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Advent: Jesus Came to Give Us Life

A few years ago a U.S. company sold a toy product they called the “Invisible Jim” action figure. It was called that because all the purchaser got was packaging. There was nothing inside the box! “Lack of darting eyes” and “realistic fake hair,” “as not seen on TV,” and “camouflage suit sold separately” were some of the boasts made on the package. The company said they received no complaints about the empty boxes.

For some people life feels like a gag gift: emptiness wrapped up in disappointment. Charlie Brown, in a famous “Peanuts” cartoon said, “Yesterday, for one brief moment I was happy. But just when I thought I was winning in the game of life, there was flag thrown on the play and life dealt me a blow.”

There is good news for those for whom the Christmas season is less than joyful. Good news for the disappointed, for the frustrated, for the lonely, for those whose lives feel empty. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

This is one of the “I have come” statements of Jesus. He tells us why he came to earth from heaven. When the Lord Jesus says he came to offer us real life “to the full,” he means life as it was meant to be, eternal life.

Candidly, Jesus is not promising a long life here on earth. Some people’s lives are cut short by tragedy or illness. He is not promising a life free of problems or pain. John 10:10 is not an expression of pious sentimentality.

Jesus is telling us that he came to give us a life that overflows. The life he gives is always more then we think it is. I wonder if he had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face when he said this. He wants us to have life, real life, and he is the one to give it to us.

His words are echoed in two passages in Paul’s letters. The apostle wrote, “I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of Christ.” Then Paul goes on to affirm that Jesus is able “to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:17-21).

This is a description of a life that overflows. It is beyond comprehension. It opens a door to the promised glories of heaven. It is possible because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Paul uses a similar vocabulary in a second text. “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. . . . But where sin increased, grace increased all the more (Romans 5:19-20). “Grace abounded,” it says. It is an “abundant provision of God’s grace.” Grace increased all the more” (Romans 5:15, 17, 20). God’s grace has overflowed to us in Jesus Christ.

This super-abundance of grace means that life overcomes death, grace overcomes guilt, righteousness overcomes condemnation, and God’s free gift overcomes our debt and obligation. The life that Jesus gives is always more than we could ask or imagine.

This ever-increasing surplus of life is his own life in us. You may have seen a plaque on a wall that says, “Only one life, / T’will soon be past. / Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Ray Stedman said it may be better to say, “Only what Christ does in me will last.”

Imagine a father going into a toy store to buy his child a Christmas present. He sees a new educational toy. It comes unassembled. No matter how the child tries to put the pieces together, it won’t fit. The toy is designed to teach the child how to deal with the frustrations of life. This illustrates the human predicament. A life without Christ is incomplete, a life of futility. It is what Carl Jung described as “a neurosis of emptiness.”

A famous NFL star was interviewed on ESPN. He had just signed a 60 million dollar contract. He was quoted as saying, “I don’t sleep any better at night. Three Super Bowl rings and I still think there must be something greater for me. There’s gotta be more than this. What’s the answer? I wish I knew!”

An interviewer asked shoppers at a California mall, “What are you celebrating this Christmas?” One person answered, “I’m not celebrating anything. I’m just trying to survive.” There is a better way. Jesus came for such people. He came to die for such people. He gave his life to give us life, a life that overflows with God’s grace.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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Advent: Jesus Came to Give Us Light

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46). 

We are approaching the season when the nights are the longest and the days are the shortest, the winter Solstice. It is the time when the sun is at its lowest point in its apparent path across the sky. In pre-Christian cultures of the Northern Hemisphere, it was the time for festivals of light, when ancient peoples lived in spiritual fear and sought for ways to drive away the darkness.

Some of these pagan Solstice traditions were later incorporated into celebrations of Christmas: traditions such as Yule logs, feasting, evergreens, and the giving and exchanging of gifts. Christmas lights are also a charming and beautiful way to brighten the atmosphere when the dark nights are long.

In thinking about why Jesus came, it is important to remember the theme of light. The gospel of John refers to this several times. Jesus is the light of the world. The general theme of darkness contrasted with light is mentioned repeatedly in John. Jesus describes himself as the light of God who brightens the way to eternal life.

