B2B Concert of Prayer – Destroyed Foundations #856

Posted on July 14, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 856

“Destroyed Foundations”

…if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:1-3

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mourning doveA mourning dove built a nest in the upper steel racking where I work. The danger to her was very real as I stocked bulky product not more than two feet away from the nest. Yet she remained on her nest willing to die to protect her unborn chicks. God imbued the mourning dove with a sense to preserve the foundation of their species by selflessly protecting their young. What happened to us who are created in the image of God? Between 1973 and 2008 we systematically destroyed 50 million of our unborn children by our own hand and the carnage continues to this day as we legally destroy foundations of our future society.

The foundations of our nation are not rotting and crumbling from neglect, they are being intentionally targeted for destruction. Our public schools used to be safe and our children did not have to fear for their lives in school. But then again, prayer was not banned in our schools then as it is today.

It was not too long ago our national Pledge of Allegiance could be recited without censoring the words ‘under God’. It was not too long ago that we could pray in public places and the name of God and the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ could be spoken without persecution or censorship. Now His Name is allowed in public only when blasphemed.

In the not too distant memory, marriage was without question an arrangement between one man and one woman. This definition has been broadened and laws against public immorality are being repealed. The foundations of morality as defined in God’s Word are being removed from our nation. All that God’s Word describes as an abomination before Him is being embraced by our increasingly secular humanistic society.

How do we, as followers of Jesus, process right and wrong in a world that tells us there are no absolutes? How do we proclaim the need for eternal salvation through Jesus when what was once deemed to be sin and wrong is legislated as normal and right? Far too many Christians simply give up and go with the easy flow of a crumbling society. They complain about the change, but do nothing to correct the course of it.

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The righteous can pray. The righteous can seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and lead others to Him by example. The righteous can become active in their spiritual giftedness and lift the light of the Lord high in this dark world. The righteous can work to rebuild the crumbled foundations with the sword of the Spirit in one hand and the tools of their trade in the other. The righteous can be active and not passive in their faith, government, schools and workplaces. The righteous can say as Joshua did, ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’ (Joshua 24:15) and then live and act accordingly.

May the Holy Spirit empower you to be a foundation rebuilder in His Name and to the glory of God our Father.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Up to the Task #855

Posted on July 7, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 855

“Up to the Task”

…His God instructs him and teaches him the right way… (Isaiah 28:24-29)

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Failure or success concept.Have you ever noticed how professional sports players and teams seem to go through dry spells where they can’t seem to score or win a game no matter how hard they try? A prolonged slump is a difficult thing to break out of because the players have begun to lose confidence in themselves and their abilities.

How about you? Have you ever doubted your skills and abilities? Have you ever questioned whether or not you are up to a particular task? Perhaps you have a challenging new assignment at work that is causing you to doubt your chances of success. It could be that you and your spouse are expecting your first child and you wonder if you are up to the task of being a good parent. Maybe your pastor has asked you to take on a leadership role in the church and you are about to decline because of doubt in your abilities. It could be that you find yourself in a creative slump in your everyday work and you are wondering if you have lost your touch.

“See, I have called…and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship…And I have appointed…And I have given to all able men ability… (Exodus 31:2-6)

Listen to what God’s Word says: It is He that chooses, fills, appoints, and gives skills and knowledge. Whatever abilities and successes you have had in the past came from Him and not on your own merit. If you are doubting or fretting if you are up to the task at hand now it is because you have taken your eyes off of Him and are wrongly focused on yourself.

The solution is obvious. Seek Him first. Focus your eyes on Jesus and sincerely seek to glorify Him by all that you do. Offer it all up to Him and He will empower you from on high with the knowledge and skills that you need. Remember that whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men and you will find that you are up to the task. (Colossians 3:23-24)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – At His Word #854

Posted on June 30, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 854

“At His Word”

Matthew 16:1  …they asked him to show them a sign from heaven…

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thus-saith-the-lord1My Dad was of a generation where a man’s integrity was as good as his word. Business was often transacted on a handshake and I recall how painfully difficult it was for him when people he trusted reneged on their word.

