Ten Simple Rules, or why we say grace before we eat

Good morning, Father.  Thank you for another day of life.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

Thank you, God, for this good coffee and doughnut.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

Lord, I need your blessing and your favor in my job today.  Please help me make good decisions, and give me your wisdom and discernment on what tasks to start and which ones may be left for tomorrow.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

Thank you, God, for this lunch.  I know it's just leftovers (or frozen dinner, or a dollar burger), but your word says, "But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (1 Timothy 6:8)

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

Lord, I heard that my co-worker had to leave early because her kid is in trouble again.  But instead of gossiping about it to someone else, I thought I'd whisper a prayer for her.  She's fighting a battle that is bigger than she is, but you are stronger than anything we can come up against.  Be her strength, Lord.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

God, every day I drive through this intersection, I see that man on the corner with the sign that says, "God bless."  Today I think I'll roll down my window and give him a few dollars.  Thank you for blessing me enough that I don't have to stand out on a corner and beg, for giving me enough to share with this man, and for being a blessing to us both today.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

That car just almost ran over me!  Whew, that was close.  Thank you, Lord, for watching over me--I could have been hurt.  And please let that person get where they are going safely.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

God, we are grateful for the dinner you provided, the table on which we can enjoy it, and for the family/friends who share it with us.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

Father, after the dishes are washed, and a that load of laundry is folded, and the kids' homework is done, and I run that errand I was supposed to get done today, and I visit with someone on the phone--after all that, I'm exhausted and want to just sit on the couch and relax.  Let me read a devotional on line before I go on that social media site, or read a chapter out of the Bible before I turn on the television.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

No, I haven't heard that shock-jock on the radio, I haven't seen that new television show that pushes the boundaries of what the FCC will allow on the air, I haven't had time to see that movie with all the violence, sexuality, and harsh language.  Oh, I know that millions will eat that stuff up, and not be affected by it.  But the more I try to keep up with the tabloids, or the news cycle, or whatever is trending now, the less time I have with the One I love.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

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**Disclaimer**  In the above scenarios, the term "I" is used generically.  Regrettably, this writer does not maintain the attitude of seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness all the time.  But God is faithful to his word, and if the dear reader or this intrepid writer did seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, then all that we truly need would be available to us always.

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Paul gave these simple instructions to the church in Thessalonica:

• Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16)
• Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
• Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18a)
• Remembering this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18b)
• Do not quench (or stifle, or extinguish) the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
• Do not treat prophecies with contempt (1 Thessalonians 5:20)
• But test them all (1 Thessalonians 5:21a)
• Hold on to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21b)
• Reject every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
• Brethren, pray for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:25)

The verses are short--why not memorize them?  The content is deep--why not meditate on them? These ten simple rules can change your attitude, give you fortitude, and minister to the multitude. In the middle of these admonitions, Paul blessed them with the reason his instructions should be followed.

May may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.  God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful. --1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NLT)

In the Old Testament, God instructed His people to remember His words, and to pass them down from generation to generation. "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road, and when you lie down, and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 6:7).  What is the benefit of talking constantly about God's promises? Look back at the top of the page, and read it all again.

Attitude Adjustment

For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. --Philippians 4:11b

My boss just got back from an Alaskan cruise.  He came back with stories and pictures, and a ton of work waiting for him at his desk.  Nevertheless, a co-worker and I were listening to him tell about the beautiful scenery, the people he was with, and the shore excursions he was going on.  At one point, he began to complain about how one shore excursion went wrong, and my co-worker interrupted him.

"First world problems," he said with a wave of his hand.  Then he walked away.

My friend was making a joke, but there is a lot of truth in what he said.  Much of what we choose to complain about would be quite welcome to 90% of the other people in the world.  They should be this lucky.

I thought of this when I read the second chapter of Jonah during my quiet time this week.  Here is the passage that stood out to me:

When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you in your holy temple.  Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.  But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.  What I have vowed, I will make good.  Salvation comes from the Lord.  And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. --Jonah 2:7-10

This rich, joyful prayer of thanksgiving was spoken while Jonah was in the belly of the great fish.  Let me ask you:  if you were in similar circumstances, would your prayer include such words as "grace", "thanksgiving", and "salvation"?  I don't think that those would be the first words on my mind.  But it was only after Jonah prayed these words that he was delivered from his circumstances.

