Eat The Honey

Eat honey.  Why?  Because it tastes good, it has healing properties, and it re-energizes you; that’s why.  It is a good analogy for Wisdom, God’s Wisdom in His Word, in many ways. 

These characteristics of honey will show themselves when reading Scripture.  Wisdom’s goodness will satisfy and keep one’s vision sharp, and decisions clear.  

Proverbs 24:13–14 ESV “My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.  Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Its medicinal value is seen in preventing one from following the wrong way, and even providing healing when one has returned from wandering.  On the really positive side, it enlivens your soul and body to do God’s will and mission.

The Analogy

Knowing Wisdom is like eating honey.  You might recall this episode in Prophet Ezekiel’s ministry:

Ezekiel 3:1-3 ESV “And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.”

Wisdom and the Word of God are simply good in themselves.  They bring joy into one’s soul and provides a future and a hope, and such that will never be lost.  The Proverbs make one “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)  This is ultimately the “hope that will not be cut off” here in Proverbs 24:14.

You know that studying the Bible just settles well in your soul, you know it is good and can sense it.  You know that hearing the Wisdom of God through your church family brings healing into your life.  You know that attending regularly to the worship and preaching of the Word re-invigorates and gives you life.

So, Eat Honey; It is Good

Did you think that gaining Wisdom was an arduous, dry, even painful task?  

Some think this way, sadly.  Hopefully if you did, you might re-consider that it really is not this way.  Some of us might have fallen back into thinking it is too hard, and we are kept from it and its delicious goodness.

Sometimes we over-complicate the Bible.  And then it is time to return to the basics.  Relax, read, pray, listen and learn.  All one has to do is enjoy eating what is pleasant.  Select a new Bible reading plan for this upcoming year that will be refreshing.  (My favorite app for this:  ReadingPlan.)

Wisdom in the Word of God invigorates us for living life to the fullest and living like this forever!

Identifying Messianic Psalms

The Messianic Psalms are the Psalms that speak about the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Which ones are they?  This question is not as easy to answer as it might seem.

The Usual List

We start by taking note of the Psalms that are quoted in the New Testament.  Then, we add to the list those which, though not quoted, seem to overwhelmingly point to Jesus, nonetheless.  This might be because the language of the Psalm looks beyond its original situation, or Messianic terms are used, or a certain circumstance in the New Testament fits a specific Psalm so well.

Then they are often arranged in two groups, those about His life and those about His Kingship.  And so, we end up with about 21 Messianic Psalms.

Kingly Psalms:  2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 61, 72, 89, 110, 132, 144.
Personal Life Psalms:  8, 16, 22, 35, 40, 41, 55, 69, 102, 109.

The Full List

However, when searching through the Psalms you will start to wonder if this list of 21 is really sufficient.  Remember the teaching of our Lord Jesus Himself in Luke 24:44.

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Might it be more accurate to declare that all the Psalms are Messianic?  Although not all are Messianic in the same manner, but in a variety of ways.

The Christ is the ultimate extension of King David in the Psalms.  He Himself is also the ultimate resolution of all human aspirations expressed in the Psalms.  These things being so, the full and final satisfaction of each Psalm will be found only in Jesus Christ.

How To Read the Messianic Psalms

It is easiest and most rewarding to start with the most recognized and celebrated, the list of the most obvious 21.  Give yourself about 30 minutes to spend in each Psalm.

Here are five steps to follow when reading these Psalms:

1. Read through the Psalm from the perspective of the original audience.  Restrain yourself from thinking ahead.  Do this multiple times.
2. Read through the Psalm from the perspective of Messianic fulfillment.  Restrain yourself from going back in history.  Do this multiple times.
3. Stop.  Sit in awe.  Recognize the glory of God and Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit has revealed to you in His Scripture!
4. Offer up prayers of praise, using the Psalm itself, and even using the New Testament fulfillments you discover along the way.  Take your time and do a lot of this.
5. Recognize the value of the truths to yourself, to your time in Redemptive History.

The Kingdom of God has been inaugurated by the Messiah; it is expanding currently by proclamation of the Gospel; and it soon will be consummated with His reign upon the earth, and then forever in the New Heavens and New Earth!

So, let us give ourselves fully to the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ!  Missions is for the greater glory of God and Christ in the world now, and the world to come!

Wisdom In Young Adult Children

These two verses in Proverbs 23 talk about every Christian parent’s greatest dream and prayer for their children.  It is a blessing to see it come true.

Possessing Wisdom Blesses Parents

Proverbs 23:15 ESV “My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad.”

This verse talks about the joy that comes to a person when they are wise and live in wisdom.  Beyond that, nothing blesses a father’s or mother’s heart more than godly wisdom in their children, the first signs of it as teenagers, and then moreso as adults themselves.  

They navigate life well for the glory of God in morality, marriage, family, friends, church, world, in finances, life skills, in becoming truly wise, in trials and the hope of eternal life.  These are the major subjects covered throughout the collection of Proverbs. 

Above all they have a healthy vibrant growing relationship with God.  They exhibit a true and abiding spirituality based upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Speaking Wisdom Causes Extreme Joy

Proverbs 23:16 ESV “My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right.”

Verse 16 escalates the expression of gladness or joy by referencing (literally) the “kidneys.”  In the Hebrew mindset, it is the kidneys that were the seat of the emotions.  And so, the father here is talking about having the deepest joy possible in his whole being, even throughout his being.  

This is because, knowing our children have wisdom is one level of joy, but seeing them put it in action, even speak publicly to instruct others in wisdom, this is what causes an extreme joy in the inner being of parents!

When we as parents actually hear Wisdom from God spoken by our sons and daughters to others, our hearts are filled with delight.

Taking Pleasure in the Right Desires 

Some of us are currently living in this satisfaction; others of us are working on it and looking forward to it.

If you believe you missed your opportunity, there is still hope because our God pursues young adults to bring them to the point where they realize that, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)  So, keep on learning yourself, and praying for your adult children.

If you are a teenage son or teenage daughter, it is still proper to desire to please your parents, especially in this matter of displaying wisdom.  So, study the Proverbs; it is for you, as it says in the introduction, “to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth.” (Proverbs 1:4)

If you are a parent, it is proper and right to be filled with delight over your heritage of wisdom gained through your parenting.  And yet there is still so much to learn; Proverbs is for you to study, as the collection’s introduction states, “let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” (Proverbs 1:5)

Crafting A First Liturgy

This group of five friends and co-workers were filled with joy after receiving Jesus Christ.  They looked at one another and our team members, and asked with eager expectation, “now what do we do?!”  