Jesus was a man of His Word yet people continually sought more signs and miracles to substantiate what He said. Some even scornfully laughed at Him because of His statements. And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. (Matthew 9:23-24)

Jesus said He would rise again after three days. Thomas refused to believe what Jesus said or even the testimony of the other disciples who had seen the resurrected Christ unless he saw Jesus for himself. Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

Jesus marveled at the faith of the Centurion who came to ask Him to heal his servant. (Matthew 8:5-13) The Centurion took Jesus at His Word saying “…only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (v 8) The servant was healed at the very moment that Jesus spoke “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.”(v 13)

Trusting someone enough to take them at their word in today’s society is a rare if not foolish entity. Sadly, I see many elderly of my Dad’s generation taken advantage of by unscrupulous salesman and tradesman who engender trust with smooth talk but fail to deliver on what they were paid to do. ‘Once burned, twice shy’ the saying goes and most of us can attest to the fact that we tend to distrust most of what we read and hear. However, we must be careful not to carry our distrust into all our relationship areas especially our relationship with God.

God said He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) He tells us that He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. (Jeremiah 29:11) God says He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and that He will always provide a way out. (1 Corinthians 10:13) He says that He loves us and has provided a free gift of eternal salvation for all who will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. (John 3:16 and Romans 10:9)

Can you take Jesus at His Word? Sometimes our trials and difficult circumstances seem to go on and on and we begin to seek a sign that God has heard our prayers and that His promises are true for us also. This is the crucible where our faith is tested and proven. This is where we learn to wait upon the Lord in the knowledge that our impatience is not an indicator of God’s slowness. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness… (2 Peter 3:9)

May you rest secure in the knowledge of the rock solid Truth of God’s Word to you as recorded in the Holy Scriptures. May you have the blessed assurance and peace that comes from taking Jesus at His Word.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Relying on God – Ears to Hear #853

Posted on June 24, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 853

“Relying on God – Ears to Hear”

Ezek 12:1-2 (NIV)  …They have…ears to hear but do not hear…

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ears to hearA man who had fallen off a cliff was hanging onto a branch just below the precipice crying out: ‘Somebody help! Is anybody up there? Help me!’ Suddenly a voice from heaven spoke and said, ‘I am God and I have heard your cry for help. Let go of the branch and I will rescue you.’ The man, although tired and weary with his grip weakening, contemplated this command to let go and after looking down at the cavern below him cried out again: ‘Is anybody else up there?’

For us to rely on God fully we need to remain close to Him, rejecting the false security of material possessions and resisting the temptation to solve matters through our own worldly alliances. We also need to have a personal relationship with Jesus and not rely on a proxy relationship through others or through religious institutions.

Another reason why many Christian believers have difficulty relying on God when the trials of life sweep in like a flood is illustrated by our opening allegorical story. Many of us have a tendency toward preconceived notions about how God will work through a particular situation. Sometimes God directs us to do things that seem counterintuitive to our logical way of thinking so we put God ‘in a box’ with parameters and boundaries of our own design. These preconceptions give us deaf ears when God speaks to us. Like the man hanging from the cliff, we cannot take God at His Word and seek another answer instead–one that more closely aligns with our pre-established paradigm.

Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd. If we remain close to Him we will hear and recognize His voice and trust in Him. We must always be careful of the tendency to tell God how He is to work. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…and they will listen to my voice. (John 10:14-16)

As Job aptly stated, God does speak and He speaks to preserve your soul and your life. (Job 33:14-18 NIV) May the Lord give you a discerning and an obedient heart that will allow you to hear clearly from Him and to rely on Him totally.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Relying on God – Training Wheels #852

Posted on June 16, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 852

“Relying on God – Training Wheels”

1 Corinthians 3:1-7 (NIV)  …Indeed…You are still worldly…For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?  What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe…

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Lose the training wheelsI like chocolate.  I felt nauseated however after three bites of that ‘death by chocolate’ cake.  Have you ever had too much of a good thing?  God wants us to rely on Him completely and sometimes too much of a good thing can actually get in the way of our relying on Him.  We have to always be on guard against the deceitfulness of wealth and worldly alliances which, although good things, can become false idols that hinder our walk with God.