Attitude makes all the difference.  And in this passage, there are at least three attitudes that we should be aware of when we fall into circumstances beyond our control.

The attitude of prayerfulness
"When my life was ebbing away," Jonah said, "I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you in your holy temple."  If you remember the story, Jonah was trying to get away from God.  God had commanded Jonah to preach against the city of Ninevah, east of Jerusalem.  Nevertheless, Jonah went west to Joppa, which was a port on the Mediterranean Sea, and bought a ticket to Tarshish, most likely an outpost in Spain.  In other words, he wanted to go as far from God's will as he could go.  So when the boat encountered a storm, the sailors started throwing cargo overboard to lighten the load.  The storm got worse, and even the seasoned sailors were afraid.  They started calling on their gods to save them.  They woke up Jonah, who was asleep in the ship's hold, and begged him to pray to his God.  Jonah's God could indeed calm the storm, but first He required that Jonah be thrown overboard, as well.  The sailors refused at first, but desperate times call for desperate measures, so they all prayed that God would not hold the death of this man against them, and they threw Jonah into the sea.  The storm immediately subsided, and Jonah sank into the abyss.  He was swallowed up by a great fish, and I believe this fish started swimming east, the direction that God wanted him to go.

God hears our prayers, wherever we are.  Jonah was running away from God.  But there was nowhere to run.  Psalm 139:7 says, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?"  The psalmist goes on to say, "If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there...if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

But when Jonah prayed for forgiveness, admitting that he had done wrong, God heard his prayers.  I'm sure that when God told the prophet that he should be thrown into the sea, Jonah thought that he was getting what he deserved.  It took faith for him to humble himself, and allow the sailors to toss him overboard.  He probably hoped that he would bob along the surface until an east-bound ship would see him, and rescue him.  But God had other plans.

God hears our prayers, even when we can't see.  There were storm clouds hiding the sun.  Whatever light that filtered into the water was dimming the deeper Jonah went.  And when the fish found him, forget being able to see!  There was no light in the belly of the beast.  There was nothing to do but pray.

Have you ever found yourself in a place of utter darkness?  A place where there is absolutely no light, no way out?  God may have put you there on purpose.  He knows you better than you know yourself.  Maybe if there was any way you could see to get yourself out of the situation, you would take it.  But if God wants you to surrender to His will, he will take all other options from you.  You will have no choice but to pray. The response we get to our prayers depends largely on the one to whom we are praying.

The attitude of grace

"Those who cling to worthless idols," Jonah said, "forfeit the grace that could be theirs."  Jonah could have been thinking about the sailors in the ship, who cried out to their gods to no avail.  They had no hope of salvation, no reliable anchor in the storm.  Or he could have been thinking of the people of Ninevah, against whom God had commanded him to preach.  They were headed toward certain death, because God had set His sights on them.  If only they knew the true God, then they could know true grace.

God gives grace to those who pray.  Because of Jonah's act of contrition, God showed mercy to him.  He deserved death, because he had turned his back on God.  But when he prayed, when he confessed his sin, God heard him and was gracious to him.  Jonah had asked the sailors to sacrifice himself so that they would be safe.  Psalm 51:17 says, "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."  There is a praise and worship song based on this verse, and it goes something like this: "A broken heart and a contrite spirit You have yet to deny."  Several times in the Bible God says that He desires mercy rather than sacrifice.

Jonah was a type of Christ, in that his descent into the deep for three days resulted in the salvation of the sailors from the storm, and ultimately, after Jonah was "resurrected", resulted in the salvation of the people of Ninevah (Jonah chapter 3).  Ninevah heard the words of Jonah, and the entire city set a day of prayer and fasting so that the prophecy of Jonah (in forty days the great city will be destroyed) would not come to pass.  And God had grace on the people, much to Jonah's chagrin (Jonah chapter 4).

The grace afforded to us by God cannot be found outside of Him.  In the move Titanic, one scene shows a rich man trying to offer a bribe to one of the sailors so that he could be allowed onto the lifeboat with the women and children.  The sailor refused the bribe, because money was worthless to him--it could not buy him life.  What do you place your trust in?  Do you think you can reach heaven by your own goodness and godliness? "There is none righteous, no not one."  By your good works? "By grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9).