They didn’t know any other believers in their small city in southeast Asia.  How were they to worship God together and grow in Christ together?  This is what they wanted to know.  What would you tell them?  How might you help them?

Worship 101

Here is what those creative team members of ours did.  They helped those new believers see themselves as the beginning of a church and helped them craft their first worship service.

The team had to think through all of this from the ground up, looking at Scripture again for themselves.  They were meeting with the new believers the next day in the afternoon  to answer their question, and they had to keep it simple.

They decided to teach on the most basic elements:  prayer, Scripture reading, singing praise to God, teaching the Word, caring and praying for one another.  More involved topics such as the Lord’s Supper, and matters of church life, would need to be covered by national partners later.

Nonetheless, this still would not be as simple a meeting as it might sound.  These new friends didn’t know anything about prayer.  What is prayer?  How do Christians pray?  And when it comes to reading Scripture, let alone studying it together, where should they start?  How will they understand properly?  Singing will be wonderful, but what kind of songs should they sing?  Where will they find the songs and music?

At least the part about sharing their lives, caring for one another, and praying for one another would be easy.

Worship Practicum

The biggest obstacle in all their meetings early that week was the constant distraction of mobile phones.  So, when they wrote out the liturgy for the group it began with the ritual of silencing mobile phones in order to focus on worshipping God and learning from His Word.

The mission team crafted a simple order of worship to follow for now.  They provided the group of new believers with many Scriptures to use and study, and of course Bibles for those who didn’t have one.  

They talked through all the worship ideas together, looking up Scripture passages and learning together by asking and answering questions.  It was a blessed time for all!

Then it was time to do it—how exciting this would be!  This was their very first experience of worshipping God and as a community of believers in Jesus!  So the group of eight, Asians and Americans, worshipped God together for a long time.  

When the afternoon came to a close, the new Christians asked how often their group should get together and worship the Lord and study His Word?  What they really wanted to know was how soon they could do it again!

More to Come

For all that was accomplished that day and that week with this small group of believers, there was so much more for them to learn about worship and living life together in Christ.  They had many more questions.  And our sub-team of three had hearts full of so much more to share.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 ESV “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

There is so much more to this story that could be told.  Likewise, there are many similar stories to tell coming out from this region of the world, both of success and failure.  One final valuable lesson to highlight is that working alongside local Christians and under the vision of local churches is a great honor and comfort.  

It would be up to our trusted partners to nurture this group of believers, and help them grow into a thriving young church.  Ultimately, we must entrust new believers and young churches to the Lord’s care in whom they have believed.  And He will care for them!

The Post-Suicidal Hitchhiker

About seven years ago our team chartered a mini-bus for a remote mission in a southeast Asian country.

Shortly after we got on the road that morning our driver stopped to pick up a man.  When the man found out that this vehicle was not for hire, he asked to ride with us anyway to a certain town.  We agreed to the hitchhiker’s request, but informed him that we had a couple of stops to make first.

A Discarded but Well-Placed Tract

We continued eagerly planning our mission strategy for the day.  The hitchhiker heard us talking and could sense that we were Christians.  He pulled out of his jacket a well-worn Gospel tract and excitedly told us his story.

He was a hopeless alcoholic, his life was full of tragedies and pain, he was estranged from his family and snubbed by his small community.  A few months ago he was going to commit suicide because of his shame and pain.  But, on that particularly day he saw a booklet on the side of the road and picked it up to read it, and it changed his life!

That booklet was filled with Bible passages explaining how to have a personal relationship with the One True God who created the universe.  He grew up in an atheistic society, yet a society that still held on to ancestor worship and animistic practices.  This was part of his story of despair.  But this small booklet gave him hope and told him what he knew deep down was the truth—that there was a God.

It carefully and clearly explained the holy character of God the Father of All, and how through Adam’s sin all mankind is in rebellion and estranged from God.  Likewise it compassionately explained how the Lord Jesus Christ, being the Son of God who became man, was the perfect mediator for reconciliation with God.  He died upon the Cross as the propitiation for our sins and was raised from the dead for our justification and peace with God.  And that He would come again in glory.

Our new friend had put his trust in Jesus Christ for salvation from his sin, his shameful past, and for hope of eternal life.  His life was under a radical transformation these past few months.  That discarded tract ended up being a well-placed tract, Divinely placed.

More Mission than Planned

He didn’t have a Bible, so he had just been reading his treasured pamphlet and the Bible verses in it, over and over, many times a day.  That is why the paper was so worn and hardly legible any longer.  The Holy Spirit used these dozen passages of Scripture to sustain and renew this man daily, to give him hope and to direct his prayers.

He didn’t know any Christians either.  He was rejected by his friends and family earlier because of his anti-social behavior, and now he was further rejected because of his faith in Christ.  Although, he was now a radically different person, and filled with joy in the midst of it all!

And so, he was praying that God would introduce him to some other Christians if there were any near him.  And here we were on the bus!  A handful of foreigners and a handful of Asian mission partners.

We had him ride with us the whole day.  We told him some of our stories of salvation and redemption from life’s trials, personal struggles and temptations.  We prayed with him and encouraged him that the Lord would continue to bring healing to him and his relationships.

We spent time reviewing the Gospel in greater detail than he knew up to that point.  We sang worship songs together.  We gave him a Bible, showed him how to use it and studied Scripture together.  We had him observe as we shared the Gospel at a few different mission points throughout the day.

The Day Had to Come to an End

We circled back at the end of the day and dropped him at his originally desired destination.  He was bursting with encouragement, amazed at what God had done in his life that day on the bus!  So were we.  And we still are.

The next day, we were headed in a different direction, and for other reasons, we couldn’t take our friend with us any of the following days.  But, we obtained his contact information, and our friends who knew the area were able to follow up with him and find him a local group of believers for worship and fellowship.

This passage of Scripture forever holds new meaning for our team and for our brother we met on the bus that day:

Romans 5:6–11 ESV “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

Expel The Factious Person

Those who lead as God would have them lead follow this passage.

Proverbs 22:10–11 ESV “Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.”

Like many Proverbs, this one speaks of the ideal king, who acts under God’s authority while guided by His wisdom.  On the whole, civil authorities will bless those under their governance by expelling or banishing the scoffers, mockers, instigators, trouble-makers, factious ones from their presence and from positions of power.

Good leaders will do this to put an end to the abuse of people and the creating of contention in a community.  It is not from selfish motivation, or love of exercising power.  God honors such courageous action that follows His wisdom by upholding its effectiveness.  Notice that good and strong leaders also love, befriend and reward those who are pure in heart and gracious.