Another good thing that can become a hindrance to our full reliance upon God is our relationship with Godly men or women who are spiritual mentors to us. The Lord brings people into our lives to disciple us and teach us when we first accept Him as our Lord and Savior. It is almost like learning to ride a bicycle with training wheels or with someone running alongside holding the back of the seat.  This is a good thing as long as we learn and develop the ability to keep our balance without relying upon the training wheels or others to hold us up.

Spiritual mentors can be a family member, coworker, Pastor or even someone you have never met such as a preacher with a television or radio ministry.  Notice how Elijah had to be removed for Elisha to rise to the full potential that God had called Him to.  …suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind…And Elisha saw him no more. (2 Kings 2:11-12 NIV)

Likewise Moses had to die before Joshua would come to fully rely on God as he led the Israelite nation into the Promised Land.  …the LORD said to Joshua…: “Moses my servant is dead…As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.  “Be strong and courageous… (Joshua 1:1-6 NIV)

From our reference Scripture we see how Paul admonished the church in Corinth because they were placing emphasis on following one anointed man of God over another.  God is your personal God.  Jesus is your personal Savior.  The Holy Spirit is given to all that come to Christ seeking to walk in His power and strength.  Our parents cannot have faith for us.  Our spouse cannot represent us before God.  Your pastor or the evangelist you like to listen to cannot fulfill your calling for you.  Only you can walk the path that the Lord has purposed for you.  Far too many Christians shy away from their call of God to serve because they feel inadequate.  Good!  It is in our inadequacy and in our weakness that God is glorified as His power and strength are manifested.

It is good to study God’s Word with our spiritual mentors.  There will however come a time when the Lord calls you to take the training wheels off.  Just as we were able to continue to ride our bicycle relying on God’s natural laws of physics so will we be able to serve Him, relying on His Spiritual power and gifts.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Relying on God – Unholy Alliances #851

Posted on June 9, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 851

“Relying on God – Unholy Alliances”

2 Chr 20:35-37 (NIV)  Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who was guilty of wickedness.  He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships. After these were built… Eliezer… prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made.”  The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.

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allianceGod wants us to rely on Him first.  His desire is that we lean on, trust, and depend on Him.  When we let our hearts grow cold and indifferent toward our relationship with God we distance ourselves from Him and are unable to lean upon Him.  Our misplaced trust in the material wealth of this world acts to further distance ourselves from God.  Yet another threat to our ability to continually rely on God comes from our forming and choosing to rely on worldly alliances first.

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter.   As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. – 1 Ki 3:1; 11:4 (NIV)

Throughout the history of mankind, alliances have been formed in order to manipulate circumstances and to achieve an advantage over others.  In today’s Scriptures we see Jehoshaphat and Solomon, two faithful men of God, make serious strategic and tactical errors in forming alliances with the pagan nations that were enemies of God.  In our stubborn desire to maintain control of our circumstances we sometimes resort to almost anything rather than rely on God first.

Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge. – Isa 30:1-2 (NIV)”

What about you and me today?  What alliances have we made that God would not approve of?  Where and from whom have we sought help instead of seeking God first?  Have we entered into a business partnership that is on the shady side of truth and integrity?  Do we seek financial gain and security as investors in funds that derive a profit from ‘sin’ industries?  Are we unequally yoked in our personal relationships, our circle of friends and acquaintances?  The Scripture is as true today as it was when it was first written:

“Bad company ruins good morals.” — 1Cor 15:33

God is calling us to ally with Him first and foremost.  He wants us to be abandoned to Him and to rely on and trust in Him totally and completely.  May you learn to let the Holy Spirit guide you into holy alliances that God would have you enter into and avoid stepping out on your own.  May you have the strength of faith and resolve to break the yoke of any unholy alliances you may have already made and are now trusting in.  May you continually rely on God first to provide and guide you through all your circumstances.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Relying on God – Two Masters #850

Posted on June 2, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 850

“Relying on God – Two Masters”

LUKE 16:11-13 (ESV)  If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? …No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

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mone-in-the-eyeTo rely means to lean upon.  The visual imagery is clear–you cannot lean against something that you are distant from.  In order to rely on God, we must remain close to Him.  To remain near Him we must guard our hearts from the things of this world that would separate us from fellowship with God.