People whom we may think are very gracious will talk about us behind our backs.  Religions other than Christianity do not offer grace--you must work your way to a better place, or those born to a higher caste have a better chance than the lower classes, or your hope resides in the whims of a capricious god.  Governments and institutions, charities and foundations--they can only give out what people put in by way of taxes, fees, or contributions.  When the funding runs out, they must stop dispensing favors, cash, or even good will.  There is no hope found in them.  There is nothing to be thankful for.

The attitude of thankfulness

Jonah said, "But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.  What I have vowed I will make good.  Salvation comes from the Lord."  Remember, Jonah was in total darkness, slowly being digested by a huge fish, probably many fathoms below the surface of the ocean.  And he was singing?  Actually, that is not as far-fetched as it sounds.  There are stories of Prisoners of War who, while trying to maintain their sanity, would recite scriptures and hymns that they had learned as children.  Even in such trying times, we can remain thankful to God.

Be thankful for all things.  1Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  Wherever we find ourselves, whatever situation we are in, we can lift our spirits and find hope when we give thanks to God.  We can start by thanking Him for the good things we find, however small they might be.  We might start by thanking God that things are not worse than they are, for whatever our problems, there is always someone who is not as well off as we are.  "I cried because I had no shoes," the saying goes, "until I saw a man with no feet."  (First World problems, remember?)

The more thankful we are for small things, for good things, the more we can be thankful for bigger things, for what look like bad things.  With an attitude adjustment, we can stop griping about the way things are, and start thinking of our situation as a means by which God can get glory.  Are you in an impossible situation? Remember, nothing is impossible with God.  So if we step back and watch Him work, we can see how he works al things out for our good and for His glory.  Now that's worth singing about!

That Was Then, This Is Now

The following is a work of fiction.  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is not only coincidental, but intended to make you think about the society at large.  

These stories deal with adult themes, which may be offensive to some readers.

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

All the king's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again

Hunter Duncan awoke with a start.  It took a minute for her to remember where she was.  She tried to stretch, but the cramped seat on the crowded bus gave her very little room.  Behind her, some boys had begun chanting, "Party! Party!"  In front of her, a different group started their own chant, in counter-rhythm to the first:  "Spring Break!  Spring Break!"

She looked out the window.  The street signs read, "Seawall Blvd."  Turning her gaze to the right side of the bus, she saw Galveston Beach.  Her heart raced.  "We're here," she said, to no one in particular.

There were already hundreds of young adults half naked on the sand.  Hunter couldn't wait to join them.  She had dreamed of this moment for, like, forever.  There was nothing her mother could have said to keep her away from fulfilling her destiny.  Mom had not wanted her to go.  Forbade her, actually.  They'd had a fight, and Hunter had slammed the door on the way out.  That was then, she thought.  This is now.

For all the dreams she'd had about being here, there had actually been very little planning.  She had come alone, and didn't know anyone here.  That's okay, she thought.  I'll meet lots of new friends.  She didn't even have a hotel reservation.  No problem there--she'd heard about the all night parties, and she didn't mind sleeping on the beach.

"Hi, I'm Victor.  What's your name?"

Hunter looked up and smiled.  He had the bluest eyes she had ever seen.  His tanned skin contrasted nicely with his bleach blond hair.  Before she knew it, the two of them were walking down the sea wall together.  The sun was going down, and David brought her another drink.  Then he kissed her.  "Let's go to my room," he whispered.

It all happened so fast.  He told her she had a great body.  He held her close to him.  She gave herself to him, body and soul.  I'll never be the same, she thought, contentedly.

How right she was.

She woke up in the motel hallway, her head pounding.  She was cold.  As she held herself to try to warm up, she wondered who had dressed her.  Whoever it was, they had not done a very good job--not like her mother had done when she was a little girl, lovingly and carefully.  Mom had always made sure she was clean, and had made her feel beautiful.  She felt so dirty now.  She was anything but beautiful now. 

Finding the nearest ladies' room, she tried to adjust her clothing and straighten her hair.  What a mess.  And she was in pain down there.  She felt like she might be bleeding.  Tears streamed down her face as she found a payphone and dialed 911.