I read about a cave explorer who got separated from his fellow cave crawlers. To make matters worse, he accidently dropped his light, losing it in a pool of water. He was suddenly enveloped in total darkness. Panic set in when he could not find his way out of the maze of rock and mud. He was helpless without light. He lost his sense of direction so he forced himself to sit still and await the return of his team. After what seemed like hours they returned and found him.

Just as light is the most important single tool for a cave explorer, so the light of God in Jesus Christ is our only way to escape spiritual darkness. Jesus said he was sent to our dark world as light. He reveals God to us. He said that to believe in him is to believe in God and to see him is to see God (John 12:44-45). We do not have to wonder or speculate about what God is like. When we look upon Jesus, we see God revealed. We can see the way to God and eternal life.

He said, “I am the light of the world. whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). He said, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46). He said, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light” (John 12:35-36).

When you display Christmas lights on your house and hang them on the Christmas tree, when you light Advent candles, and observe a candlelight Christmas eve service, think of our Lord Jesus who said he had come as the light of the world.

Think of his words to us, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”(Matthew 5:16). In England long ago, lighted lanterns were hung in church steeples at night, and others in the front of houses. The watchman going on his rounds would call out as darkness approached, “Hang out your lights!” This is the call of Christ to his disciples in this Advent season: let my light shine through you!

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

 

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Advent: Jesus Came to Save the Lost

I read the story of a pastor who went through a terrible moral failure. He wondered if he could ever be forgiven and restored. When feelings of shame and humiliation were at their peak, he went to worship, desperately seeking hope. He said he did not go to church then as a pastor or as a church leader. “I just went as someone sitting in the pew. I wanted someone who would assure me that there was a tomorrow, that there was grace available, that somehow I could regain my footing, and that one day I’d be a new person again.” He thought no one should ever have to leave a church worship service without hope for a new beginning.

This season of the year reminds us of the possibility of hope. Advent is the annual celebration of the coming of Jesus. We have the testimony from Jesus’ own lips about why he came into the world: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). That is the offer of hope for a new beginning. Permit me to highlight three words: “lost,” “seek,” and “save.”

Lost

Our Lord said this about a man named Zacchaeus who was wealthy and politically connected. But something was missing in his life that riches and power could not provide. He was spiritually needy and he knew it. He wanted hope for a new beginning.

That is why he wanted to see Jesus. He was curious, so curious that he set aside pretentions of dignity and climbed a tree to get a better look. His name, Zacchaeus, means “righteous one,” but he was anything but righteous. He was a tax collector who was ripping off his own people on behalf of the Roman government.

The New Testament uses the word “lost” to convey a warning, that God sees people in their natural state as spiritually ruined and separated from him by sin. This is true of unenlightened pagans living in the darkness of idolatry. It is also true of sophisticated, well-educated, well-to-do moderns who have never humbled themselves before their Creator. Was Zacchaeus starting to feel the spiritual desolation of being lost?

One of the traditional scripture readings for the second Sunday in Advent is 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish (be lost), but everyone to come to repentance.”

Seek

This represents our Lord’s activity to solve the greatest human problem. He sought Zacchaeus and he seeks people today. Luke 19:1-9 tells the story of how Jesus sought Zacchaeus. He looked at where he was, up in the tree. He spoke to him. He called him by name. He invited himself into Zacchaeus’ life. Jesus took the initiative in the relationship. He sought him urgently: “I must stay at your house today” (v. 5).

Zacchaeus responded by welcoming Jesus into his home. I think this means that he also was opening his heart to Jesus.

Do I need to remind you that just as Jesus saw and spoke to Zacchaeus, he sees you, knows you, and speaks to you through his word? He wants you to open your heart to him too. He offers you hope and a new beginning with him.

Save

Jesus said on this occasion, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham” (v. 9). Abraham is always remembered for his exemplary faith. Jesus was saying that like Abraham, Zacchaeus had saving faith.

R.C. Sproul wrote, “Zacchaeus told Jesus he was going to give one half of his goods to the poor and repay anyone he had cheated fourfold. Here we have a bold and dramatic confession of sin, act of repentance, and confession of faith.”