The ones that fell among the thorn bushes are the people who listen, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, wealth, and pleasures of life, and their fruit doesn’t mature. – Luke 8:14 (ISV)

There is a danger of relying on worldly riches as a substitute for our reliance upon God.  This is idolatry.  The Old Testament records how Asa used his wealth and the gold and silver from the temple to buy a treaty with his enemy.  He relied first on his worldly wealth instead of God and he was admonished for it by God through His prophet. (2 Chr 16:1-9)

Jesus taught his disciples saying how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  This is not because worldly wealth is evil.  It is difficult because we, like Asa, begin to rely on the power that wealth can purchase and rely less and less on God, who is the source of real power for living.  This reliance on riches causes us to become more distant from God where we become spiritually weakened and easy prey for the enemy.

Worldly possessions are addictive to our flesh and the indiscriminate use of credit to give the illusion of wealth places us in bondage.  Our possessions become our master as we work to service an ever-increasing debt load.  The truth of God’s Word is that we cannot serve two masters.  If we are not careful in our attitude toward worldly wealth, the master of materialism will take over our lives to the exclusion of a close relationship with God.

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. – Proverbs 22:7

Material wealth and possessions are also fickle and fleeting.  They can disappear overnight leaving us high and dry and spiritually bankrupt.  Only Jesus Christ is our ever-present Rock upon which to stand.  The Holy Spirit is the only true, never-ending power source upon which we should rely.

Our intense desire–our heart attitude, must be to remain close to Jesus and to rely on Him at all times.  We must be totally abandoned to Him and not rely on any substitutes such as the false idol of material wealth.  Pray that your heart’s desire be for the Lord and for the Holy Spirit to show you the idols and sin in your life that have come between you and a close walk with your Father in heaven.  Cast aside all that hinders your relationship with Christ and His promise is that when you draw near to Him He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Relying on God – Closeness #849

Posted on May 27, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 849

“Relying on God – Closeness”

2 Chronicles 13:1-18 (ESV)  …Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.  Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men.  And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors.  Then Abijah stood up …and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! …you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord …because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. …But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. …For we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken him.  Behold, God is with us at our head …do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.”…And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them.  And they cried to the Lord …And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.  The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand.  …Thus …the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers.

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closeAbijah and the fighting men of Judah were outnumbered two to one but they stood firm, confident in the Lord.  Abijah stood on the mountain and acknowledged that he was faced with a vast army.  The sheer overwhelming numbers failed to discourage him for he was encouraged by the fact that the Lord was their God and that they had not forsaken Him.  In faith Abijah gave God the glory for the battle victory even before it had begun.

What was the basis for such confidence?  They had not forsaken God and remained obedient to Him.  God was their Lord and their leader.  Abijah and all of Judah knew the closeness of God which gave them faith in relying on Him in spite of the odds against them.

Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. – Psalm 27:3

We too, can have this same confidence that Jesus will deliver us through all the trials that face us.  However, we cannot rely or lean on Him when we have wandered far from Him.  Do you feel outnumbered by the problems and challenges that you are facing?  Do you gain ground in one area only to encounter multiple new challenges?  Do you feel off balance, struggling to gain a firm stance?  Do you feel confidently close to God or fearfully distanced from Him?

You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” – Psalm 27:8

The Lord is not a magic genie in a bottle that we can summon when we need and store away in the good times.  We cannot have it both ways.  We cannot have the ‘golden calf idols’ of this world and a close walk with Jesus at the same time.  God’s Word calls out to us even today, ‘Choose you this day whom you will serve’.  If we are to rely on Him we are to choose obedience to Him and let Jesus be the Lord of our life, our leader.  Deliberately destroy the idols in your life – all the stuff of this world that you know distances you from closeness with Jesus.  Seek His face continually and rely on Him in confidence and in His power, strength, and peace.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. – James 4:8

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Really? #848

Posted on May 19, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 848

“Really?”

Acts 28:1-6 (NIV)  …Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.  When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”  But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects…

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danger-stuff-happens-here1Have you ever had a ‘really?‘ moment?  A really moment is when circumstances take unpleasant and unexpected twists and turns leaving you with an incredulous expression on your face and all you can say or think is “really?”