The nurse was nice.  Her name tag said, "Felipa Reyes."  She tried to make Hunter feel comfortable as they processed the rape kit.  She called a Social Worker, and stood back as Hunter was asked to talk about it.   As the details spilled out, she saw the nurse shake her head.  

"I've seen it a thousand times, if I've seen it once," Felipa said, sadly.  "Humped and then dumped.  Is there anybody I can call for you?"  Hunter thought briefly about her dad.  He had read her nursery rhymes long ago, and Humpty Dumpty was one of her favorites--it was even one of the pet names he had called her.  But that was before he had left them.  Now, though, she had no idea how to reach him.  "Can you call my mom?"

The phone call did not go well.  "Well, you've really screwed it up now, haven't you? " her mom scolded her, accusingly.  "I told you this would happen.  Really.  How could you do this to me?  You know I can't take off and drive halfway across the country.  I'm afraid you're on your own.  You've made your bed; now you can just lie in it."

Nurse Reyes tried to console her.  She gave Hunter a hug.  "I'm going to make a call," she said. Felipa called a local women's shelter.  She said a prayer over Hunter.  They made small talk as they waited for the Social Worker to finish her paperwork.  

"What does your name mean?"

Felipa looked surprised.  "What?"

"It's a hobby of mine.  My first name is obvious.  Duncan means 'Brown Warrior.'  What does your name mean?"

"Well, Felipa is the feminine form of Felipe, or Philip, which means 'Lover of Horses,' I think.  And 'Reyes' means 'Kings' or 'Royalty'."

Hunter thought for a minute.  "All the kings horses..." she said, softly.

"What?"

"Never mind," Hunter said with a sigh.  "Thanks for all your help."

There was an old woman

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe

She had so many children she knew not what to do.

She gave them some broth without any bread,

And she whipped them all soundly and sent them to bed.

Hunter parked her shopping cart under the bridge, and arranged her sparse possessions.  She squatted down with a paper cup, filled with chicken broth that she had saved from her lunch at the Salvation Army.  She had been homeless for many years now, and had learned how to survive.  She lived up to her last name, Duncan, as she was now very brown and very much a warrior.  

The time she had spent since leaving the Women's Shelter was all a blur.  She had given that child, the child of rape, up for adoption.  She had tried to be wary of men, but a girl's got to eat, right?  She had gone from man to man, working the streets when she had to, shacking up with whoever might take her in for awhile.  Counting the twins, she had nine kids altogether.  Some were in foster homes, others lived with their fathers.

But she couldn't think about that right now.  She had to survive.

"There you are."  A man's voice pierced the darkness.  It was strangely familiar, like she had heard it before.  Hunter drew herself up into a crouching position.

"It's me, Seth.  Aren't you tired of living like this?  Why don't you come home with me now?  I'll clean you up and give you a good home.  Look at you--you've got one bare foot, and it looks swollen and infected.  Mom, come on.  Wouldn't you like to spend the night in a bed tonight?"

Hunter lunged at him.  "Get away from me," she shrieked.

The cup of broth flew out of her hand.  Seth dodged, but he still got wet.  He shook his hands to dry them.  Hunter started flailing her arms, and moving toward him.  She struck him several times before he could get out of the way.  He took one more look at her over his shoulder as he left, then disappeared, shaking his head.

She looked down at her one shoe and cursed.  Hungry now, and without any broth, Hunter gathered her things and started walking back to the Salvation Army.  Maybe the line will not be so long tonight.  Sure enough, the crowd was sparse.  Hunter knew why.  Tonight was the night for the Street Preacher.  Only the desperate and very hungry would sit through the sermon for their supper.

The Preacher was just getting warmed up when she arrived.

Twinkle twinkle little star

Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky

When the blazing sun is gone, when he nothing shines upon

Then you show your little light, twinkle twinkle all the night

Then the traveler in the dark thanks you for your tiny spark

He could not see which way to go if you did not twinkle so

In the dark blue sky you keep, and often through my curtains peep

For you never shut your eye til the sun is in the sky

As your bright and tiny spark lights the traveler in the dark

Though I know not what you are--Twinkle, twinkle little star

"Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'  Now, I know, dear friends, that many of you dwell in the darkness. You can't remember the last time you saw the light.  I just want you all to look up.  Look up!  Jesus shines like a thousand suns.  And even when you are light years away from him, he shines like the morning star.  Draw near to him, and he will draw near to you.  And as you draw near to him, friends, his light will shine on you and around you and in you.