Zacchaeus did not receive salvation because he did this good deed. He did the good deed because he wanted to give evidence of having salvation. Restitution was the right thing to do.

Jesus said the reason he came was to seek and to save the lost. To be saved it is necessary to admit that you are lost without him, that your sins have come between you and God. Jesus died on the cross to take away your sins. He asks you to believe on him and receive the gift of salvation.

What better time than now? What better day than today? There is hope for a new beginning.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

 

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Advent: Jesus Came to Fulfill the Law

In my neighborhood, people have been decorating their yards with light-up reindeer, Santas and snowmen, and even life-size inflatables of Mr. Grinch and characters from Who-ville! Of course none of this has anything to do with Jesus and his birth. I cannot help but wonder how many of these families will talk about who Jesus is and why he came.

That is the meaning of Advent. This is a season of hope and anticipation. Advent is observed by Christians all over the world. Jesus has come! The one who was promised has come! And he will come again! Advent reminds us of the prophetic fulfillment of Jesus’ coming. It tells us why he came.

I have been thinking about the many references in the New Testament that say why Jesus came to earth. He came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). He came in his Father’s name ( John 5:43). He came so that the blind could see (John 9:39). He came that we might have abundant life (John 10:10).

Jesus’ sermon on the mount gives us another reason why he came. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus’ religious opponents believed that he meant to do away with the law of Moses because he refused to adhere to their interpretations. He associated with people they considered “sinners.” He did not quote the theological writings of the rabbinical scholars of the day. They thought he was tearing down the law.

“No,” Jesus said, “I have come to fulfill the Law!” What did he mean? How did Jesus fulfill God’s law?

“Law and Prophets” in this context may be understood as a comprehensive term for the entire Old Testament. Jesus saw the entire Hebrew Bible as pointing to his coming. In the words of D.A. Carson, he is “its sole authoritative interpreter, the one through whom the Old Testament finds its valid continuity and significance.”

Clearly, Jesus believed in the divine inspiration of the Bible. He loved and respected the scriptures (v. 18). He quoted from the Old Testament 64 times, its doctrinal, ethical, and historical teachings. To him, the scriptures were never invalid or irrelevant. He gave the proper interpretation of the intention and purpose of God’s law (vv. 21-22).

The Bible is the word of God and Jesus is the living personification of that perfect word. He fulfilled it. Warren Wiersbe illustrated this as follows: “If I have an acorn, I can destroy it in one of two ways. I can put it on a rock and smash it to bits with a hammer. Or, I can plant it in the ground and let it fulfill itself by becoming an oak tree.” In Jesus we can see the flourishing and fulfillment of God’s eternal word.

So what is the relevance of all this to us in this season of the year? Jesus is telling us why he came: to fulfill the righteous requirements of God’s law. That is something we could never do on our own. Verse 20 makes us uncomfortable.

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). This leaves us feeling helpless and hopeless. After all, the Pharisees were the most pious, strict and careful practitioners of the law in Jesus’ day. How can our righteousness surpass that?

There is a righteousness which far exceeds that. It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the one who fulfilled the law. That same righteousness is God’s gift to all those who trust in Jesus for eternal salvation. “But now, a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the law and the prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22).

This why Jesus came. To fulfill God’s law and to give you his gift of righteousness. It is up to you to receive it by receiving him.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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With the Lord

“And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

When will that happen? It will happen when Jesus comes for his people and takes them to his Father’s house in heaven. We may take his word for it. He promised, “I will come again.” At the time he departed from the earth an angel said to his disciples, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back” (Acts 1:11). The Bible is full of references to his second coming.