In our reference Scripture, Paul had just survived a shipwreck only to be bitten by a viper when he gathered wood for a fire.  I can imagine Paul shaking off the viper and muttering to himself, “really?”.  The Bible documents the really moments of Job, David, and Joseph to mention a few.  These were all men of great faith who were bombarded with the unpleasant stuff of life.

The natives of Malta thought that Paul was a bad person because of the viper bite.  When bad things happen to bad people we say that they got what they deserved.  When bad things happen to what we perceive to be good people we wonder if they weren’t such good people after all.  Our judgments of who is good or bad coupled with our expectation that only good will come our way because we are Christians is not scripturally sound reasoning.

Jesus taught that no one is good except God.  The truth of God’s Word is that there is only one righteous standard and that is Jesus Christ.  All of our ‘goodness’ apart from Jesus is like filthy rags in God’s sight.  Yet God will call us saints if our righteousness comes through faith in Jesus.  Bad happens to the Christian and non-Christian alike. We live in a fallen, sinful world.  This is not Heaven, nor can we make it so.  Intellectually we understand that, yet many people question the love of God when tragic events happen to them or others.  When we view ourselves as good people we have a tendency to believe that we are entitled to only good.  We then begin to wrongly relate to God as an eternal blessing machine giving rise to expressing ‘really?’ as a pseudo prayer when stuff happens that we do not like.

God is our sovereign Lord.  He is the creator of all things.  The planets spin in orbit because He wills it.  Our very next breath or heartbeat happens because He allows it.  Trials will befall the believer and unbeliever alike.  Joni Eareckson Tada had a diving accident in 1967 which left her a quadriplegic in a wheelchair.  She had a choice to make when a bad thing happened to her and Mrs. Tada now has a worldwide ministry whose mission is to communicate the Gospel and to evangelize and disciple people affected by disabilities.  We too have similar choices.  We can choose to deal with difficult challenges alone or in the power and strength that comes from trusting in God and in His Love for us.  The choice is ours and God can work all the stuff that happens for our good and for His glory.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Fatalistic Christians #847

Posted on May 12, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 847

“Fatalistic Christians”

Luke 18:1-8 (ESV) And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.  He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.  And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’  For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘…because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.  And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?  Will he delay long over them?  I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily…”

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whateverOne of my pet peeves is the conversation ending word ‘whatever’.  People use ‘whatever’ to express apathy.  They use it to end a debate when they realize the error of their point of view. This tendency to give up can lead to a fatalistic, ‘laissez-faire’ attitude in our dealings with children, spouses, employers, and government.  This approach is spiritually destructive when it is carried into our relationship with God.  Sometimes God seems slow to answer prayer no matter how much we have sought Him on the matter.  The temptation of our flesh is to give up and say ‘whatever’ and stop praying about it.  Jesus knew our tendency to give up which is why He taught the parable of the persistent widow.  A good example to take note of is Abraham’s interaction with the pre-incarnate Christ regarding Sodom and Gomorrah: So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.  Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? – Genesis 18:22

God’s sovereign will was to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and He did just that.  If Abraham had just said ‘whatever’ when God told him what He was about to do, God would have most likely still spared Lot and his family.  The point is that through the repeated intercessory interaction between Abraham and Jesus, Abraham’s relationship and faith were strengthened.  We see this principle again when God told Hezekiah that he was about to die.  Hezekiah repented and prayed and God gave him fifteen more years.  God’s sovereign will was still accomplished and Hezekiah’s relationship with Him was strengthened through it as is ours who read about it today.

God is sovereign.  “You are the Lord, you alone.  You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; – Nehemiah 9:6  God is in control.  In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will… – Ephesians 1:11

God’s sovereignty and control is never an excuse for us to adopt a fatalistic, whatever attitude which gives rise to apathy and inaction.  Fatalistic Christians don’t bother to vote or get involved and petition their government.  They do not share the Gospel with the lost and they give up on persisting in prayer when God does not answer right away or in their preconceived manner.  A proper Biblical understanding of God’s sovereignty and control should spur us into action and prayer.  God is the opposite of the unrighteous judge in Jesus’ parable.  He desires a close relationship with His children and in His steadfast love He works all things for our good.  Never cease to approach Him as His children confident in His love, goodness, and mercy.

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