Trust AND Obey » prayer

Lincoln – 22 November 2011

Dave Miller — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:00:46 +0000

Lincoln again?

Yep. Linkin’ again!

As in linking to noteworthy articles from other blogs and websites.

Making the Most of Turkey Time by David Mathis

What if God had more for our kin this Thanksgiving than the Macy’s parade, tryptophan-induced naps, and NFL football? What if we saw our gatherings with extended family not as a chance to check out, but as an opportunity for Christian mission?

What Forgiveness Is and Isn’t by Russell D. Moore

A prisoner of war who forgives his captor or a terminated pastor who forgives a predatory congregation, these people are not overlooking sin. Nor are they saying that what happened is “okay” or that the relationships involved are back to “normal” (whatever that is). Instead they are confessing that judgment is coming and they can trust the One who will be seated on that throne.

Typographic Verses by Jonathan Ogden et. al.

Nigerian Christians Show American Believers How to Pray by Jack Minor

Last year over 2,000 Christians in the country were murdered by Muslim extremists. While it is often tempting in trials such as this to pray for deliverance, the Christians in Nigeria are praying for something else… the strength to stand strong.

Please don’t pass over this story. Christians in the Third World are on the front-lines of Christ’s Kingdom. Christians in America are the ‘rear echelon’ and could learn a thing or two from our brothers and sisters on the front.

How Calvinists Spread Thanksgiving Cheer by Aaron Belz

What’s unusual about the Pacific Crossroads congregation—and what underpins efforts such as Boxes of Love—is its theologically conservative raison d’être. A member church of the Presbyterian Church in America, Pacific Crossroads is committed to Reformation doctrines such as total depravity and limited atonement. These beliefs are typically regarded as ugly and inhumane by American culturati.

The Rebel’s Guide to Joy – The life of Horatio Spafford

Discipline vs. Punishment by R.W. Glenn

The only just punishment for your disobedience to the Lord is to suffer under his wrath forever in hell. And what’s more, Jesus has already been punished in your place. Therefore, if you are a Christian, you will never be punished for your sins. Jesus has taken the just punishment that was due them. Period.

If you have experienced an intense difficulty in your life and wonder what God is trying to tell you through it, please take time to read this article.

Can Mormons Fit In? Yes and No by Erik Raymond

The Mormon doctrine on the essential matters of doctrine are at odds with historic Christianity. What makes this difficult to parse out is the fact that many Mormons utlize the same words (sin, grace, faith, church, Jesus, salvation) while meaning something completely different.

Drive Me To My Knees

Dave Miller — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:27:53 +0000

I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day. – Abraham Lincoln

Drive me to my knees, Lord Jesus. Drive me to my knees.

You hear my Pharisaical prayers; thanking you that I am not like other sinners.
You see me try to hide my selfishness; camouflaging it with pious works.
You know the pride that wells up in my heart; like a spring of acrid water from the stony ground.

Drive me to my knees, Holy Spirit. Drive me to my knees.

You hear my feeble pleas and groanings; and understand what’s in my heart.
You see my sinful self as I really am; not as I present myself to the world.
You know my confessions are incomplete; I’m not even aware of all the sins I should repent from.

Drive me to my knees, Dear Father. Drive me to my knees.

You hear my hurtful words against Your image bearers.
You see my shameful acts that reflect so poorly upon You.
You know me better than I know myself.

Drive me to my knees, O God. Drive me to my knees.

Beware of no one more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us. – C.H. Spurgeon

Drive me to my knees, O Lord; so I can know Your grace.
Listen to my pleas, Dear Lord; and let me seek Your face.
Take my sins away, O Lord; as east is from the west.
Drive me to my knees, Dear Lord; in You I find true rest.

James 4:10 – Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

American Pickers (Part Two)

Dave Miller — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:36:09 +0000

“Scripture is like a river, broad and deep, shallow enough here for lambs to go wading, but deep enough there for an elephant to float.” –Gregory Dialogus

Before I get into the first of three types of Pickers identified in the first part of this series, I want to make something perfectly clear to the reader. I am not saying that American Pickers are not Christians. I’m not saying they are Christians either. Since the First Century, when Jesus established His church, the wheat and the tares have grown up side-by-side. Jesus knew this would be the case (Matthew 13:24-30). Even though you and I can look at the fruit produced by others, none of us can know the heart of another. Jesus is the ultimate judge and His righteous judgment at the end of time will be the only verdict that counts (Rom 14:10, 2 Cor 5:10).