What will happen? At the time of his appearing there will be two outcomes, one for those whose faith is in him, and one for those who reject and deny him. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul wrote that those who die as believers in Christ will be resurrected to be caught up to be with the Lord. They are said to be the “dead in Christ.” They will be raised from the dead. Believers who are alive when he returns will be transformed and caught up with those who have been resurrected, and “together” they will be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

Paul says believers will “meet the Lord in the air.” Frankly, that is hard to imagine. But it is a thrilling prospect. At his ascension, Jesus was taken up into the clouds (Acts 1:9-11). The Old Testament patriarch Enoch was “taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away” (Hebrews 11:5). Something like that happened to the prophet Elijah: “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” (2 Kings 2:11). Paul himself had an experience which he found hard to describe. He was caught up to heaven, where he saw and heard things that were amazing (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).

Fanciful? Unbelievable? Wishful thinking? I think not. The Bible is full of supernatural occurrences. If we deny the supernatural, we deny the power of God and the word of God. God’s word says the coming of Jesus to take his people to be with him will be a supernatural event that is as certain as his first coming to earth. If we believe his word, we will expect his coming.

We deny this at our peril. The same scriptures that promise salvation for those who have faith in Jesus also predict another outcome for those who reject him. When the Lord returns it will result in “sudden destruction” for those who are in spiritual darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:3). “The day of the Lord” will be a future time when God will intervene with judgment for those who reject him. This will be as unexpected as “a thief in the night.” There will be no escape.

If your faith is in Jesus, the Bible says you “are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:4). “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).

Come, Lord Jesus.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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Jesus is Coming

I have been teaching and preaching on the second coming of Jesus for over fifty years. I have noticed that people of all ages in every generation have an interest in this subject. The troubles of the world, such as wars and natural disasters, with death and suffering on a mass scale, often cause people to wonder if Armageddon is right around the corner.

The world has always had such troubles, and people have always been fearful of the future. Jesus told his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled . . . I will come back” (John 14:1,3). This is the basis of Christian hope. Just as the prophecies of Jesus’ first coming were fulfilled with amazing accuracy, so the prophecies of his second coming will be literally fulfilled.

He is coming. His coming could be at any time. According to the Bible, “The coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:7-9). Believers are taught “to wait for his Son from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). We are to be “awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7). “We eagerly wait for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20-21). This is the Christian’s “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). So we join with the ancient church in praying, “Maranatha,” which means “O Lord, come” (1 Corinthians 16:22).

This is not escapism. This is the desire for the fulfillment of the eternal life  which Jesus died to purchase for us. It is a desire for the eternal life which God promised to all who believe in Jesus (John 3:16). It is a desire for the eternal life for which we were originally created.

The Christians in Thessalonica were discouraged by the troubles of life. They had experienced “severe suffering” (1 Thessalonians 1:6), “strong opposition” (2:2), trials and persecution (3:4), and grief because of the deaths of loved ones (4:13). Paul wrote to them to remind them of the reason for our hope. Every chapter in 1 Thessalonians mentions the return of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus returns, there will be a resurrection of the dead who have trusted in him (1 Thessalonians 4:14). Paul wrote that he did not want them to be uninformed about this. The New Testament was written to give us knowledge upon which to base our faith. Faith in the resurrection is not unreasonable. Paul bases it on the historical fact of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

“We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). The closer I get to the finish line of my earthly life, the more precious these words are to me.

When Jesus returns, there will be a rapture. This word is not found in our English Bibles. It is based upon the Latin translation of the phrase “caught up,” found in verse 17. It is a term used by biblical scholars to denote the catching up of God’s people who are alive at the time of the Lord’s return.

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

Last year the city in which I live, Valdosta, Georgia, was hit by a devastating hurricane. The unprecedented disaster of Helene caused millions of dollars in property damage here. Many local residents evacuated the city before the storm hit. The rapture of God’s people when Jesus comes will be like a massive evacuation before the terrors of God’s judgment descend upon a world that is at war with him. These judgments are described in the Book of the Revelation.

Bible teacher John Phillips illustrated it this way: “Take a mixture of metals — gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, and zinc. Scatter those metals on the ground, and bury some of them beneath the soil. Then take a powerful magnet and pass it over that site. Immediately one kind of metal will leap skyward to meet the magnet in the air. The magnet will leave behind the gold, the copper, the lead, and the zinc. It will draw to itself just one kind of metal — the iron. Why does the magnet attract only the iron? Because the iron has the same nature as the magnet!

