Back to Basics

(Bible passages in this post taken from the King James Version)

Sometimes we need to revisit the basics, especially when many pastors are, for the most part, not teaching it anymore.

 Today I'll touch on #1, hearing the word.

The passage that Romans 10:17 comes from is talking about reaching out to Israel, and the fact that other nations are actually being blessed by the fact that Israel rejected the Messiah, and that the Lord will use it to provoke Israel to jealousy.

 Romans 10:13-21  

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

 and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

 and how shall they hear without a preacher?  

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? 

as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!   

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. 

For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?   

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  

But I say, Have they not heard? 

Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.  But I say, Did not Israel know? 

First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.  

But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.  

But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. 

Although I agree with the above tidy little synopsis of what needs to happen in order to be saved, there is much, much more that is going on in the process that goes beyond human ability to perform. Not all who hear the truth receive it, and yet all who hear it receive it with gladness. It is  a paradox.

Act 28:26-28  Saying, Go unto this people, and say, 

Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; 

and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:   

For the heart of this people is waxed gross,

 and their ears are dull of hearing, 

and their eyes have they closed; 

lest they should see with their eyes,

 and hear with their ears, 

and understand with their heart, 

and should be converted, 

and I should heal them.   

Be it known therefore unto you, 

that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, 

and that they will hear it.

There it is again, the emphasis of the truth spreading to other nations as a result of Israel's neglecting to receive it, having hardened their hearts to the act of hearing from the Lord. Something else that is given in this passage is the fact that there are two types of hearing: 1. hearing that hears and 2. hearing that doesn't hear. 

There is a supernatural element (and let me be clear when I use the word "supernatural" it isn't in a new age magical sense of the word) that involves a proper searching, a heart that is humbled before God receives from Him, whereas a haughty, self-righteous, self-promoting, self-centered heart hardens itself against what God says, and even though persons with hard hearts hear the words, those words do nothing to enrich those prideful, selfish, hardened persons hearing them. We have all been there haven't we? I know that I have been there. There have been several occasions that people reached out to me with God's word to me, and those words fell on my deaf ears that couldn't hear Him, couldn't penetrate my hard heart. But when the Lord did it, I wasn't even looking for Him at the time, yet He softened my heart to hear a family that reached out to me in love. He opened my deaf ears to hear for the first time the words that I in my worldly wisdom had scoffed at. Yes, it was supernatural, it was a miracle, but it was such a quiet one, one that had no magical, dazzling, spectacular special effects to bring everyone around to gasping in excited exclamations of wonder. It was a very quiet and humble miracle, just like all other miracles that humbly meet us every day, the ones we for the most part take for granted. 

With eyes to see and ears to hear, the commonplace, the every day things, take on special significance of the many wonderful blessings, miracles, that Jesus performs for us on a continual basis, by which He sustains our lives...until it is time to go to be with Him, or, for those who have not received, have continued to harden their hearts, have continued to insist they know better than the God of the Bible, those will be eternally without Him, only having their own tormenting thoughts to keep them company throughout eternity.   

We can go back and forth, and round and round, whether it ends up being God's fault that many never hear in the saving sense of the word, or whether it is man's fault (false teachers not getting the true word out and rebellious hearts rejecting the truth when it is correctly presented) and I have settled it in my own mind that God knows perfectly what He is doing and He doesn't make mistakes. Man does make mistakes, every day, anyone who does not agree with that fact is very deluded indeed. So in my humble estimation of who is at fault, I would never be so presumptuous as to say it is God who is to be blamed for people going to hell. 

Another factor that needs bringing up in the matter of hearing the truth is prayer. We need to pray for our unsaved loved ones, friends, family, and even strangers who cross our paths. Many pray for frivolous things, or even things that are  not frivolous such as the health and temporal well-being of others, which may or may not receive an answer to the petitioner's liking. Much better to pray for something of eternal significance; the salvation of the lost. That is something of eternal value, all the rest will eventually fade and die anyway. When our prayers for the lost together with the true word going out to them reach the lost via the Holy Spirit of God, a revival of God's quiet and humble miracle of salvation can ignite in the lives of the hearers, having their ears opened by the true and powerful living God, to whom all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Next time I'll tackle #2.