Having said all that: Onward!

The Scripture Picker

From Part 1: Simply defined, American Pickers are people who profess to be Christians, but pick and choose which parts of orthodox (biblical) Christianity they believe. For example, they treat the bible like a smorgasbord, taking their fill of what they like and passing on what they don’t.

Scripture Pickers are not unlike the History Channel’s American Pickers, Mike and Frank. They root around in the bible until they find something that they adore, something that they can take hold of and make their own; something that doesn’t cost them too dearly.

Scripture Pickers also overlook the things in the bible that don’t interest them; things they think are ugly or broken or for which there is no value in today’s marketplace.

But the bible is not a collection of interesting debris inside an old barn; the bible is the inspired Word of God and every single word is valuable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. (2 Tim. 3:16)

Example 1:

Matthew 6: 9-13 is one of the two places in scripture where we find what we call The Lord’s Prayer. But can you tell me what comes right after these famous verses? (Mat 6:14-15) “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Whoa! Hold on just a minute! Does that say that if I don’t forgive other people, then God won’t forgive me? It sure would be a lot easier to just forget about those two verses and memorize The Lord’s Prayer, wouldn’t it?

This is an example of picking the things we like and passing on what we don’t because it is too costly to us personally.

Example 2:

Romans 8:28 is a verse that American Pickers love to quote, and I am foremost among them. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,” This is a wonderfully comforting verse, and all Christians should love it. But I wonder how many love the next two verses, (Rom. 8:29-30). For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”

Now just wait a minute – what’s all this about predestination and foreknowledge? I thought I was in control of my life and that I chose to believe in God… Not so, God chooses us!

This is an example of overlooking the things we think are broken, or outdated in the Bible. Usually we think this because we revere societal values more than biblical values.

If you know a Christian, or if you are a Christian who ignores difficult portions of scripture, or focuses only on the easy parts, what should you do?

First off, recognize the problem. It is a problem of unbelief in God’s word and His promises. The scripture was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3), and we either accept it or reject it in its entirety (Revelation 22:18-19). Take something away, and the Bible is no longer God’s complete and sufficient Word. Add something to it and it is now not wholly of God.

Secondly, and most importantly, confront the problem; confess your unbelief to God in prayer and ask His help in opening your eyes to the full majesty of God’s word. Pray that God would help you see that the Bible is overflowing with truth and grace. Without God, nothing you do will help your unbelief!

Finally, spend more time in the word. Seek out the portions of scripture you have trouble with and ask a trusted Christian mentor about them. Don’t feel bad about questioning God’s word, and don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. Chances are you’re not going to come up with an issue that hasn’t been addressed before. Don’t worry; God’s word can withstand your questions.

So what makes this such a danger to Christianity? Because Christians are encouraged to share their faith; and Christians who are unconvinced of the veracity and authority of scripture spread their weakened and muddled views to others. It’s like a contagious disease passing from one susceptible soul to another. A pastor with a low view of scripture is terribly dangerous because he becomes a Typhoid Mary, singlehandedly infecting scores or hundreds at a time.

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:17

Resources I have and use:

If you have another three and a half minutes. Dr. John Piper has a very relevant commentary on this subject.

Health Concerns

Dave Miller — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 02:19:36 +0000

Courtesy of the Sacred Sandwich.

Pray For It

Dave Miller — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:17:40 +0000

I’ve been working on an essay about the inerrancy of the bible, but need to post this real quick instead.

Christopher Hitchens, polemicist extraordinaire, has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He has canceled his current book tour and will begin chemotherapy immediately. Read more here.

Hitchens is a devout atheist and would most certainly request that nobody waste their time praying for him. Hundreds of thousands of Christians will ignore his preference and pray for his full recovery anyway.

I’m going to stop short of encouraging anyone to pray for Hitchens’ full recovery. I think we should be praying for God to break his pride and do whatever is necessary for Hitchens to repent and believe. (Matthew 5:44) His recovery or death matters much less than the disposition of his eternal soul. (Luke 12:20)

I think we should be praying for whatever will reveal God’s glory in the greatest way possible. (Philippians 2:10-11) If that means that Christopher Hitchens dies of cancer, pray for it. If that means that he recovers fully, pray for it. If it means that you or I die tomorrow, pray for it. Whatever is the will of God and will bring Him the greatest glory, pray for it.

