question is, "How do I begin again?"

The story of the Prodigal Son is a great example of how God not only allows us to begin again, but longs for us to begin again. Remember the word 'prodigal' means wasteful rather than lost as so many assume. What he did was realize how far he had fallen and humbly returned to the loving father who awaited him with open arms. We have all heard the story in Sunday School and sermons, usually sermons about repentance. Yes, repentance that nasty word that requires me to do things I don't want to do.

Aside from the testimony of the Scripture itself, the fact that we so often view the gracious, redemptive work of God as a burden to bear is the best evidence of the absolute depravity of the human heart. Repentance is not the only of God's redemptive graces that often we view as burdensome—the law (obedience), tithing, self-denial, and the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and the Scripture are all great blessings that too often are treated as bad-tasting medicine rather than the life-giving miracles they are. How sad it is that because of our perverse hearts we do not see that repentance is truly an opportunity to begin again. Repentance is not a burden, it is liberation. It is leaving behind all the failures and guilt and moving toward the great "peace that passes all understanding" God promises those who seek him.

As for me, by the grace of the Almighty God I will be starting over again this year. There is a lot of stuff I want to leave behind—spiritual failures, missed opportunities, bitterness, selfishness, laziness, and just plain ol' sinfulness. But more importantly, I am going to embrace the loving Father who makes it possible for me to begin again. Remember the story of the Prodigal? When he decided to repent to begin again he found his father was waiting for him with open arms.

Paul the Apostle understood what it means to begin again. He who once persecuted believers began again and preached the message he once tried to destroy. Because of this great understanding, he said, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)

A Great Blessing

God blessed me greatly this evening. My entire congregation was at church. This is generally not an unusual situation at Iglesia Betania. Unlike most chuches in the United States, there is generally very little difference in attendance at our morning and evening services. This has a lot to do with the way we approach our faith. We firmly believe and practice a faith of intrega completa al Señor, or complete surrender to the Lord.

So, why was this evening's service any different? Well, we have not had air conditioning in our building for about three weeks because theives stole the copper from the outdoor compressor units. Without going into a lot of detail, repairing these units will be almost impossible because they are 44 years old and the parts are unavailable. A completely new system is currently beyond our financial resources, so we have worshipped without air conditioning for the past few weeks. Until today, that has not been a big problem. We have had unusually cool weather this year and have been able to worship without too much discomfort even though the building has no windows and no insulation under the roof. Today, however, was a different situation. It was hot today and the sun was shining strongly on the roof. So, at the end of this morning's worship service I told the congregation that we would have evening services in spite of the forecast of hot weather, but if any felt it would be just too hot, we would understand if he or she just stayed home.

Well, it was hot. After the service my clothes were soaked through with sweat. But, in spite of the heat, all of the congregation was at church except for one, and she was absent for reasons unrelated to the heat. What a blessing! I fully expected just a handful of the hardier folk to be in attendance, but God showed me that he had been working in the hearts of the congregation more than I had realized. That is always a great blessing for a pastor. God is so good. As I contemplate today's events, this passage from Isaiah 55 come to mind.

Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call nations that you know not, and nations that knew you not shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. "Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:1-9 RSV)

My congregation might not have money for air conditioning right now, but, by the mercy and grace of God, we have all we need.

Grace Gems

I have added a new link on the right side of this page. It is to a site called "Grace Gems." I have subscribed to the daily emails from this site for several years and enjoy them immensely. They are a source of great inspiration. The author has spent countless hours picking timely and inspiring quotes from the great Christian authors of church history. He has also electronically published several out-of-print works of these godly men.

The most interesting thing about this site is that it is maintained by a truly godly person. The website states that its purpose is "to humble the pride of man,to exalt the grace of God in salvation and to promote real holiness in heart and life." It accomplished that purpose quite well. It is the only site on the internet, including this one, that does not have the author's name anywhere on it.

I encourage you to follow this link: http://www.gracegems.org/Grace_Gems.htm to see today's quote. May it be a blessing to you as it has been to me over the years.

Grace-ometer

I ran across this quote by Charles Spurgeon and want to share it. This quote expresses my understanding of God, his people, and his church quite accurately.

The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. So is the prayer meeting a grace-ometer, and from it we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God be near a church, it must pray. And if he be not there, one of the first tokens of his absence will be a slothfulness in prayer.

Oops! We Messed Up

Let’s pick up the story we have been following. The Israelites had insisted that God give them a king, and God did so. In 1 Samuel 9 God directs Samuel to anoint Saul as king. He is a young, strong, handsome man, and a good soldier. He was an obvious choice for a king. In chapter 10 Saul is “crowned” as king of Israel and in chapter 11 he leads the Israelites in defeating the Ammonites. Chapter 12 is a transition from Samuel’s leadership to Saul’s. Samuel has some interesting things to say. Beginning in verse 7, Samuel explains to them the wickedness of their insistence that God give them a king. He pointed out that God had always taken care of them and that they had no reason to believe that God would not continue to care for them. He repeated that their insistence on a king was a rejection of God not a rejection of him, Samuel. At this point the people finally understand the error of their ways, but by this time it was a little too late. This passage reminds me of a bit of wisdom shared with my group at a youth camp by an elderly lady who had served the Lord faithfully for many years. I have long forgotten her name, but I will never forget her words. When asked by one of the young ladies of the group why she had never married, she responded that it was always better to want something you did not have than to have something you did not want. Wise words. Unfortunately, by the time Samuel addressed the Israelites, they already had something they would very soon not want. Aside from the very obvious lesson of not dictating to God what is best for us, there are two important lessons in this chapter.

First, if we want to sin, God will let us sin. God will try to show us the error of our ways, but if we insist he will let us sin. God tried to show the Israelites their error by explaining to them what a king would do, but they insisted and God let them have their way. We must understand a very basic truth. The sovereignty of God does not negate the responsibility of man. God is sovereign; there is no doubt. He also allows us to make decisions and holds us responsible for those decisions. The application of this lesson is profound. We often believe that if something happens, it is a sign that God wants a situation one way or another. One example of this kind of thinking is for a young lady to say that if the young man she is interested in asks her to marry, it must be God’s will that she do so. However, in the process she prays little about the matter and ignores the many signs that her future spouse is really not a good choice for a husband. However, if she insists on marrying him, God will let her and she will soon realize she has something she really does not want. Yes, if we insist, God will let us sin.

Second, God is a God of redemption and he makes the best of our sinful decisions. Notice what God said at Saul’s coronation:

And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your king. And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the LORD has set a king over you. If you will fear the LORD and serve him and hearken to his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well; but if you will not hearken to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king. (1 Samuel 12:12 -15)

God tells them that in spite of their sinful rejection of him, if they and the king would but follow the Lord, it would be well with them in spite of their rejection of him, but if they did not follow the Lord, it would not be well with them . In other words, God would continue to provide for them if they would but follow him faithfully under the earthly leadership of the king. The people really liked this idea, and to show them that he was still able to do what the king could not do, God sent a storm to destroy their harvest. This may sound harsh, but God’s point was well made and not soon forgotten. Paul expresses this same truth in Romans 8:28, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.” God does not abandon his people in spite of their rejection of him. If they repent and return, they will enjoy the times of refreshing that come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19). What a great God we have. He and he alone is sufficient and his will is perfect. May we always see his will with all our hearts and not rely on our own understanding.