Seeing Contradictions Where There Are None

Great sermon by R.C. Sproul, in this sermon he asks the question: "Why (in our natural state) do we hate what God says?" Great question, one that he touches on but requires years of personal reflection and study (and to study this honestly one has to submit to the Lord in careful Bible study, daily study) to answer for yourself. In seeing what atheists and "former Christians" amuse themselves with saying, I see right away where and how they misuse what the scriptures say. Why do they do that? Interesting question. Somewhat of a side note on what R.C.Sproul mentions in this sermon is what is told us about Ahab, and I want to zero in particularly what happens to Ahab at the end of his life, and how it meshes with what the true prophets of God had told him would happen about his death. One prophet had mentioned that the dogs would lap up his blood at a pool where he had someone put to death so he could steal his property. Another prophet of God told him he would die in battle. It seems like a contradiction to the untrained eye...but how it plays out in real life solves this in the fact that Ahab does indeed die in battle, his blood pours out all over the chariot he is riding in, so his servants take the chariot and wash out all Ahab's blood at the very pool where he (Ahab) had shed the blood because of greed and covetousness. No Contradictions, both true.
edit: I can no longer find the R.C. Sproul sermon, but this short clip talks a bit about what can be seen as Bible contradictions...but are they really?
Anyway, I hope you take the time to listen to this:

To Speak or not to Speak...

 Colossians 4:5  Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Colossians 4:6  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Titus 3:2  speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.


James_1:19  Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger
James_2:12  So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.

Let me say right off the bat that I agree that many are "preaching" incorrectly, taking verses out of context etc., and that is not what I hope to do with bringing up these verses. I agree that we should speak up about the things that go contrary to God's word, no question about that...but lately I've been pondering on how to truly be led to do so in the Spirit of the Lord, and not with a contentious spirit (of that I have been often guilty, to my shame). Paul asked for doors to be opened:



Colossians_4:3  At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—


and this where he said a wide door:


1Corinthians 16:8  But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
1Corinthians 16:9  for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.


and this one:

2Co 2:12  When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord,
2Co 2:13  my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.
2Co 2:14  But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.


I hope that I will be more obedient to follow the Lord's leading on when and where to speak, and when to remain quiet and watch, paying attention to what Jesus would have me understand, about the doors He opens, and the doors He closes. I hope this will be your desire in Him as well.

Hearing God's Voice

There are many that claim they hear from God these days. They claim to have received a "word of prophecy" or something like that and the proof is in the pudding. We can compare what they say with what the Bible says, and then if it is inconclusive we can say "I'll wait and see and whether I believe them or not God is always true."

Dr. Peter Masters who preaches at the Metropolitan Tabernacle of London England expounds on hearing God's voice in this message:

We Were All God's Enemies

 image link

Psalm Chapter 2

  Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  

The kings of the earth set themselves,

 and the rulers take counsel together, 

against the LORD and against his Anointed,

 saying, 

  "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." 

He who sits in the heavens laughs; 

the Lord holds them in derision. 

  Then he will speak to them in his wrath,

 and terrify them in his fury,

 saying, 

  "As for me, 

I have set my King on Zion, 

my holy hill." 

 I will tell of the decree: 

The LORD said to me, 

"You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, 

and the ends of the earth your possession. 

  You shall break them with a rod of iron

 and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 

 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;

 be warned, O rulers of the earth. 

  Serve the LORD with fear, 

and rejoice with trembling. 

  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, 

and you perish in the way, 

for his wrath is quickly kindled. 

Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (KJV)

There are many in today's world who rage against God, and against His appointed rulers of this world and against all authority of any kind. The Lord's outright opponents, the haters, the blasphemers, seething with anger and hate, are not His only opponents. We find in the New Testament that we all (at one time or another) were His enemies, not just those who "put on a show" about it:

  .... 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.  Romans 5:10

 Something I have yet to grow into (Lord help me) is when a person, or persons, gets hostile, and thereby do the things which reveals to me they are my enemy(ies).  I would hazard to say that most people today are God's enemies and therefore because I abide in Him they are by extension also my enemies. However, many are not openly hostile and ugly. Many of them are seemingly model citizens, but their words reveal their rebellion against the Son, and therefore also against the Father, and are "inwardly seething" (Psalm 62:4; Matthew 7:15). Sure they can put up a good front (can't we all?) and seem like they are "nice people", however eventually the truth will come out about who is truly against us and who is for us and with us, with our God (1 John 2:19), they can't hide out forever. 