“When Jesus comes at the rapture, he will draw to himself one kind of person, only one, not necessarily the rich or the poor, the religious, the respectable, or the moral, the church member or the theologian, but those who have the same nature as himself. That fact, of course, is what gives all the more point to the Lord’s word to Nicodemus: ‘Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again’ (John 3:6-7).”

The all-important question we all must ask ourselves is, “Have I been born again? Am I ready to meet the Lord?” Jesus is coming. Believe on him as your savior and live for him in order to be ready for his return.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Perhaps Today

One of the most interesting books I have read this year is the biography of Frank Worsley, the navigator for Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition in 1915. Entitled Shackleton’s Captain, by John Thomson, the book tells the fascinating story of how their ship, the Endurance, became ice-bound, and was eventually crushed by ice floes.

The crew had no choice but to make their way back to open water by dragging three life boats over the ice and snow, then to cross rough winter seas to Elephant Island. Shackleton took four crew members, including Worsley, with him to sail away on one of the lifeboats to try to get help. The rest of the crew camped on Elephant Island, awaiting his return.

Navigating by the stars, over 800 miles, Worsley guided the 23 foot vessel to South Georgia Island where there was a Norwegian whaling camp. The journey was fraught with danger and took a month. Shackleton was able to secure a small ship to go back to Elephant Island. Desperate to rescue his companions, he found to his dismay that the seas were frozen over and his men were cut off. Three times he tried to reach them, to no avail.

Finally, after five months had elapsed, they discovered a narrow channel through the ice. He guided his ship to the island, and he was delighted to find his men alive and well and prepared for his return.

After the excitement of the reunion subsided, and they were on their way home to England, Sir Ernest inquired how it was that they were ready to get aboard so promptly. They told him that every morning their leader rolled up his sleeping bag saying, “Get your things ready, boys, the boss may come today.”

When Jesus promised, “I will come again,” his character and faithfulness were a guarantee that he will keep his word. His return is much more certain than Shackleton’s return to Elephant Island. Over and over again, the Bible tells us to expect his return. About one out of every 25 verses alludes to the Lord’s second coming.

One of the first prophesies in the Bible is about the second coming. Jude quotes Enoch as saying, “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone” (Jude 14-15). The last prophecy in the Bible is the promise of Jesus, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me. . . . Yes, I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:12, 20).

The confident expectation of Jesus’ second coming is the believer’s “blessed hope.” It should motivate us to look for him, to live for him, and to love him. Because he could come at any time, we should be ready to meet him when he comes.

The Scottish preacher Horatius Bonar would repeat to himself as he prepared to retire for the night, “Perhaps tonight, Lord!” In the morning, as he looked out on the dawn of a new day, he would say, “Perhaps today, Lord!” He ministered as a pastor for over 60 years. He expected the Lord to return at any moment.

So should we.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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The Serious Problem of Sin

President Calvin Coolidge was known as “silent Cal,” a man of few words. He came home from church one Sunday. His wife had been unable to attend, so she asked what the pastor had spoken about in the service. Coolidge responded, “sin.” “Well, what did he say about it?” “I think he was against it.”

Sin is not a popular subject these days. Some people seem to think that it is not a minister’s job is to make them feel uncomfortable. The pastor is supposed to dispense good feeling all around. “Keep it positive, preacher, there is enough bad news in the world. I don’t come to church to hear bad news!”

Certainly, the Christian gospel is good news. But we cannot understand the good news of God’s salvation without an understanding of the bad news of sin and its eternal consequences. This is why Jesus came into the world and died for sinners: to save us.

But what about the persistence of indwelling sin in the life of the believer? From the time we trust in Christ for salvation, we are engaged in a battle against sin. In the words of D. M. Lloyd-Jones, sin is “a terrible power. It has a fiendish quality, a malignity which is truly terrifying. . . . It is not something light and comparatively trivial.. . . It is so deep-seated and so much a part of us that the entire (person) is affected — the intellect, the desires, and therefore the will. Indeed, it constitutes such a terrible problem that God alone in Christ can deal with it.”