"Friends, some of you are afraid to reach out, afraid because you have been hurt so many times before.  You have lost faith in your fellow man.  Don't lose faith in Jesus, because he will never leave you nor forsake you.  He sticks closer than a brother.  He is faithful.  Hallelujah!"

When he was finished, Hunter asked the Preacher to pray for her.  He sat down beside her and asked how he could best help her.  "Where was God when I was raped?"  She asked.  "Where was He when my boyfriend beat me, or when Child Protective Services came for my children?  Where was he when I tried to kill myself, and failed at that, too?"

"God never left.  He never stopped calling you."

"God would never want me.  Look at what all I've done.  I'm worthless--less than worthless: I'm a whore, a beggar and a thief.  What could God ever see in me?"

"Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest'.  He has sent you the anointed one to bind up your wounds and give you healing and take you home."

Hunter wiped a tear from her cheek.  For the first time in her life, she felt hope.  The past, finally, didn't matter.  That was then, she knew.  This is now.  After she prayed with the Preacher, she asked for one favor from him. "Will you help me call my son, Seth?  His name means anointed one."

Pray without ceasing, then pray some more

Throughout the Bible God has done wondrous things in the presence of His people.  Many times the people stood in awe and watched God work His wonders.  They watched as He divided the Red Sea and let them walk through on dry land.  They watched as He provided manna for them to eat, and clean water for them to drink.  They watches as God defeated their enemies, even when they were outnumbered.

Yet we see, upon further review, that in most of those cases God commanded the people to do something as well:  When God divided the Red Sea, He commanded Moses to stretch out his hand over the water.  When God made the water pure at Marah, He commanded the people to cut down a certain tree and throw it into the water.  Again, when there was no water to drink, God commanded Moses to speak to a rock, and promised that out of it would flow a stream of pure water.  (Moses did not speak to it--he struck it with his staff.  When nothing happened the first time, Moses had to strike it again.  Water did spring forth, but God was angry with Moses for disobeying Him.)  When God gave them miraculous military victories, it was only after they were obedient to him--after they marched around Jericho seven days (Joshua chapter 6); after Joshua raised his staff to heaven making the sun stand still in the sky in the battle for Jerusalam (Joshua chapter 10); after Gideon pared his army down to just 300 men, then armed them with torches and pitchers, and the priests with trumpets (Judges chapter 7).

The only time I can see where God did not work through human cooperation was when He sent manna for them to eat.  God spoke it into existence, like He did at Creation.  In fact, most of the wonders God showed His people were done through the obedient actions of people--of judges, or prophets, or priests.

Even Jesus, the God-man, was called "Immanuel", which means "God with us".  (See Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23).  Think about that.  Not "God before us".  Not "Lord over us".  But "God WITH us."  1Corinthians 1:9 says, "God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His son."  What does the word Fellowship mean?  Some wise guy might say it is two fellows in a ship.  But that is not far from the truth:

• Wherever the ship goes, both fellows go there together;
• When the ship rocks back and forth on the waves, both fellows lean the same way;
• When the ship pitches forward in the storm, both fellows stumble and fall;
• And when the ship flounders on the rocks, or runs aground, both fellows go nowhere together.

I think God desires fellowship with us.  He wants relationship.  Yes, it is true that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10), but it is also true the he says, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." (see Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13).

Mercy.  It means compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or to harm.  In Hosea 6:6 the word that is translated "mercy" is the Hebrew word חֶסֶד  or checed.
It means "loyalty".  God is merciful to us.  He has reason to do us harm, but he only wants our good.  He is loyal to us, even when we sin against him.

Almost everything God wants to do, he wants to do in us and through us.  Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith."  It is His grace, but it is our faith. He just won't do it without our obedient action.

Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work his good pleasure."  In the Greek, the word translated "work" is ἐνεργέω or energeō, from which we get the word energized.  The word translated "his good pleasure" is εὐδοκία or eudokia, that has the same root as the English word euphoria.  So you could say that God is stoked to use his energy through us. It makes him happy.