And yet, not all of them will remain His enemies. I was every bit His enemy (although mostly I thought I was a "good person") and even though I was only "nice" on the outside and thoroughly sinful and deceitful on the inside, the Lord chose to reveal that fact to me and rescue me out of that horrible condition. Should that make me proud??? Of course not. My flesh would like me to be, and at times I do slip into such a Pharisaical condition.....and then the Lord corrects me and reminds me that I was no better, and that any virtue that I have today is only possible because He is virtuous, and His life has been infused with mine. That is humbling, and when I dwell upon my fleshy condition too long, it is down right mortifying. 

And that is why we are to meditate on Him, on His holiness and goodness and purity. When I dwell upon the flesh, this world's evil condition and my own weaknesses and shortcomings, it brings me down, I get depressed, and then I am to bring it up to the Father in prayer, and rejoice in the fact that it is all working together for good for those who love the Lord (Romans 8:28).

"God Doesn't Make Junk" Part One

This is a quote I've heard often...and it is true, yet and however, the Bible does tell us that the good that God created had a potential for becoming bad, and as we can see, it did.

The things of this world, including you and I, are decaying and dying. Yet God made a way to infuse us with His Spirit, but it is done under His conditions, and He causes the healthy changes, not our will...not our religion, not our goodness...His power, His will and done His way.

I've done quite a few posts on the topic of falling away on my other blog I wanted to have this blog to focus more on the Bible, mostly on refreshing and uplifting topics...

The Vision

Habakkuk 2:3  For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie.

 If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come;
it will not delay. 

Habakkuk 2:4  "Behold, his soul is puffed up;

 it is not upright within him,

 but the righteous shall live by his faith. (KJV)

We must if we truly believe the Lord, wait on Him, wait on His timing. A true belief doesn't one day say "Ok, it wasn't ever true"...it hangs on through thick and thin because the Holy Spirit within him/her is true and He won't ever let go of His own.

If anyone ever says God is untrue, he/she is deceived, and trying to get others to join him/her in his/her deception. Don't let such a one recruit you into their delusion but hold fast to what the Lord says, through His power, by His Spirit, and prove to yourself that your election is true.

Truth

Do we, as Christians, believe Jesus words? Is God's word true? Or are the philosophies that say "There are distortions" or "There are contradictions" or "The Bible's message changed throughout the ages, hell was added later" are these the ones telling the truth?

What did Jesus say?

Jesus said "there WILL BE weeping and gnashing of teeth"  5 times recorded in the gospels.

Matthew 8:12

Matthew 22:13

Matthew 24:51

Matthew 25:30

Luke 13:28

Regarding the sheep and the goats, Jesus said:

Matthew 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.(KJV)

He couldn't really have meant EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT could He? That's probably a mistranslation...or probably that was added later by a monk who was having a bad day...either we believe the Bible, or we will want to change it and believe those who say "it couldn't really have meant it the way it is being exegeted, it must have changed over time or mistranslated". Jesus is "too loving" to allow for this, isn't He?

What about this famous passage:

Matthew 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Matthew 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (KJV)


The way that leads to Jesus is narrow and few find it...what? How unfair! No that cannot be true. The Bible must be lying. It actually says "EVERYONE GOES TO HEAVEN, THERE IS NO HELL" doesn't it? I heard a college professor tell people so when she explained how the Bible's message added hell after the time of Daniel. That's probably where Jesus got the idea, right? Then do you also not believe that Jesus is God and was with the Father from the beginning? Do you also not believe that He raised Lazarus from the dead and that He Himself is raised from the dead?

Jesus said:

Luke 16:31  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (KJV)

So who shall we believe? Jesus? Or shall we change things around a bit so that we will "feel better" about ourselves and get around those sticky verses that make us uncomfortable. Let's just make it that EVERYONE goes to heaven. Forget about what Jesus said, that stuff about the straight and narrow that not many will find. Who needs it? Too depressing. Everyone can go, because all we have to do is change what we believe and then all is well. Who cares where such philosophies will lead to because everyone will go to heaven. Period. End of discussion. You can talk all you want to, but now that I have my mind made up, no one, not even Jesus, can change it.

REALLY?

Matthew 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Matthew 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Matthew 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Matthew 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Matthew 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (KJV)


What foundation do you have your ideas based on? Feelings? Theories? Someone's new religion? Or is it based on what Jesus said?

The only sin that can keep us from truly being born again is rejecting the truth and filling ourselves up with vain doctrines of men. Jesus said to enter into His kingdom we must be born again. It has to be all of Him in our lives, to be regenerated by His Spirit.