Concerned With Many Things

Dave Miller — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:52:52 +0000

A very long time ago, when I worked for the Kent State University Museum, I saw a piece of artwork at the Canton Museum of Art. It was called, “Concerned With Many Issues.” I wanted to find a photo of it online to share with you, but had no success finding any reference to it. I’ll have to describe it instead.

It was a diorama about twelve inches square and nine inches high. It depicted a simply appointed living room with a chair, a carpet, a door, and a woman vacuuming. It was an ordinary scene with absolutely nothing remarkable about it. What made this piece of art so memorable to me was what was going on outside the room.

Outside was a fanciful array of men and monsters of all different colors, sizes and shapes. Their tentacles, arms, legs and eyes were all interwoven and they surrounded the room and the woman doing her chores. Inside was a scene of mundane toil; outside was total chaos.

UPDATE: Here is the work of art described above. Click for a larger version.

That piece of artwork depicted my life at the time. To the casual observer, I was an average guy working an average job living in an average house and driving an average car. My main worries were losing my job, losing my wife, losing my house, losing my car and my dwindling bank account.

Since saving faith was granted to me by God through Jesus, I really don’t worry much about my job or whether I will have enough food or clothing (Luke 12:29-31), nor even about having enough money. Strangely enough, I still identify with this piece of artwork and am still concerned with many things.

The monsters lurking outside my window today are my sins that I don’t want to do, but keep doing (Romans 7:15); my unsaved family (both those who claim to know Christ but produce no fruit and those who overtly deny Him); my friends at church who seem biblically illiterate and apathetic about the Gospel; people I work with who are trapped in a legalistic religion; and what, if anything, I can do to help bring these people to Christ.

For now I think I will pray about it (1 Peter 5:7), be still, and know that God reigns. (Psalm 46:10)

Discernment Q&A – Part I

Dave Miller — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:00:57 +0000

I’ve mentioned before how the attribute of discernment is sorely lacking among many Christians, and that reading the Bible is the best way to develop discernment skills. As is my habit, I’ll start this Q&A with an A.

A. Discernment is the most important skill that a Christian can have. Having it is partially a gift, but mostly the result of diligent work. Every Christian can and should develop sound biblical discernment skills.

Q. So what is discernment?

A. You know what wisdom is, right? Well, discernment is the heart of wisdom. It is simply good judgment and critical understanding derived from knowledge of the Bible. The Oxford dictionary says it is to “perceive clearly.” Our great-grandfathers might have called it “horse sense.” It is the wisdom and understanding that comes with experience.

In our secular lives, we develop social discernment skills through experience. At a fancy dinner party, belching out loud is rude and anyone who is discerning wouldn’t do it. At a ball game with your buddies however, it may be expected. This is a crude example of discernment, but it makes the point well enough.

At school, work, or home we know not to treat our teacher, boss or spouse with contempt. This also is discernment. To act otherwise would be ill advised and would result in painful repercussions.

In our Christian lives, twisting or ignoring the clear teaching of the Bible to fit our own desires is analogous to belching at a dinner party, sassing our teacher, ignoring the boss or disrespecting our spouse. It’s liable to get us thrown out or fired. The Christian equivalent is eternity outside the presence of God, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Q. Why is discernment so important?

A. 1 Kings 3: 9-10 tells us that Solomon’s request for “an understanding heart” to “discern between good and evil” was “pleasing in the sight of Lord”; so much so that God gave him “a wise and discerning heart” (1 Kings 3:12) as well as the “riches and honor” that he didn’t ask for (1 Kings 3:13). Discernment helps us to know the will of God and to glorify Him by making His will our will. This may not sound like a big deal, but consider the alternative; without discernment, we will live our lives outside of God’s will and will not bring Him glory. The alternative to Solomon’s blessing is a curse: God will be displeased with us if we willfully keep ourselves in ignorance and don’t develop the skills to discern good from evil.