Behind the Scenes

These scoffers are most damaging over long term, often moreso than those who are outright wicked or immoral.  Such people can create an insidious sub-culture that is unhealthy and ungodly.  They become more and more a threat to genuine community.  This stuff happens in churches, businesses, governments, clubs, and in many other groups.

Factious people are those who are self-willed, always right, and force people to take sides on issues, issues they even make up.  These issues often involve certain people, typically those in leadership, and as a result these factious people often gather a following.  Refuse to enlist in their “cause,” which is not Gospel truth, though they make it sound like it is.

Even in a Church

Who is the factious person in a church?  He or she is a separatist, a partisan, one who has chosen without good reason to join or create sects.  Such a person stirs up division in a church, forming dissident groups.

Scripture is quite stringent on the issue of divisiveness.  God is serious about unity in His Church.  Titus was instructed to give the trouble-maker two warnings about his behavior.  This provides ample opportunity to correct behavior; and it is done in hope of bringing about a spiritual recovery.

Titus 3:10-11 ESV “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”

However, if this person does not repent, then he must be rejected for the sake of the church.  Rejected means avoiding association, shunning, officially removing, dismissing, driving out, though not necessarily formally ex-communicating.  On account of the integrity of the group, for the peace and safety of the soul, and for the glory of God in His Church, leaders are given the instruction to expel divisive people.

When it gets to this point, the leaders and the church can be certain that the expelled one is perverted and sinning.  By persistence in divisiveness and recalcitrance the individual has condemned himself or herself.

Being “warped” means perverted in character, not seeing straight, being mentally, morally, spiritually twisted.  The term “sinful” means willfully and knowingly persisting in sin.  And “self-condemned” means that the person provides the basis for his or her own removal through antagonistic behavior.

Reassurance at Last

The principle from Proverbs and the instruction from Titus both address a difficult responsibility that all leaders encounter when leading groups of people.  It requires wisdom, love and courage from God to successfully handle and resolve the challenge of the factious person.

It is a good thing when factious or divisive people are removed.  Almost immediately a sense of relief and freedom comes over a congregation and people find themselves much happier.  This is additional confirmation from the Lord.

Have you ever experienced such relief when leaders acted with such courage and care?  Have you ever had to trust those making such decisions without having personal knowledge of all the details?

Overwhelming Exhortation

One of the worst types of preaching is when Scripture is regularly taken out of context and used to harangue a congregation about their sin.

People start to think defectively about themselves and deficiently about others.  Over time a whole group of people can find themselves delighting in self-abasement and growing proud in a distorted spirituality.

Everyone misses out on experiencing the deeply satisfying joy of salvation in Christ!

A Misguided Goal

Some preachers make it their primary goal to talk about sin Sunday after Sunday.  It pervades every sermon as the main theme.  They proceed to propose the same solution for all of life’s situations as merely more obedience.  The preaching is a constant and overwhelming exhortation.

The chiding can be relentless, alienating leaders and bringing distress upon the rest.  Ironically, the goal of a holier people is not achieved.  And maturity in Christ remains a long way off because a true and deep understanding of Scripture is never given.

It is amazing how such preachers can disregard the clear intent of a biblical passage and its larger context!  Though the text might be used as a source of great encouragement, or an opportunity to expound on the glories of Christ, instead it is hijacked for moralistic purposes.

The Proper Emphasis

The emphasis throughout the New Testament is much more positive.  For example, the Apostle Paul addresses nine of his twelve letters written to churches to the “saints,” and the remaining three to the “church.”

He gives prominence and value to our being “in Christ.”  Even when dealing with situations of sin these truths are usually only a paragraph away.  Our hope is in Christ, in being “in Christ” and in the reality of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, not in ourselves and our obedience.

If you are that reproving preacher, you need to closely re-examine the Scriptures in order to observe and appreciate all the magnificence of its message.  If you are a leader dealing with a pastor who scolds and berates, you need to confront and require corrections for the sake of the congregation.  If you are a member, you will need to find healthier streams of instruction, and you may need to move on altogether.

What we as Christians need is more and deeper explanations of who Christ is in the fullness of His glory.  When the focus shifts from identifying ourselves primarily as sinners to identifying ourselves as saints in Christ, the results are joy, revitalization and growth in holiness!

The Four Alls Of The Great Commission

After Jesus Christ is raised from the dead, He Himself gives its application to His Church:  Go and make disciples of all the peoples of the world! 

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

All Authority 

These authoritativeness of the words of Jesus prevail over everything.  Note the theme of all-ness in all authority, all the nations, all that I commanded, and literally “all” the days.  

It is this supremacy of Jesus that pervades the passage.  His authority as the Son of Man has been enlarged with the coming of a new stage in the history of redemption, in which He is enthroned in heaven as King, ruling over all for His Church’s glory and success.

It is from this position of universal authority that Jesus speaks and orders the universal mission of His Church.  He commands His disciples to go make more disciples until this period of history concludes with His Return.  This is for the glory of God and His increasing glory throughout the world!

All Nations

Of whom is the Church supposed to go and make disciples of Christ?  The answer is all the nations, that is among all the people groups throughout all the earth! (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 5:9)  This is in fulfillment of promise of Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12 to bless all families of earth through him.

The imperative in vv.19-20 is “make disciples.”  The other three verbs are participles, “go,” “baptizing,” and “teaching.”  The syntax has been over-interpreted at times and has led to unusual conclusions, but simply put all three of the participles share the force of the main verb.  This means that “go” is also a command and it is best to read “go and make disciples” as one main command.  This is the imperative from Jesus for worldwide missions.  

The text is well translated in most English versions, so don’t become enamored with new or unusual interpretations.  To be quite simple about this passage:  Discipleship requires going and making more disciples around the world, which naturally involves baptizing and teaching them.  

All Obedience

“Baptizing” and “teaching” are commands also.  However, these two commands are more descriptive of the characterization of the fulfillment of the main command of making disciples or followers of Christ.  

The Church has never been uncertain about importance of baptism primarily because of this passage.  It is part of our incorporation into fellowship with God whereby Kingdom blessings are experienced.  It is more than a religious rite; it symbolizes entrance into the community and is itself pledge to obedience to the Lordship of Christ Jesus. 

All Days

These are most encouraging words from Jesus Christ, especially needed in light of His overwhelmingly enormous command to disciple the world!  The risen Christ says, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This means, that He is God.  He is the exalted Lord and Christ!  He Himself will guide and empower His Church in fulfilling the Great Commission.  He Himself will provide support and powerful protection for His Church while they proclaim Gospel.  He Himself will continue to do this without limitation or interruption, up until very Day of His Return.  He Himself then is why we can do the Mission to glory of God without fear!