That is why we are encouraged throughout the Bible to pray.  Deuteronomy 4:8 says, "What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?"  1Samuel 12:23 says, "As for me, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.  And I will teach you the way that is good and right."  2Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their l and."

Prayer brings us close to God.  Prayer unleashes the power of God in our lives.  If we fail to pray, we are worthless as Christians.  We may be good and blameless as we sit in church and hear God's word spoken over us, but until that Word dwells in us richly, we will be powerless spiritually.  

I have recently started keeping a prayer journal.  It is a test of my faith, because it deals with some really serious issues, and has some pretty big requests of God.  In writing it down, I have a reminder to lift up that issue before the Father, and a record of what I ask for and when I started believing for it with all my heart, and a resource for encouragement when God answers the prayers that I have been bringing before him.

Prayer is a calming influence in our lives.  Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  I've always wondered how persecuted peoples make it through, especially if they are persecuted unto death.  I'll bet it is because of prayer; they are so close to God that their circumstances, no matter how dire or dangerous to their flesh, do not overcome their spirit.

Prayer teaches us patience and perseverance.  In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus told them a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.  He said, "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.  And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'  

"For some time he refused.  But finally he said to himself, 'Even thought I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.  And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?  Will he keep putting the off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.  But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" 

How many times have we purposed in our hearts to pray about something, and we quit after one or two days? Was it not important enough to pray day and night? Do we really think God's answer is no, or do we just give up?  In 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, speaking of politics and war, said, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.  Never yield to force.  Never yield to the apparent overwhelming might of the enemy."  While he was speaking of a physical war against an evil empire, the same can be said of the spiritual battle we wage on a daily basis.  Believe me, the more you pray, the more forceful will be the demonic actions against you.  To overcome, you must remember that "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." (1John 4:4).

I hope one day to share with you the answers to the prayers God has laid on my heart.  Until then, I will keep on using my prayer journal, and ignore the devil's persistent urging to quit, or his discouragement that the request is too big.

The Power to Choose, the Grace to be Chosen

The title given by artist Norman Rockwell to the baseball themed work in his "Four Sporting Boys" series is, aptly, "Choosin' Up."  For those of you who never watched as two competitors suspended a bat between them, alternating placement of their fists gripping the bat handle until there was no more handle to grip, this was how team captains determined who would choose first.  As a player who was among the last to be chosen, I remember watching with interest, to see whether my friend would get to choose first, or if the class bully won this right.

The ritual was closely akin to flipping a coin, but most of the time my friends didn't have a flippin' coin between them.  I also recall once being one of the kids holding the bat, hoping that my hand would end up on top (but I think it was against my sister, and it was likely for no other purpose than bragging rights.)

The team captains were the most outgoing kids on the playground.  There was usually no debate about which two would get to choose their team--they were the most athletic among us; the most able to get the job done.  Their job, once the order of succession was established, was to choose a team from among their classmates that would have the best chance to win.

What would happen, though, if the two most popular kids chose everybody?  Nobody left out, everybody plays.  What would happen then?  Well, the friends would gravitate to the captain they were friends with, and those new to the playground might choose based on which group looked friendliest.  If the two leaders stood up and said, "I want every one of you on my team--come be a part of me," then the choice would fall on the players.

I think that's what Jesus meant when He said in John 15:16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--so that whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give  you."  He wanted everyone to be on his team. Note the prior statement Christ had just made, before he said he had chosen us: "You are my friends if you do what I command you." (John 15:14). And lest his words be mistaken (since slaves and servants also follow commands), he added, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.  I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

Now, hyper-Calvinists will look at verse 16 as a proof-text for their doctrines of "unconditional election" (God chose His people without condition, but He did not choose others), "limited atonement" (Jesus died only for the elect--those He chose beforehand--and His blood will not cover anyone else), and "irresistible grace" (once God chooses you, you cannot deny Him).  But I think we might look differently at what Jesus was saying right there.