The  apostle John has some of the strongest statements about this to be found in the New Testament. In his first letter he says that sin in a Christian is evidence that he or she is not “abiding,” or living in close fellowship with Christ. He says that sin is such a serious matter that there are some sins which may result in premature death. “There is a sin that leads to death,” John says in 1 John 3:16.

If 1 John 3:16 sounds strange to our ears it may be because we do not take God’s word seriously enough. John’s original readers were probably familiar with the stories of church members Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). The man about whom Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:5 suffered “the destruction of the flesh” because of his very  serious sin. Some Christians in the church at Corinth were said to have “fallen asleep” (a euphemism for death) because they had desecrated the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:30).

The church of Jesus Christ has a responsibility to help members who have fallen into sin. If brothers or sisters in Christ are struggling with addictions, idols of materialism or greed, uncontrolled anger and violence, spiritual indifference, unconcern for spiritual growth, dishonesty, adultery, or neglect of corporate worship, more mature believers have a responsibility to come alongside and try to restore them to fellowship with Christ (Galatians 6:1-2).

There is something else the church can do. That is to pray. “If anyone sees a brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray, and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death” ( 1 John 3:16). It does no good to pray for those whose sin has led to physical death. They are already dead. John adds in that regard, “I am not saying that he should pray about that.”

Praying for brothers and sisters who have stumbled and fallen may help lead them to a new lease on life. In the first chapter of his letter, John promises forgiveness, cleansing and spiritual restoration (1 John 1:8-10).  “All wrongdoing is sin,” John says, “and there is sin that does not lead to death” (1 John 5:17). The prayerful concern of fellow believers may have a life-giving effect in a Christian who has stumbled into sin.

A pastor preached on Micah 7:19, “You will hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” His ten-year-old son said to him afterward, “Daddy, when you were talking about the Lord casting our sins into the sea, you ought to have said that sins were heavy like stones, and would drop out of sight, or the people might think that they would float like corks on the top.” The boy had a point.

Thanks be to God for the promise, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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Praying for Our Nation

I participate in a church intercessory prayer ministry. Volunteers come to a prayer room for an hour each week to pray for our nation and its leaders, among other things. This is important as our national life right now is characterized by bitterness, anger, and division. The church, by contrast, should be characterized by harmonious prayer.

1Timothy 2:1-8 says this. Imagine a teacher explaining these verses to a Sunday school class. He says, “When you come together to pray,” then he pauses. Yes, you think, what comes next? The teacher then continues,  “Let there be no anger, no disputing, no arguing!”

Why does 1 Timothy 2:8 say this? Because Jesus taught that quarrels and conflicts are hindrances to prayer (Matthew 5:23-24). Rancor and heated arguments may be the stuff of the rough-and-tumble world of politics. But unlike the world, God’s church must seek peaceful relationships and unity in prayer.

! Timothy 2 teaches us that prayer is the pulse of the church. It says that we should pray for our nation and its leaders.

This kind of praying is an urgent priority. “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). All kinds of payers are mentioned, for all kinds of people, especially governmental leaders.

Why this reminder? Had Timothy’s church been neglecting prayer for those outside the fellowship? Had they grown insulated and unconcerned for their neighbors who need Christ? Had they failed to pray for their nation and for the well-being of their city? Were their national leaders ever mentioned by name in their public and private prayers?

This kind of praying is comprehensive and specific. “For everyone” means all kinds of people. Then Paul gets even more specific: “for kings and all those in authority.” In New Testament times, there were despotic rulers such as Nero, Caligula, Herod, and Pilate. Christians may have been tempted to rebel against their oppression, or even hate them.

In America, we do not have a king or emperor, but we do have a president, and congressional leaders, and this means we should pray for them whether we like them or not, “without anger or disputing.”

In my prayers for our president, I ask the Lord to open his heart to the gospel. I pray for God to protect him and his family. I pray that he will not act on his worst instincts, but pay attention to wise counsel of godly advisors. I pray that he will “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). For a long time I have been praying that he will “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).