 Romans 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Romans 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Romans 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (KJV)


and remember:

 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,  
 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.   
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  
 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 
 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 
 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.   
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.   
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Matthew 5:2-13 (KJV)

Don't believe the lies. There are many of them "out there". Some do it to make a profit. Some do it to get around the truth of God's word because they think it is "too hard"...it's impossible without the Spirit...you must be born again. There's no way around it. Is that unfair? Is that mean and unloving? No. It just is the way it is. Those who reject it are the unloving ones, because they reject the way of Truth, the way of our merciful and loving God.

The Root of the Problem

In Monday's blog entry I included an excerpt by C.H. Spurgeon that had this quote:

"Piety produced by the damps of sorrow and the heats of terror is of mushroom growth; it is rapid in its springing up—"they enquired early after God"—but it is a mere unsubstantial fungus of unabiding excitement."

It reminds me of this from Jesus:


 Luke 8:6  And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.


Luke 8:9  And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
Luke 8:10  And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

 Luke 8:13  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

There are a few things to notice in this passage:

!. In this soil-type (rock) Jesus first says as soon as it was sprung up it withered away "because it lacked moisture" but in His explanation He says "these have no root".

Think about this for a moment...if a plant has "no root", how can it draw up moisture into the plant? How can it draw up "living water" into the plant?

There is a depth and quality to the plant that is in healthy soil which is lacking in this plant, which only grows "on the surface". Something deep where other people do not see, but Jesus sees, is not happening in these "plants" (converts). The book of Matthew (Matthew 13:21) adds that it is as persecution arises, they are offended. They want all of the goodies with none of the bother and difficulties. When they hear about hell, or suffering, they think "A God who truly loves me wouldn't put me through all of that. This isn't for me".

2. Notice that the disciples didn't understand the parable, and Jesus says to them that others have not been given, but they are given  to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Why? Because they confessed that they didn't understand, and they ASKED HIM to explain the meaning to them. They didn't go to a secular or "secular Christian" source to understand the meaning, the sought the answer from Jesus.

3. In the parable Jesus first says the seedlings on the rocky soil "sprang up", giving the picture that they rose quickly, and in His explanation He says that they receive the word with joy, and that they believe "for a while" What a sad commentary on what we see all around us. I can turn on TBN or other televised "Christian shows" which have people jumping up and down and crying or laughing and swaying with their hands up in the air. You would think this land is in full revival, and yet....where are these people in real life? What happens to them once they exit their pews? Will such "converts" still "love the Lord" when the heavy persecution comes? I hope so, but according to Jesus words, they have no real root. It is all on the surface for show. Their is no real depth to their love.

I too confess that this was something that I sought the Lord over. I didn't want to be a false convert, who only wanted to look pious so that others would admire me for "my goodness" because that is what Jesus rejected the Pharisees over. I knew that I had to be better than that, and saw from the scriptures if I relied on myself to understand the Lord, I would be "ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth", even if I studied only the Bible every day of my life but never turned to Jesus to understand what I was reading, it would all be for nothing. He has to be the One to explain it, to give life and root to His word. Otherwise we become like the Greeks or the Pharisees and Sadducees in their vain philosophies and empty traditions. But Jesus brings true life to His word, and nourishes from the ground up in our inner being where no one but He can see our true development into members of His true kingdom.

I pray for more seed to fall on "good ground" that has deep roots into the truth of God's word, instead of shallow "Christians" that love all the vain philosophies that abound.

The Sound in the Mulberry Trees

This sermon by C.H. Spurgeon is lovely and refreshing. I hope if anyone hears it, they will take the full time to listen all the way through...to not make a judgment at the 5 or 10 minute mark and decide they don't need to hear more, because you will rob yourself of some of the richest blessings that come from hearing the full of it all the way through. What a sweet, sweet blessing.

The Spiritual "Experience"

Too much emphasis is placed on experience of a mystical kind in proving a walk with the Lord. Jesus said a wicked generation seeks after a sign. I too am often guilty of wanting to give too much attention to "signs and wonders" in my own life and experiences. Yes the Lord speaks to us, and the Holy Spirit often encourages me by reminding me of the perfect verse that applies to the very moment so sweetly. But for the most part life goes on and on without a word from Him, except for from His word, the Bible. Today I stumbled onto a wonderful blog that addresses this issue.