Our Apostle Matthew ends his Gospel account with the most inspirational of words.  And he ends here because this is where the Church should be focused until Christ’s Return.  There is no question that the Mission is the abiding application from the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel Mission of the Church is exciting!  It is the most wonderful purpose for which to live your life, serve with your gifts, and support with your resources!

Invite Them To The Table

Finding more leaders for our ministries and churches is a common goal.  Yet, there is a common problem of not seeing that they are right in front of our eyes.

Unfounded Complaints

This is the situation in numerous churches all around the globe.  The complaint is that hardly anyone is qualified or ready to lead as elders or ministry leaders in the church.  Larger ministry organizations make similar complaints.  There are not enough leaders with the experience to move into higher levels of leadership.  

Those at fault are the senior leaders themselves.  Either they haven’t developed the leaders they need, or they have unrealistic expectations for those who might join in the leadership.  It is a lack of leadership to complain about a lack of leaders.

The future leaders will always be the younger leaders.  And emerging leaders need to identified, valued, developed, trusted and given real leadership.  They need to be invited to the table.

Unfair Despising

It is because many of them are too young, we think.  They don’t know as much as we know.  They don’t have the experience we have.  They don’t understand the organizational history we understand.  The list of deficiencies can go on and on, and sadly it actually does in some churches and ministries.  

This is unfair.  And besides, this is actually a positive list, not a negative one, if a church or ministry is looking to the future for greater and growing Kingdom impact.  Those who are overly conservative in sharing leadership will find that they are primarily working with their close friends and are given more to cronyism than they perhaps realize.

We often forget that Timothy was only about 30 years of age when he led the Ephesus church and its church planting mission to the interior of Asia.  The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy, and by extension those older than he, on this matter.

1 Timothy 4:12 ESV “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

There is little to fear and a whole lot to be gained by entrusting leadership to others.  Who might you be overlooking as having great potential for the Kingdom of God, for your church or ministry?  What do you think about inviting them to the leadership table?

While Waiting For Justice

What do you tend to do when you get anxious, or eager, for wrongs to be righted, but, you do not see it happening fast enough, or even at all?  

Hopefully, we maintain our trust in God, and peace, and hope, to a strong degree, even though we still might mix in various forms of doubt or despair.  

Some of us might act out for justice on our own without faithfully consulting God.  Some of us might begin to wonder about God’s commitment to justice, or even His power and wisdom.  

Some of us might give up and give in, not knowing really what to do or not to do, what to think or what not to think about God, justice and faith.  Some of us might get stuck in a state of shock and bewilderment whether for a brief time or very long time.

Yahweh Will Deliver

Proverbs 20:22 ESV “Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.”

When faced with personal injustice we are not to tell ourselves, “I will repay.”  Nor, are we to tell this to others, boasting of our new holy crusade.  And the last person we should tell it to is God Himself, even if it is to offer Him a share of spoils. 

The admonition here is doubly emphasized in the Hebrew.  This is really important:  DO NOT seek revenge and DO wait upon the Lord.  He has His purposes, and at the right time, in the right way, He will deliver you.

This is a promise from Him.  He will protect, He will vindicate, and He will compensate.  This is what we need to keep saying to ourselves, so we will not say, “I will repay.”

It is so tempting to take matters of justice into our own hands.  But, God wants us to look to Him.   He is perfect and all-powerful and impartial.  We will mess it up with our prejudicial wrath, lack of knowledge, and we won’t really be able to get it done anyway, since we have such limited powers.  His purposes and wisdom and power are beyond our understanding, and trustworthy.

Can We Wait?

We need to “wait.”  And this might mean until Christ’s Return for full justice.  Can you wait?  And in the meantime can we even bless our enemies who curse us?  Can we have such faith?

There are so many of the Psalms that can help us pray for such faith. Here is one of them.

Psalms 25:1-3 ESV “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.”

Also helpful is Jesus’ teaching from a famous parable.

Luke 18:7-8 ESV “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. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?””

There is much to be learned about waiting for God’s justice.  God lets things go for a while as He works out in mystery a glory to be revealed.  He asks His People, “Can you wait?  It is okay to have both faith mixed with some consternation.  But, can we wait with an increasing confidence, peace, and patience?

Sam, Our Bodyguard

He picked us up each morning at our hotel, and returned us safely each evening.  Most mission trips don’t include bodyguards, but this one did.  And Sam was our favorite.

Tough Job from Day One

A number of years ago, our church partnered with a local Christian congregation in a Muslim-dominated country.  The goal of our national partners was that together we would establish about a dozen cell churches in a series of apartment buildings by the end of the week.

On the first day we held a large church meeting before heading out to do mission work.  When the meeting ended the fifteen teams scattered in all directions.  Sam, our government-assigned bodyguard, was distraught.  There was no way he could keep track of all the crazy Americans going every which way.

So I took Sam aside and told him it would be okay.  I bought a couple of Cokes and we sat together on plastic chairs in the dusty alley and talked for a while.  I assured him that the people would be wise and that God would protect them.  He said he believed in God.

I told him to relax and stay cool, we would all be back in a few hours.  And then I left.  Since we all returned as promised, he was much at ease the following days.

Friendship Beyond Religion

Sam’s job was to protect us each day as we traveled.  He was even ready and willing to shoot others for our safety.  Sam was a Muslim man, but by God’s design, ironically ended up making a way for our team to share the Gospel more freely.  Apparently, ensuring national tourism dollars was more important than religion in this religious land.

Sam really had no choice but to listen to our Christian messages and meetings.  And we would share Christ with him, and share stories from our lives with one another.  He enjoyed being with us and our national partners, and we enjoyed having him with us.  We all learned a lot from one another.

After three days with us, Sam was transferred to a different detail, and our group was assigned another bodyguard.  Maybe Sam was listening too sympathetically to Gospel.  Or, maybe it was simply a routine change.  We never saw Sam again on that trip, but many of us still pray for him and what he heard.

God’s Glory in Hard Places

Much progress was made toward the goal of starting apartment-based call groups.  Our partner church put a lot of the line to make this happen.  This is because they firmly believed that the Lord wanted them to reach out more boldly and share hope with their community.

It would cost them a lot in the coming years.  The loss of a building and property by unethical means.  And even one of their leaders would be martyred.  This is a difficult place to be a Christian, and moreso to spread the faith.

Their courage and risk-taking was inspiring, humbling and empowering.  They assumed the cost without reservation, even when it came time to pay it.