As for why biblical discernment is important in our day, John MacArthur answers this question better than I ever could. Here is his startling conclusion:

All those who truly love Christ and care about the truth have a solemn duty to defend the truth by exposing and opposing these lies that masquerade as truth. If we fail in that duty because of indifference, apathy, or a craving for the approval of men, we are no less guilty than those who actively spread the lies. – John MacArthur

Q. How do you develop discernment skills?

A. The easy answer is, “Read the Bible and pray,” and any other answer more complicated than that just confuses the issue. But what is the best way to do this? Start out by reading the book of Proverbs. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs and 31 days in January. You can do this in just five to ten minutes each day. This will give you a solid foundation for increasing your bible knowledge and understanding. Then pray for wisdom and understanding to be given to you so that you can glorify God by rightly discerning His Holy Word.

I would also recommend a book called, “Now That’s A Good Question” by R.C. Sproul. It answers many difficult questions that both long-time and short-time believers will face.

Q. Once you have discernment, what can you do with it?

A. Discernment is like a good pocket knife; you have to carry it with you all the time. You have to learn how to use it efficiently and safely. Most importantly, you have to keep it sharp. Having biblical discernment enables you to judge between lies and the truth, or between truth and half-truths as is most prevalent.

Discernment will also allow you correctly judge the claims of people who say they know the Gospel when in fact; they may be distorting it or denying it altogether. The importance of this should be apparent.

Keeping your skills sharpened is done by staying in the Word – continuing to read the bible and listening to faithful teachers preach the Gospel.

Up next: How and when to use discernment, and some sample tests.

To Know the Will of God

Dave Miller — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:09:35 +0000

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:9

This is from the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. What a wonderful thing to pray for. I can’t think of anything I could hope for in this life more than what is contained in this verse – to know God’s will. That is my prayer for you, dear one; that you may know God’s will.

That may seem like a strange thing to hope for. Usually, people hope to be happy, healthy, successful, or even rich and famous. I’ve met many rich people in my life and I’m not very impressed with them as a group. I’ve met a few famous people in my life too and they’re not any different than the rest of us.

If you are able to know the will of God and to do what you know God wants you to do, you will have the true riches of wisdom and understanding. You will live your life fearlessly and with strength. Monetary riches don’t last and fame really doesn’t matter or last. If you know the will of God, you’ll be guaranteed to be content in all circumstances.

Read your Bible to get to know the will of God. Start with the first chapter of Colossians if you want. Give thanks to God and be content.

On a Dark and Stormy Night

Dave Miller — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:37:03 +0000

It was the night of July 5, 2003 as I walked to my tent at 11:30 p.m. I was on vacation with my family. The kids were both asleep in the old farmhouse with my wife, but since I have allergies to dust, I chose to sleep in a tent in the yard. We had just come in from the lake after watching the fireworks that the local fire department sets off every year from an island on Seneca Lake. I could still hear the sounds of firecrackers that the neighbors were lighting.

I had no difficulty falling asleep, in spite of the noise from the neighbors. The sound of thunder in the distance didn’t bother me either. The weather had been perfect all weekend, despite the prognostications of a few pessimistic weathermen, so I expected the storms to pass over yet again. I was wrong.

I woke to an incredibly loud clap of thunder, which was followed by an impossibly bright flash of light, and another crashing sound. The rain was pelting my tent, and was blowing in through the screens. I zipped the windows shut and settled back into bed. The noise of the rain didn’t bother me, and the storm seemed to be moving away. I figured the worst was over. Again, I was wrong.

Within minutes, the intensity of the storm doubled. There was an almost constant flashing of lightning, and the sound of the thunder melded into a single rolling rumble, accentuated at times with loud explosions as lightning struck nearby. That’s when I felt the first drop.

Several others followed it. The wind had picked up and was now blowing the rain up under the fly of my tent and in through the roof screens, and there was no closing them.

My allergies didn’t seem so important at this point and I decided that I had to make a run for the house, about 60 yards away, and the storm was still getting worse. I was, for the first time, starting to get scared. I tried to avoid the waterfall coming in the top of my tent as I put on a pair of shorts in the corner of the tent. It didn’t matter; I still managed to get a splash of cold water on my face as I put on my shoes. If I wasn’t completely awake before, I was now.

I decided to wait for a lull in the storm to make my run. It wasn’t abating, though, so I decided to just run for it NOW! I took the time to say a quick prayer. I think it was something like, “God help me.”

I unzipped the door to the tent and exited. By the time I re-zipped the door, I was soaked to the skin. I looked toward the light near the front door of the house and started running. I stopped to catch my breath for about ten seconds at a pavilion, which was at the halfway point between my tent and the house.