Excerpt:

A question.  Is it correct to reckon the Lord as a distant lighthouse, toward whom we sail tirelessly across a tumultuous, inky expanse?  This risks violating the spirit of some 1930s hymn, perhaps, but the simplest answer is "no."  If we are not lovers and followers of Christ, then our course across these hypothetical waters is as dark as our hearts.  If, however, we are Jesus' mothers and brothers and sisters, as He Himself described (Matt. 12:46-50), then He is - wonder of wonders - already with us, with us in this very instant.

The zenith of our religious experience, then, is not to be had in bending a quiet knee before a cold statue in some hushed place, nor yet in that prideful glow of deservedness that sometimes goads people into trying good works (they call it karma).  The wonder of our spiritual experience issues from the truth that God is with us and that we may know Him.  We may worship and serve Him directly; we may understand the humanly discernible parts of His character, and we may even be assured by His Spirit, who dwells within us, of His love for us.  Incredible! 

It is no wonder, then, that Christians are designed to desire nearness with God.  We know from Philippians 4:5 that God is near to His children, but we also know from James 4:8 that we may, with our choices, widen that nearness.  Even a very young believer knows the dull ache that comes from distance with the Lord, and a very mature believer recognizes that even one's best days do not usually foster the immense closeness with God that we grow to desire. 
 
How, then, do we strengthen our spiritual intimacy with our Creator and Savior?  Paul proclaims that God is near in Philippians 4:5, as we mentioned, and four verses later, he delivers these useful words:  "the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you."  Imitate my teachings and my actions, says Paul, and you invite the intimacy and intervention of God. 

A word of encouragement to the two involved parties in this transaction described in Philippians 4:9:

To the everyday believer:
This is not a mystical stream which we are to tap; this is obedience from the heart, by the power of the Spirit, to the precepts of Scripture - that obedience which is classified as love toward our God (John 15:14), and which is not, to our hearts, a cumbersome affair (1 John 5:3).  Of course our God will be with us, providing aid and comfort, as we avow our love for Him through ready, willing compliance to His righteous standards! 

 A note about the specific obedience urged here in Philippians 4:  it is centered upon adherence to Paul's godly teaching, of course, but also upon his godly example.  When we regard the godly examples in our lives of those who teach us, like Paul, with the eye of biblical discernment, we are afforded a vista of biblical truth in action.  This is the idea of epignosis in the Greek - God's truth married with the godly experience that demonstrates that truth (we have looked at this in Phil. 1:9 before).  This is indeed a powerful blessing - to see God's Word for His people upheld and proven in the life of someone strong in the faith.  It brings encouragement and rejoicing in times of temptation, and it speaks to the wisdom and necessity of placing oneself in the care of godly teachers.

Read the rest here

Aha Moment

Joh 17:1  These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
Joh 17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Joh 17:4  I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
Joh 17:5  And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Joh 17:6  I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
Joh 17:7  Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
Joh 17:8  For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Joh 17:9  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
Joh 17:10  And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
Joh 17:11  And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
Joh 17:12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Joh 17:13  And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Every once in a while I have one of those "aha moments"...and what is REALLY COOL is when my husband and I have one together. This happened while at church a few months ago. Our pastor, Kent Clark  was speaking on what Jesus went through on our behalf, and then made a startling comment. He said that Jesus did not give Himself to us but gave Himself to the Father and then the Father gave those whom He had chosen to the Son. My DH and I both almost jumped up out of our seats and looked at each other and said "wow!" Pastor Clark, or rather the Holy Spirit through pastor Clark delivered a powerful word that hit us both right at the same time.

So often we hear about Jesus offering Himself to us, and that is completely incorrect. He offered Himself to the Father. If the Father rejected His sacrifice, it all would have been for nothing. But the Father accepted Jesus' sacrifice for our sins. THAT is the defining moment, when the Father accepted the sacrifice and out of that the Father gave to the Son those whom He had chosen.

 Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Evangelizing (telling others about Jesus)

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

Who was Jesus talking to here? Only the apostles? Does He speak to each of us individually even today to teach and preach? Or was that only for at that frozen moment in time?

This is an enormous topic and I'm only going to scratch a tiny bit of the surface here, because this involves the history of the church, parsing this (above Bible text) and other passages of scripture, as well as much personal testimony and that is something, although very valuable and I hope that everyone researches church history and scrutinizes Bible passages carefully to see how it should shape our lives today, it is too immense to put all into a single blog post.