Hebrews 10:32–39 ESV “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

God sets up our relationships, those with partner congregations and mission opportunities, and those with bodyguards such as Sam.  We need to be ready for whomever and whatever God brings our way.  We must be intent on bringing glory to Him by our faithful Gospel witness, by our our honorable actions and in pursuing the relationships in front of us, without fear.

Our Spirituality And Our Happiness

We are used to finding good practical life instructions from the Proverbs.  But, we are less familiar with the Book of Proverb’s advice on true spirituality.  These three verses in Proverbs 15 show the connection between our spirituality and our happiness.

Knowledge Leads to Gladness

Proverbs 15:13–14 ESV “A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.”

The condition of the heart will show itself in one’s looks and the way one carries oneself.  One’s spiritual state can be fairly well surmised from one’s face, smile, eyes, and mood.  We all know this and experience this, and it is what helps care for one another in spiritual struggles and growth, leading to conversations and prayers.

The discerning heart, that is the one who understands, sets himself to seek knowledge because knowledge of God and His Word will affect his soul and bring spiritual vitality into his life.  We all know the feeling after reading our Bibles, meditating, prayer, group study, sermons, worship, etc.

The fool on the other hand doesn’t bother with such things like seeking knowledge; the result is that he becomes so spiritually starved that that his appetite for knowledge of God and His Word is small, and when he does nibble at it, it is only to promote his own foolishness.  Such a person is often sorrowful and just can’t get joy, and easily gets crushed in spirit by life.

The cheerful heart comes from knowledge, feeding upon knowledge.  The cheerful heart is sustained by God.  He causes the hunger for knowledge and He gives the satisfaction, and the desire for more and more.

A Heart Filled with Continual Joy and Satisfaction

Proverbs 15:15 ESV “All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.”

We often say that “attitude is everything.”  This is true and fits well here, as long as we realize that in v.15 we are not talking about manufacturing such an attitude from within ourselves.  The point is having a perspective that comes from God, His Word and Spirit at work within us.

The first part of this verse might reference our lives when they are less than pleasant; and so, how we are able to overcome this through spiritual vitality.  Or, it might point out that those with an afflicted heart are always in pain and have no escape.  The depressed, who are not spiritually vibrant will tend to stay that way throughout their lives, day after day.

Either way, the spiritually vibrant of heart see beyond their life circumstances even when they are not in perfect alignment with what they will be one day in glory.  Such persons even rejoice and still find much grace upon which to feast and enjoy their lives.  I think we all know people like this—maybe you are one.

The Proverb Points to Christ

We know our Lord Jesus Christ was sent to give us this kind of abundant life and we have it flowing to us and through us from His work on His Cross and in His Resurrection. 

John 4:10–14 ESV “Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”” 

John 7:37–39 ESV “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

We experience the reality that “the cheerful heart has a continual feast” in even greater ways than the people of God under the old covenant did.  Simply put, being filled with gratitude and happiness will help us become more spiritual.

Pray And Get Over It

I have received a lot of grief over the years for using the statement, “pray and get over it.” 

I don’t remember where this saying came from.  Perhaps I said it on a mission trip.  Or, maybe it was in a sermon somewhere, and I was in the moment and it just came out of my mouth.  Regardless, it stuck, and has been used against me many times.

Knowing What is Meant

Context is everything.  The congregation knew what I meant.  But, they teased me relentlessly, and still do.  Yet, because we all love one another and know that the saying is true I believe that it has been helpful to all of us.

We are prone to exaggerate concerns in our lives, or concerns for our own church.  And we too easily focus upon matters that are trivial in light of the grand mission of God in front of us.  It was such situations that gave rise to this mildly famous saying of mine.

Certainly, isolated from context such a saying appears insensitive, simplistic, overly concise.  Praying through difficult and emotional circumstances all the way to the end is a process, not given to a momentary solution.

However, sometimes we do need the simple truth simply put in our face.  And it works best coming from those who care for us, people we love and trust.  Though even coming from others, such a truth has immediate benefit.  

Our Reality

When we are under fear, suffering pain or trudging through disappointment, the reality is that so often we don’t go first to prayer.  We go to other things, such as the advice of friends, resources, reasoning, or other distractions and pleasures.  These may all be good things in themselves, but they can not accomplish what prayer does.

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

All I meant by the saying was that if we pray, then we will get over it, just as this Scripture informs us.  God will minister to our souls through prayer.  

So, I don’t really regret saying what I said.  And for those who still don’t like it, maybe you should just pray and get over it.

Plead With God For Men, Plead With Men For God

Is the controlling passion and vision of our lives to fulfill Jesus’ plan of reaching the world with the Gospel?

If it is, we will not hold grandiose dreams of future service to the Lord without a present reality.  We will never become great soldiers of the faith somewhere down the road unless we actively evangelize and disciple now.  If we cannot do it now, then we will not do it later.  

Charles H. Spurgeon once described the Christian life as “pleading with God for men, and pleading with men for God.”

Our Daily Prayers

First, this means that our day should begin with prayer, entreating God for the salvation of people through us, the Lord’s humble servants.  The Apostle Paul expressed his intense concern for the salvation of his fellow Jews in his letter to the Romans 10:1 ESV, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”

Paul asked God for their salvation because salvation is only God’s to grant, just as our Lord Christ taught in John 6:44 ESV, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  And I will raise him up on the last day.”  And so, a desire for people’s salvation should lead us to fervent prayer, knowing that only God can cause people to be born again.

Growing in our desire and concern for people’s salvation is interactive with praying for their salvation.  Paul’s prayer intensified according to his concern for people, and the concern grew during, and as a result of, his prayers.  Without both prayer and personal concern in our hearts and lives, we will not plead for men.

Our Daily Conversations

Second, as the spiritual battle rages during the day, this desire and concern for people’s salvation should continue to be our inward prayer as we assault, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the work of the evil one who blinds the eyes of the unbelieving, by begging people to be reconciled to God.  We will plead with men for God.

The Apostle Paul entreats men and women everywhere, along with all our fellow ambassadors in 2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”.  The Lord will accept all those who come to Him, for He Himself declared in John 6:37 ESV “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”  God’s success is guaranteed!

If God’s success is guaranteed, then why do we at times seem to resign from our ambassadorship?  It seems to be some fear that overtakes us:  fear of looking, feeling and being thought of as foolish; fear of not knowing what to say or how to answer questions; fear of losing friendships; fear of personal injury or loss of earthly security; fear or confrontation and discomfort; fear of personal involvement; fear of ridicule; or fear or whatever.  

But, it is in going forth with the results entrusted to God that God’s glory is put on display.  Observe Paul relying on the Spirit:

2 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV “For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you.”