First, Jesus was speaking directly to his disciples in this passage.  And if you look at the back-story (so to speak) of how they became disciples, you can see what he means.  Most rabbis would set up a place, either in a synagogue, or on a hillside, and start preaching.  Crowds would form to hear the message, and individual people might decide that they wanted to be disciples of this fellow, to follow him exclusively, and to ask questions and go deeper into his message.  Jesus went about this a different way.  He sought out his disciples intentionally, before he started preaching to the crowds.  He found Peter, James and John, all fishermen, and asked them to follow him and he would make them "fishers of men."  To the others, he simply said, "Come, follow me."  These twelve men, then, had the choice--they could answer the call, or they could refuse.  Each of them chose to leave everything and follow Christ.

Second, Luke 6:13 shows that many people did follow him, and many called themselves disciples.  "When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles."  So not only did Jesus have a whole bunch of friends who wanted to be on his team, he picked twelve out of the group to be his ambassadors, his envoys, his personal messengers.  Jesus knew that his team would be so big, that it would require trained overseers or lieutenants to maintain its momentum.  These were the ones he was talking to when he said "You did not choose me, but I chose you."

I think that Jesus is God, and God is omnipresent--that is, he is able to be in all places at one time.  Therefore, I believe that Jesus is able to call each one of us individually.  He offers his salvation to all, one person at a time.  He pricks the conscience of every man and woman in the world, showing them their sin and offering himself as a means of redemption.  I believe he comes to every person, individually, intentionally, with the same challenge he gave to the apostles: Come, follow me.  What we answer is up to us.

You will recall that in the Old Testament, God called Abraham.  He, too, was called a "friend of God." Look at James 2:23: "And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend."  The descendants of Abraham, the Jews, were called "a chosen people."  Deuteronomy 7:6 says, "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God.  The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession."

Yet even they had a choice whether to follow God or not.  Remember the most famous speech given by Joshua, the successor to Moses:

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. --Joshua 24:15

The audience he was addressing were Jews, sons of Israel, and a people chosen by God.  But they were free to either follow God, or not.  Those who chose not to follow God missed out on the blessings of God.  When God withheld himself from them, they were miserable.

I saw a cartoon on Facebook that summed up the human condition.  There was a grumpy guy behind the wheel of his car, cursing the city government. "They should fix these potholes," he groused.  In the second frame, the same grumpy guy was behind the wheel, this time cursing the cause of backed-up traffic.  "Stupid road construction," he fumed.  Some people are never happy.

The same can be said for people who reject God's message, and then when God removes His blessing on their lives, they blame God.  Our nation is following the same road.  Our government has rejected His message, but when God removes His protection from our Nation, we curse God, or at least wonder where He went.

Psalm 119:29-31 says, "Remove the false way from me, and graciously grant me your law.  I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed your ordinances before me.  I cling to your testimonies, O Lord.  Do not put me to shame!"  When Israel's enemies made an alliance against her, and the nation was afraid, the prophet Isaiah had these words to comfort them:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will be with child and will bear a son, and she will call his name Emmanuel.  He will eat curds and honey at the time he is old enough to refuse evil and choose good.  For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. --Isaiah 7:14-16

There is only one baby ever born of a virgin, and his name is Jesus.  "Emmanuel" means "God with us."  When the angel appeared to Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary, the angel said that with the birth of Jesus, this prophecy would be fulfilled.  "Jesus" is the Roman version of the Hebrew name "Yeshua", which we have Americanized to "Joshua", and it means "to save or rescue." Jesus came to save us from sin and death; he is truly God who walked among us.

When you are faced with the choice of whom to follow, choose Jesus.  He chose you first.

God has chosen me, God has chosen me
to bring good news to the poor.

God has chosen me, God has chosen me
to bring new sight to those searching for light.

God has chosen me, chosen me:

And to tell the world that God's kingdom is near,
to remove oppression and break down fear,

yes, God's time is near, God's time is near,
God's time is near, God's time is near.

God has chosen me, God has chosen me
to set alight a new fire.

God has chosen me, God has chosen me
to bring to birth a new kingdom on earth.

God has chosen me, chosen me:

And to tell the world that God's kingdom is near,
to remove oppression and break down fear,

yes, God's time is near, God's time is near,
God's time is near, God's time is near.

God is calling me, God is calling me
in all whose cry is unheard.

God is calling me, God is calling me
to raise up the voice with no power or choice.

God is calling me, calling me:

And to tell the world that God's kingdom is near,
to remove oppression and break down fear,

yes, God's time is near, God's time is near,
God's time is near, God's time is near.