A brief overview of church history (brief to the extreme, please don't think this enough information to now believe you "know" church history, lol). In the very beginnings of the church, there were many who had seen the flesh and blood Jesus here on earth. The Apostle Paul didn't see Jesus before the ascension but he did have a direct visitation from Him after His ascension on the road to Damascus. It was dangerous to be a Christian....but why? As the years went on there were persons and events that brought Christianity to the masses (Constantine, Charlemagne) and "Christianized" Europe, enforcing "Christianity" (this is a complex issue in itself, there may have been some who truly became Christians as a result of these events). Protestants separated from the Catholic Church, and then itself separated into several splinter groups --evangelicals (such as Wesleyans, Baptists) separated from their reformation brothers (such as Lutherans, Presbyterians --  nicknamed the "frozen chosen" because many did not have a heart to reach out to evangelize those outside of their groups and had very formal and often ritualized -- i.e."cold" and "dead" meetings). Revivals brought new life to congregations, however there were also many heresies that often slipped in with each successive wave of change ---as the devil would have it, yet God still is over all.

The Apostle Paul said:
Php 1:15  Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
Php 1:16  The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
Php 1:17  But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
Php 1:18  What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.



That isn't to say that care shouldn't be given to how the message of the gospel is shared, in fact many go with much zeal sharing a "gospel" that isn't the gospel at all, and that isn't what Paul is saying here. We need to be mindful of our Lord and what He did for us, and share the truth about Him in our thanksgiving to Him, and pray that He will open opportunities for us to speak about Him, and trust that He will give us words that are pure and true to share with others who are lost and dying in their sins.

Col 4:2  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Col 4:3  Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
Col 4:4  That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Col 4:5  Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Col 4:6  Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.


And this isn't to "lord it over" people so that they will idolize YOU (God forbid), nor is it to be out of fear because our God demands these things out of us, although perhaps that can be a beginning point. He is our friend when He has made peace with us, and that friendship does have some requirements, but this can come out of us "naturally" (supernaturally?), but we can quench His Spirit:

 Luk 11:33  No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 

And

  Mat 25:14  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
Mat 25:15  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Mat 25:16  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
Mat 25:17  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
Mat 25:18  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
Mat 25:19  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
Mat 25:20  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
Mat 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Mat 25:22  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
Mat 25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 

Mat 25:24  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
Mat 25:25  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 
 
Mat 25:26  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Mat 25:27  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Mat 25:28  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
Mat 25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 

Mat 25:30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Acting out of fear to reach others with God's word isn't good, we are people of faith after all. Yet however,  we can go to the other extreme and not go out at all because we might "get it all wrong" or might get other people angry, or might drive others further away from the Lord or what have you, there are many reasons that we can become that unprofitable servant mentioned above. God tells us He will provide the words we need to say as He moves us with His Holy Spirit, and He will open the doors, as we pray for the opportunity to share the truth of the marvelous things God does and can do in lives, transforming others with the words He provides us....but not if we quench His Spirit and tell the Lord to do it some other way besides using the gifts we want to keep buried regarding telling the lost about Jesus.



Luk 8:4  And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:
Luk 8:5  A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
Luk 8:6  And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
Luk 8:7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
Luk 8:8  And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Luk 8:9  And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
Luk 8:10  And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
Luk 8:11  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Luk 8:12  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
Luk 8:13  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
Luk 8:14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
Luk 8:15  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Luk 8:16  No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
Luk 8:17  For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
Luk 8:18  Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

Let the love that those who are His be the genuine love that loves to share the truth about Jesus, especially when it gets us hated or killed, that we "love not our lives unto death" and let that love abound the more as persecution grows, so that many may grow in grace and the true knowledge that comes through knowing Jesus as we lay down our lives and our flesh for Him.

Memory

image link

As I get older, my memory seems to get worse and worse. Sometimes I'll be in cleaning in one room and realize that I need something that is in another room, but by the time I reach the other room the reason for going there completely escapes me.

Often I ponder how the memory works. Having taken anatomy and physiology courses, I know about the scientific explanations for these things; the firing of synapses, the storing of information in long-term and short-term memories, and how a song or a fragrance can suddenly bring to mind something that happened so long ago that you are surprised by it's sudden recollection...