If we do not speak can we truly say that we are convinced that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation?  How can we then assure ourselves that we are truly concerned for people’s needs and faithfully loving them?  Without first pleading with God for men, we will not be able to trust the Lord when we plead with men for God.

Our Life’s Labors

The work does not end with fruits of evangelism, rather the process of perfection just begins.  Disciples must be established, equipped and built up to continue the work of Christ in saving and perfecting the saints.  This is the mission of the church and the final goal is nothing less than perfection in Christ.  

Our Apostle Paul defined his ministry in this manner, in Colossians 1:28–29 ESV “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

May our lives be lived for Christ, and not for ourselves, by pleading with God for men, then pleading with men for God!

Acts 20:24–27 ESV “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. . . . Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”

When Strategic Activity Is Not Strategic Enough

Just because our church or ministry is engaged in strategic activities does not mean that our work is really strategic.  In truth, we often wonder why it is that if we are doing such strategic things there aren’t more results to show for it.  

Here are four reasons why this might be the case.

1.  Strategic Initiatives are not connected to the Vision.

Often a church or ministry will work long and hard to develop a wonderful vision statement.  But then, somehow, there is loss of sight when it comes to putting together strategic initiatives.  They are only vaguely connected to the vision, and in fact most people can’t see the connection, and so they just do them to please their leaders.

2.  Strategic Initiatives are not connected because there is no Vision.

It is common for churches and ministries to have a number of strategic initiatives in play, to be very excited about them, and consumed with their implementation.  However, without a clear vision of what these initiatives are to accomplish, it is less that strategic, and usually exhausting for those involved.

3.  Strategic Initiatives are not coordinated to work together toward the Vision.

People like to do their own thing.  And this can be a problem when it comes to strategic initiatives.  Each team leader is promoting his or her own thing, without seeing how each and every initiative is integral and needs to be coordinated with all the other initiatives for any of them to be maximally effective.  Becoming silo-ed will doom the overall vision.

4.  Strategic Initiatives are too many or too few in order to accomplish the Vision.

Another common problem is creating too many initiatives.  In reality, it only takes a handful of them to accomplish a vision.  Momentum will transfer to all the parts of an organization naturally, so relax and focus on the big things.  Conversely, uncreative or lazy thinking can lead to just a few initiatives, hoping for more results than is realistic.  It is best to take the time to plot out how exactly the strategic initiatives will lead to the desired future that is described by the vision.

Scattered Initiatives are not Really Strategic 

The common denominator in these four scenarios is that scattered attempts to achieve great ministry results simply do not work.  Good activity is not good enough.  This is not being strategic overall. 

All of us like to think we are being strategic.  The truth is that sometimes we are, sometimes we are not.  Yet, we all like to talk about our activities as if they are or might be someday revealed as amazingly strategic.  

The proof is in the results.  So, if results are not apparent, it might be that one or more of the four reasons mentioned is the reason why.  The good news is that all of them are easy to correct!

Simply return the leadership team to the vision, or create a new one together, or modify the existing one.  Then, prayerfully and wisely align strategies with the vision, trusting the Lord for direction.  Every leader and team needs to be disciplined to keep the vision, to review it often along with the strategic initiatives, and in detail.

Graveyard Conversations

Find the graveyard.  Hang out with your team.  Start talking with people.

Find a Place of Significance

Every village in this part of Asia has its places of community significance.  It might be a tree of blessing, a hill, a spot near a river or a memorial.  My personal favorite is the graveyard, because it holds so many possibilities.

It won’t take long for a crowd to start gathering to observe the three or four strangers.  A couple foreigners are fascinating, but so are a couple of Asian outsiders; and more intriguing yet is that they are visiting the village together.  Simply smile and start asking friendly questions about life in the village, its history, even try to get a tour later.  

Ask deeper questions too, about religious practices, and perspectives on life and death, since you are near a graveyard bustling with activity concerned with ancestors.  Enjoy learning about how blessings and curses work, and how people find happiness and deal with sadness.  Have the whole team participate.

These are universal topics of interest that allow us to share hopes and compassion with one another.  Listen even more closely, and prayerfully, for how the Gospel might uniquely get through, or sink into, the hearts and minds of these people who have never heard.

Hold a Deeper Conversation

By now, there are probably 50 people hanging out, watching, listening and participating.  Tell a story of two about your own family, or how your team got to know one another and why you are interested in exploring new cultures.

Read part of Genesis 1-3, a very brief part, and then tell the whole story in your own words.  As a team, talk about God the Creator and His creation.  Talk about goodness and beauty.  Talk about evil and sin.  Make sure to talk about angels and demons, because they already know about them.  Make sure to talk about humanity as unique among living creatures, possessing a soul, being created in God’s image, but now fallen, because they know nothing about this.  Be patient and prayerful as the conversation flows along.

Read part of Revelation 19-21, a very brief part, and then tell the whole story in your own words.  As a team, talk about eternity.  Talk about personhood, body and soul.  Talk about the resurrection to come.   Talk about sin, heaven and hell, the end of the world and the New Heavens and New Earth.  Go back and talk a lot more about heaven, in detail.  Be patient and prayerful as the conversation keeps moving along.

After 30 minutes or so the crowd will be a little smaller.  The critics will mostly be gone.  The main questioners for the group will stay, and many interested listeners.  Enjoy this large group discussion that will go even deeper still.

Leave Them with Hope and Anticipation

Now it is time to read part of a Gospel, just one story that illustrates salvation.  Make sure it is a story, and make sure it is clear in its meaning.   Make sure it will be simple through translation.  Then retell the story in your own words and clarify the meaning for everyone.  

Talk about Jesus Christ as Son of God become Man.  Talk about His coming into the world.  Talk about His works and words.  Give examples.  Tell a story or two about how He has changed your life.  Have a couple different team members share.

Of course, you must tell the main story about the Cross and Resurrection.  Take your time with this.  Make sure your teammates are all participating and praying.  Talk about how Jesus, and only Jesus, removes our guilt and shame before God.  Talk about holiness and purity.  

Definitely spend time talking about how He breaks the power of sin, and overcomes the power of the evil one and demonic forces and curses.  Talk about His power to bring blessings, and in all their varied forms.  Talk about peace and fear.  Tell the story about His current rule from Heaven, and His coming return and future glory.  

Tell your story.  Explain how to become a Christian.  But, please don’t have them raise their hands to receive Jesus, or any other such American silliness.  Let them think.  Let the Spirit do His work.  Simply, challenge them to talk honestly among themselves about your conversation this day.  