As I set back out into the storm, a bolt of lightning struck just behind the house. It lit the entire yard in an eerie way that made me think that I wasn’t going to make it. It was almost a surreal experience seeing lightning strike so close. For a fraction of a second it was actually brighter than daylight. I knew then that my fate was in God’s hands. Nonetheless, I kept running.

As I neared the front door of the cabin, I switched my bag from my right hand to my left so I could use my stronger hand to open the door. As I stepped onto the concrete pad in front of the door, though, I got a surprise.

The door opened in front of me. My mother was there holding it open so I could dash in. My wife was waiting there also with a towel for me to dry off. I thanked them both and asked why they were both downstairs in the middle of the night. “We were waiting for you, ” my mom said, “We knew that eventually you had to come in. I’m surprised you stayed out there as long as you did.” It was three o’clock in the morning.

I went to the bathroom, toweled off and changed into some dry clothes. The storm was finally abating outside as I climbed the stairs and got into the nice dry bed that my wife had made for me as I was changing. Before I fell asleep, I took time to thank God for the women in my life who had given me comfort when I needed it. I realized as I was praying that what I had just experienced was a metaphor for heaven.

When life’s storms become too much to bear, God calls us home. When we get home, there will be loved ones there to hold the door for us, God will wipe the tears of the world from our eyes, and Jesus will lead us to a warm and safe place of rest that He has prepared.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Revelation 21:4 NIV

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. John 14:2 NIV

Fatima Fraud

Dave Miller — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:59:22 +0000

This morning, a Christian friend of mine at work brought in some mail he received. It was not sent to him by name, but to his address. It was from the Fatima Center in Constable, New York. There was a copy of the Fatima Crusader magazine, a two-page letter and a donation card. The donation card is reproduced below. Please take a moment to read it.

The first thing I noticed on the card is the headline, “Life has only one purpose: SALVATION.” Assuming this is true, I expected to find out how I can get this salvation. I read the entire card, and the name of Jesus does not appear anywhere. Hmm… Maybe on the back.

Nope. Jesus isn’t on the back either. But there is an image (graven?) of a woman in a robe with the inscription, “Only I Can Help You.” I honestly can’t bring myself to open the magazine and read it. As I write this, it sits folded on my desk.

It is so hard to know where to begin with this mailing. I hesitate to call it satanic, but it certainly isn’t from God and it certainly isn’t Biblical, so my descriptive options are quite limited. (Isn’t everything either Godly or satanic?) I decided to start with prayer for my Roman Catholic friends and family who are misled by things like this.

Holy Father in heaven, I pray in the name of your Son, my savior, Jesus that you would bring the people who receive this mailing out of their blindness and into the light of your truth. Please send your Holy Spirit to my friends and family who follow the pope, to those who receive this mailing and to me also. Turn us from all unfaithfulness and selfishness. Put in us a new heart that seeks to glorify you, O Lord, and you alone. Take away all our love for idols, our love for false prophets and our love of diversions that focus our attention on something other than you. And thank you for making your grace free to all who repent and believe. Amen.

There is so much wrong with this card that I’m only going to address the two lines I mentioned previously for the sake of time and space.

The headline on the front reads, “Life has only one purpose: SALVATION” When I first read it, I thought that it was the only truth in the packet, but even that part isn’t true. Our only purpose in life is to glorify God and to begin our eternal enjoyment of Him. (See the Westminster Shorter Catechism for more) The desire for personal salvation in and of itself can be selfish unless, by doing it, we desire to bring glory to God. Remember, God created us for His pleasure and He saves us for His glory. (Ephesians 1:4-5 NKJV ).

As far as the “Only I Can Help You” inscription and the image of Mary; that is simply blasphemous. It is beyond my understanding how someone who calls himself a Christian can attribute those words to Jesus’ earthly mother. Mary herself expressed her own need for a savior in the Magnificat. “My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46-47 KJV). How, then, can it be that she would say that she alone (not the Father, Son or Holy Spirit) can save?

I mostly feel pity for the misled people who believe this un-biblical fairy-tale, but I also get angry at the deceivers who send this out. They are charlatans and false teachers. Wolves in sheep’s clothing.

If you love somebody who is a follower of the Roman church, please join me in praying for them.