But why do I suddenly recall a verse that Jesus spoke which has been lovingly recorded into our Bible, remembering the exact words at a time when I need them the most? Like when a temptation confronts me and suddenly the verse:

1Corinthians 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

enters quietly "out of nowhere"....really? Out of nowhere? Or is it MY wondrous ability? This incredible brain that I have in my head, capable of retrieving at any instant beyond my conscious control, vast stores of knowledge, and because my brain knows that I am a Christian, MY BRAIN chooses from it's memory banks the correct Bible verse to bring to mind at that moment I NEED it the most? Is that how it works? Is that what the Bible tells us? Or does God still speak to His own today...and do most of His own take the credit for it for being so self-righteous that such spiritual thinking comes so easily of our own ability to make it so?

The gospel of John tells us:

John 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Oh, yeah, the Holy Spirit...I remember Him! He is God! And He still speaks to us, even today, when many say that God is silent and only speaks while we are reading what we read in His word, the Bible. True, the Holy Spirit does reveal His word to us while we are reading His word. But He also reminds us of the things He has said in His word. 

Does this make me arrogant? To think that I am so precious to God that He would speak to me, to remind me of His caring for me, His words of comfort, and caution, and love? No. It humbles me. It reminds me that I can do nothing of myself. It reminds me of how dependent I am of Him, and how much He cares for me. 

I am grateful that I am getting more and more absent minded, because it serves as a reminder of how much I need Jesus, need His Comforter, His Holy Spirit, Who reminds me of His love and protection over me.

But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.   

My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.   

I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.   

O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. 

  

Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.   

Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!   Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles,

 shalt quicken me again, 

and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 

Thou shalt increase my greatness, 

and comfort me on every side. 

Psalm 71:14-21

The Mystery of the Gospel

John MacArthur explains the tension between the sovereignty of God, and the sharing of the Gospel...why witness?

More Than Dreams

Just saw this on CBN website, and have viewed these stories before, they are beautifully done, and tell a few of the stories of how Jesus is touching some Muslims to bring them to understanding the truth about Himself. You can see the full videos online, and recommend them very highly:

http://www.morethandreams.org/index.html

Conversations With Jesus Part 3

Recently there has been a bit of a disagreement on DebbieLynne's blog about the topic of whether Jesus actually communicates with His saints in ways other than (through divine intervention of His Holy Spirit)  through hearing His voice from the pages of His book, the Bible, and then only during the time while one is reading.

To give a bit of personal background, I have never been in the "Charismatic movement", and what little I have seen and heard from them directed me away from their forms of worship and teaching. I did come from a very legalistic upbringing, then married a Mormon and was involved in that cult for a few years, and then out of that frying pan into the fires of the New Age Movement, out of which the Lord Jesus by His mercy saved me.

DebbieLynne maintains (as many people do) that Jesus does not talk to people in any other way except through His book only during the moments we are actually reading, and to say that He speaks to us in our spirit at other times, is not only inaccurate (or downright false) but very dangerous and misleading, and causes one to only depend on oneself and one's own feelings, etc.

I admit (and also admitted to DebbieLynne) that there are many persons with false agendas who write books to make money that have come up with all kinds of schemes to manipulate God into speaking to us in any way possible, and they are often those who are influenced by pagan types of mysticism and false worship. However, one must be careful when trying to avoid the false, to not thereby go to the opposite extreme and call anything that might have a faint resemblance to the false also false (thereby "throwing out the baby with the bathwater", as the saying goes).

There always is that danger of when trying to avoid something that we know is wrong, of then going to the opposite end of that spectrum in order to avoid making the same mistake. If, however, by doing so, one then blocks out the Holy Spirit's promptings, or even worse, call His promptings "satanic deceptions", we have a problem.

Mar 3:22  And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Mar 3:23  And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
Mar 3:24  And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
Mar 3:25  And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Mar 3:26  And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
Mar 3:27  No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
Mar 3:28  Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
Mar 3:29  But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Mar 3:30  Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

Yes, I have seen the above verses used by charismatic "healers" to hide behind, but truly God will judge them, and we have no need to be fearful because of them, and then avoid the above counsel because it will then make us like them. The above counsel IS in the Bible, and Jesus did have it there for a reason. There is a warning there about attributing what is given by God  to the devil. Let us instead be discerning, and thankful to God, for His goodness, and His mercy, and His Holy Spirit who leads us and teaches us. He is not limited in how He chooses to interact with us, His sheep, who hear His voice, and are called by His name. He doesn't require us to do any "quiet listening rituals" or whatever, to hear Him.

Joh 10:25  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 

Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Joh 14:25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.