Be Practical and Humble

Leave them with further Gospel information in print and in video.  Exchange contact information with those most interested, especially the leaders.  Let them know that your Asian friends will return.  It is your Asian partners that best know how to do ministry and church planting among near culture unreached Asians, in the first place.  You are simply a partner and a catalyst.  So, pray for their follow up, resource them, pray for them, and rejoice with them in the harvest!

Never Regretted A Prayer Meeting

Yes, I know I am the pastor, but I still dread going to prayer meetings.  We are all the same, equally unspiritual in our reasoning and emotions about such holy activities.

Leaving Home

It takes a lot to get out the door and on the road.  Another prayer meeting—ugh!  

There are so many other things we could be doing with those 60-90 minutes.  Although in reality, we wouldn’t usually be doing anything all that important that we wouldn’t find time to finish anyway.

It is okay to say sometimes that we are tired, or just don’t feel spiritual enough to pray.  And yet, these excuses sound all too similar to those excuses we give in order not to go to the gym.  We might note that after we talk ourselves into going and exercising, then life becomes much better.  I have never regretted going to the gym.

Getting to the Meeting

Once at the meeting it is such a delight to see our friends.  And likely many of them struggled with the same fleshly or spiritual warfare struggles we did to gather together for prayer.  The enemy loves to keep us from such gatherings of encouragement, power and accomplishment.

Now we are ready.  Or, maybe we are almost ready.  After the Scriptures are read, and the world’s needs are laid out before us, we must pray!  The Spirit is at work upon our minds and hearts, to join with God in His redemptive work around the world.  And to pray for the needs in our own fellowship.

By the way, if our friends don’t make it to the meeting, what they need is our encouragement.  The last thing they need is to be reprimanded.  Better yet, tell them about your experience, be honest with your own struggles and then expound upon the blessings that exceeded your expectations!

Praying Together

When praying we become spiritual.  We see the needs of the world, especially its vast spiritual needs.  We pray and our hearts become enlarged, compassionate and yearning to become more and more involved.  

Our prayers inspire one another to pray more boldly than if praying alone, even.  When we hear what others pray, or they hear what we pray, and how God is moving upon all of us individually, we find ourselves opening up and joining in the prayers in new ways.  It is amazing how the Holy Spirit works in His Church!

Having said this, those prayer meetings that consist of two-page, single-spaced, eight-point font lists of 247 plus prayer requests need to be re-envisioned.  In addition, those prayer meetings that are led by those who cannot communicate with passion and vision the Gospel for the world need new leaders.  If it is boring, admit it, and make the necessary changes.

Returning Home

I have never regretted a prayer meeting, no matter how ornery I was at the start.  Prayer changes things, including us personally.  Ultimately, it is a matter of spiritual warfare.

Prayer meetings refresh us in faith and renew us in hope.  We find fresh application of the Gospel.  We find deeper connection with God.  And we strengthen our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world.

I can hardly wait for the next prayer meeting!  Until it comes to leaving home again.

Hostile Speech, Healing Speech

Truth can be spoken with gentleness or harshness.  Truth can also be spoken with knowledge or foolishness.

Proverbs 15:1–2 ESV “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.”

Handling Delicate Situations

When we find ourselves in situations charged with the potential for conflict, having emotional restraint and self-control in speaking is crucial.

We must speak thoughtful words, and with judicious timing.  Sometimes even starting a difficult conversation with words of comfort will be a good strategy to restore people to proper reason.

Harsh words are quick and careless and incite people to anger.  More literally here, it is “a word of pain.”  Notice it only takes one word to inflame emotions in contrast with the carefully worded longer response of the “soft answer.”

Delicate situations require spiritual diplomacy for resolution.  In addition, further wisdom is required in order to know in which situation this proverb will apply.  For not all difficult situations need or will benefit from conversations.

Adding Knowledge Helps

Notice that the wise person speaks into problematic situations in such a way as to commend knowledge.  This involves attaching knowledge to the truth spoken so that it is satisfying.  The wise person uses knowledge of life, people and Scripture rightly and effectively to help others and improve everyone’s situations.

Of course, we still can not control how others will respond to truth spoken calmly and reasonably.  But, the next verse declares that Yahweh watches, Proverbs 15:3 ESV “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”  And so as the wise, we will have a vision much larger than immediate solutions and harmony.

The fool simply gushes forth words because the foolish person is not interested in knowledge, or greater understanding.  This person is the same as the one speaking the harsh words earlier, not considering what is being said in the conversation, or how it is being said.

The words of the foolish person may indeed contain some truth, but without knowledge they sound more like folly and end up as foolishness.  There will be significant loss to everyone involved because a greater conflict is now inevitable.  Handling sensitive situations with recklessness often results is ruined reputations, damaged relationships and even material loss.

Society is Unhelpful Much of the Time

Hostile speech abounds in our society these days.  Simply listen to talk radio, watch opinion television or read internet chatter.  But do not listen to these too much, because they will dramatically impact your own attitudes and behaviors, and eventually your relationships.  This is not how we are to speak.

Instead, we are called to bring life and healing to the world.  As the next verse states in Proverbs 15:4 ESV “A gentle tongue is a tree of life.”  The Hebrew for “gentle tongue” is more literally a “healing tongue.”

Surely, we all have numerous examples from our lives to illustrate both of the approaches to sticky situations.  It is good to review our real life examples and learn from them, so we can grow in the Gospel of grace.  Ephesians 4:15 ESV “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”

So, what about those emotionally charged conversations that you have been pressing without much success?  Maybe Proverbs 15:1-2 can give you a new perspective and tactics you might try?  Ask the Lord for greater wisdom, courage, insightful action and thoughtful speech.

A Missionary’s Psalm

Psalm 121 is a favorite Psalm, especially for those in danger as a result of doing the Lord’s work.

Recently a colleague of mine had his life and family threatened in very perverse and troubling terms.  The ominous text message came because of his bold stand for righteousness in his ministry and in his community in Asia.

Precautions for him are necessary; courage to stay the course is just as necessary.  Yet, the personal anxiety and fear can only be met by the Lord Himself in His Word, through prayer and the encouragement of brothers and sisters in Christ.

Yahweh is the Keeper of All Things

“A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

This is a pilgrimage psalm.  We are all on a pilgrimage in the Christian life.  Some make more dangerous journeys than others.  Is looking at the hills a reminder of God’s power, or is this a look of anxiety because the hills are reminders that many troubles lurk there?

Yahweh is the Creator of all things and all places.  And everything and every person is under His constant control as the Creator.  Not only is there nothing to fear, but also there is no greater power or person on our side to help than Yahweh, our God!