This kind of praying yields results that are pleasing to God. Internally, the outcome for the church might be peace and protection from persecution (v. 2). Externally, the result might be that the moral influence of God’s people would help steer the culture in a righteous direction. “Godliness and holiness” (v.2) are as much for Monday morning as they are for Sunday morning.

Another result is that the church’s witness would be effective. God wants people “to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v.4). The truth is that there is but one God, not many gods (v.5). There is but “one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (v. 5). 

There is but one gospel message. Jesus “gave himself as a ransom for all men” (v.6). As we pray, it is with a growing concern that the people in the world around us might come to the knowledge that Christ died to pay the ransom for sinful people. If we are faithful to this gospel, we will share it, not with the power of political coercion, but with humble persuasion empowered by the Holy Spirit.

In today’s political climate these verses are incredibly relevant. Anger, hatred, and cruel words have been the currency of too much of the political conversation. ! Timothy 2:8 tells us to put aside bitterness, argumentation and anger, and come together in prayer. Our unity is not in a political party or loyalty to a politician. The church’s unity is in Christ. As one writer put it, “Our rallying cry is not ‘Hail to the Chief’ but ‘Jesus is Lord.'”

On that basis, we pray for wisdom and guidance for our political leaders. We pray for the church’s influence on the culture. We pray for the effective communication of the gospel at home, and around the world. We pray for healing for a divided nation.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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“Standing Down” to Pray

Several years ago the secretary of the navy ordered what he called a two-day stand down for the entire United States Navy. There had been too many accidents at naval installations and ships in a short period of time. He instructed that all officers and enlisted personnel spend two days reviewing all procedures and safety policies. An entire military service stopped what it was doing to look inward and evaluate itself.

It might be a good idea if the churches of America would slow down and do the same thing. Many congregations are busy with activities, most of which are well-intentioned. But what if we stopped what we are doing long enough to think deeply, to repent of worldliness, and to pray for the spiritual wellbeing of God’s church?

The church of which I am a member has been doing this. Our pastors have initiated a weekly time for folks to come together for no other purpose than to pray for the health of the church and its witness in our community.

I have been attending church prayer meetings all of my life. It seems that many, if not most of the prayers that are offered have to do with people’s physical ailments. Prayers for health and healing are appropriate. But when I read the prayers of Paul in the New Testament, I notice that they put the emphasis on spiritual, not physical health.

An example is found in Ephesians chapter 3. There is nothing in Paul’s prayer about material prosperity, nothing about physical healing, nothing about earthly success, or deliverance from difficult circumstances. It is a prayer for the church to experience God’s love, power and fulness. When was the last time you were in a prayer meeting when somebody asked God for these things?

Here is an example of how we could be praying for ourselves, and for fellow believers in our churches.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and upon earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power through his Spirit in your inner being, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled  to the measure of all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).

Strength

Here is a prayer that the church may receive and experience God’s power. This is the strength that comes from the Holy Spirit who lives in the hearts of believers. The prayer that Christ may “dwell” in our hearts is a prayer that he may make himself at home. He is not to be treated as a visitor or a guest, but is to be the master of the house! This is where our spiritual strength comes from.

Stability

Pauls’ prayer mixes agricultural and architectural metaphors. “Rooted” means deeply planted into Christ. “Established” means built solidly on the foundation of Christ. The New English Bible translates this “deep roots and firm foundations.” What a prayer for us to pray for one another!

Knowledge

Once we have been planted and built, the result the Lord desires for us is that we may comprehend, or understand by deep experience a knowledge of Christ’s love. His love is wide enough to encompass people of all nations, long enough to last for eternity, deep enough to save the most hardened sinner, and high enough to bring us to God in heaven.

Fulness

This is a prayer that the church may experience  the fulness of God in Christ by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Surely after the rapture, when we no longer battle besetting sins and human limitations, we shall see Him face to face and live in the fulness of his presence. But this is a prayer for our lives now. This is a prayer for the church’s sanctification and growth toward maturity.

What a bold, audacious prayer! It is worth “standing down” to pray this way. It is an example to us of how we may pray for spiritual health in our churches and for revival in our nation, not to mention the experience of Christ’s love for ourselves and others in all its dimensions.

Pastor Randy Faulkner.