I'll try not to make this a "hobbyhorse issue" of mine. ;)

Conversations With Jesus Part 2

The past couple of months....well, actually, the past couple of years, have been difficult and challenging for me. It seems to have intensified for me in the recent weeks, and true, I may be bringing alot of this onto myself still a sinner, saved by God's mercy and grace.

Yesterdays post included many scripture passages which spoke about the topic of prayer, and although I bolded some of the words, I didn't add any of my own thoughts to it, mainly because my thoughts have been especially difficult to communicate lately. There's more that I can say about that but I'll say it with this:

Jer 20:9  Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Jer 20:10  For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. 



I fully feel these words.



So last night I was thinking about a couple of people in my life with whom things came to an ugly head, and the headache that was pounding ever more painful in my head (have had a headache since Friday morning, today it's much better, thank the Lord!) also brought to my mind someone dear to me who is suffering from brain cancer and the pain she must be going through. Then there was a darkness so thick that it was darker than the room, like a light had turned off inside my head, a darkness you can feel, oppressive and thick. As it encompassed me the thought: "be prepared to die". I was a little frightened at first, and then remembered the verse that I was studying in an article yesterday:

 1Th 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Even though I sensed darkness all around me, I know I am not "of darkness", it can surround me but not overtake me. Then it passed.

This morning, I wanted to do something, to continue conversations with two persons that are primary sources of difficulty right now...persons that have made it known to me that they want nothing to do with me...and I still want to "fix" the situations myself. Sigh. And I had determined that I would attempt to continue to try....and the thought: SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU stopped me....(both situations involve women and this counsel would apply to each one) and I stopped to think...and remembered to pray for my "enemies"...

and

Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Mat 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

I'm not saying that I didn't deserve rebuking, I probably failed the "speak the truth IN LOVE" admonition, miserably...so I kept trying to clarify with "what I meant was.."...and although true, of course it didn't work, sigh, but only made each one respectively, angrier. Yeah. However, there it is....so pray....trying to sit on my hands to prevent my doing what I want to do, which doing would only pick at the wound. They have kicked me out of their town, so to speak:

Mat 10:14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.


Not to kick sand in their face, but to shake it off, so I don't continue to carry my hurt, my disappointment, my anger, or any other ugly things that can be clinging to me that would effect my walk, to shake it off, and then move on....let it GO....ok, definitely need the Lord's help with that one, lol. I can be like a pit bull when it comes to letting things go. Sheesh.


So I'm praying for "my enemies" that the Lord will reveal Himself to them in their hurting, and that they may come to fully know the true grace and mercy that flows from His throne, that they may

be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col 1:9)

and that
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in [them] (2 Thes 1:12)

......and leave those requests with Him, to be fulfilled as He sees fit, in HIS time and HIS way, not mine. :)

 

Conversations With Jesus

Something that DebbieLynne said recently about scripture being copyrighted had me a bit confused, but perhaps the newer versions do have some sort of copyright on them, so all the verses I will present will be from the King James Version, which I do believe has no copyright issues attached.

Image link

I was going to add my thoughts about prayer along with Bible text, but I think it probably best to let the Bible speak for itself on this topic. There are a few other posts where I touch on the topic:

Psalm 23

The 23rd Psalm Revisited

Prayer of the Synergist

Joseph's Troubles

 This is just a beginning point, and is by no means exhaustive. Here are some verses that mention things which we can pray for others and also what we might ask the Lord for ourselves:

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Mat 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Mat 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

Mat 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

 

Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Luk 18:2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

Luk 18:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

Luk 18:4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

Luk 18:5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

Luk 18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

Luk 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

Luk 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Luk 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye

might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Col 1:10

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Col 1:11

Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

Col 1:12

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

(pray):

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Th 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you,

that our God would

count you worthy of this calling,

and

fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness,

and

the work of faith with power:

2Th 1:12

That

the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you,

and

ye in him,

according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Ti 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where,

lifting up holy hands,

without wrath and doubting.

Heb 13:18 Pray for us:

for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

Jas 5:13 Is any among you afflicted?

let him pray.

Is any merry?

let him sing psalms.

Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you?

let him call for the elders of the church;

and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Jas 5:17 Elias was
 a man subject to like passions as we are, 
 

and he prayed earnestly

that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 
 

Jas 5:18 And he prayed again,

and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 

 Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, 
that we may obtain mercy, 
and 
find grace to help in time of need.