Yahweh Keeps His People

“He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”

The first line is self-talk to remember truth and rely upon it.  At the same time it is a prayer to the Lord for those in trouble, “may He not let . . . may He not slumber.”  God is active on our behalf.  As it says in Ephesians 1:22 ESV, “And he put all things under his [Christ’s] feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.”

Clearly God does not sleep, nor is He unconcerned or uninvolved.  Take a look at the history of Israel!  Yahweh has never been caught off guard or stayed dormant in the face of His people’s troubles.  Being a member of the New People of God guarantees His concern.

Yahweh Keeps His Own Personally

“The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.”

The theme of the Psalm is that Yahweh is not only the general keeper of the universe, and the special protector of His People, but that He is also one’s personal keeper.  This is an astounding commitment of the Lord to you, if you are His!

The sun and the moon together as symbols encompass all time, all places, and all forces.  Of course we can observe the literal need of protection from the sun and its heat, but intended here as well is the protection from the evil effects of evil forces, human and demonic, so often active at night.

Yahweh Keeps Us throughout the Journey

“The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”

Here is great assurance that the Lord has all resources to overcome all evil and trouble.  Our lives, and the lives of our loved ones, are in His hands, the Great Keeper!

As servants of the Lord, we travel often on journeys, “going out” and “coming in,” to advance the cause of Christ and His Kingdom, and we have His protection while we do so.  We definitely need it, and moreso in certain parts of the world.

This is a Psalm expressing great confidence, and giving great comfort!  This is also a Psalm asking for great acts of power and protection!

The God Who Heals: Our Church’s Annual Healing Prayer Service

It is normative Christianity to minister to the sick, including praying for their healing. 

Even so, some of us might not think of this as a corporate activity.  That’s where we were as a congregation, until four years ago. Since then, each January we hold an annual healing prayer service.  

At first, this service was attended with curiosity, mild suspicion and some concern.  To be honest, every one of us was nervous to some degree.  But the reasons we felt compelled to start were two: (1) We had recently been preaching through Exodus and had encountered Yahweh Rapha (“the God who heals”); and (2) we took note of just how many people were suffering with illness in our congregation.

So we simply decided that we should ask the Lord to extend His hand and heal.

What Does Our Healing Prayer Service Look Like?

We begin with an invocation and a time of congregational singing that focuses on God’s holiness and His presence.  Then we usually turn to a time of confession.  Sometimes we find previously written prayers and recite them as a congregation. Other times we use special music.

Often we will include an extended period of silence for private confession and repentance.  This has always been a sweet time of humility before God, and a great way to prepare ourselves to seek His will and trust His goodness.

Throughout the entire service, which lasts one-and-a-half to two hours, the Holy Spirit confirms our desperate need for Christ’s full redemptive work on our behalf, and He ministers to us the full hope we have in Him.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:2-5, ESV).

After more singing, we listen to a brief message on healing and perhaps a few testimonies from those who have recently experienced God’s healing power or sustaining grace.  The Holy Spirit uses this time to encourage a mood of thankfulness and expectation in us.

We also spend significant time in prayer for one another.  We set up circles of chairs on opposite ends of the sanctuary, with several elders at each.  Everyone is encouraged to go forward for prayer, whatever their need, and our elders hear concerns, offer brief words of counsel, share Scripture, and then minister by anointing with oil, laying on of hands and prayer.  This is all after the pattern of James 5:14-16.

It is a joyful privilege of the elders to then follow up with people, seeing the grace and mercy God has granted.

What Exactly Do We Teach About Healing?

The teaching time is important to bring clarity to this topic, to remove fears, to set the context for the evening, to teach how to pray and to manage expectations.  Much of our teaching and approach is indebted to Wayne Grudem, former professor of systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School—from class notes and from his Systematic Theology.

We talk about how a biblical theology of healing always points to the mercy of God in Christ now and the hope we have for ultimate healing in our resurrection.  We warn people about wrong approaches, and we offer reasons why God might heal and His pleasure in doing so.

We mention three common mistakes: (1) not praying for healing; (2) creating an atmosphere of low expectations (God seldom, if ever, heals); and (3) creating an atmosphere of particular expectations (God always heals if . . . one has enough faith, sees the right healer man or stops sinning, etc.).

We discuss the wide range of healing: from God’s normal work through predictable means, to those times when He makes it more obvious that He is the Healer. We talk about miracles.  We talk about death.  We teach extensively on the value of suffering and weakness, and how significant they are for discipleship.

We review healings in the Bible and counsel against judging others in matters of seeking healing or not, and against presuming to know God’s will for others.

At times, the Holy Spirit moves people to seek healing, while at other times He gives them grace to rest, content without healing in the present.  Regardless, the Holy Spirit guides us in our prayers and communicates all the graces of God in our souls.

He also gifts individuals with the gift of healing.  Simply put, God chooses certain people through whom He answers prayers for healing more than through others. It is similar to any other spiritual gift in this regard, although we are not aware of anyone who has this gift in our body at this time.

How Have We Seen God Work?

Reports come in that evening about God’s work in healing, and they continue to come in over the next couple of weeks.  We have experienced healing of what we might consider the normal illnesses of life and also the more significant physical ailments.  We have seen Him answer doubts, lift depression, purge sin, restore relationships and revive souls.

Most recently, a woman asked for prayer for general weakness and shortness of breath, which was rapidly worsening and for which her doctors had no answers.  Only days after the service, she was admitted to the hospital with severe anemia.  After a transfusion and several tests, she returned to health.

Although it has been determined that she was bleeding internally, no real medical explanation has been offered as to the cause of the bleeding or to her continued good health now.  We know without a doubt that God has healed her.

Although God is at work in amazing ways in our lives all the time, the healing service serves to focus our prayers and to cause us to see with greater clarity God’s hand at work in our congregation.  Most people experience some kind of renewal.  Even our children experience personal revival from a heightened sense of sin and the importance of an intimate relationship with God through Christ.

Everyone learns how to pray better—to pray openly, confidently and with faith that God will always glorify Himself in answer to our prayers.  God is glorified both in His healing now and in His not healing now.  Ultimately, all prayers for healing will be answered at the day of resurrection glory.

This annual service has become one of our church’s favorite times together.  It is a time to grow in humility.  It is a time to rejoice in all the benefits of our God. Our benediction for all is from our apostle John (3 John 1:2 ESV): “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”

(This blog entry was originally published as an article, co-authored with Raymy Krumrei, in the Fall 2007 issue of EFCA Today, copyright Evangelical Free Church of America.)