Do you have God’s ear?

I bowed my head to pray but had no words.  What could I say that I had not already said?  There were no words to express what I felt. Ever been in that place, overwhelmed by pain or sorrow?  Look up, take heart, and enter into the deepest place with God who promises this: "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26, NIV)

That’s no excuse for lazy prayers or for sleeping through your morning time of devotion. What we find is that as we turn our heart to Him, even in the time when words fail, He remains our Counselor, keeping us aligned to His will. The Message says it this way: "God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God."

As we pray – even wordlessly – let’s never forget the wonderful truth that we have a Meditator in the Throne Room of the Almighty!  Jesus, who knows the frail state of humanity, represents us in the Presence of God. “Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6 NLT)  When life reduces us to quiet groans and tears, He knows what we feel.  "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT)

Whatever your place, Jesus knows, empathizes, and leads to new life.

Grieving? He wept. 

Alone? He prayed in the garden alone.

Feeling abandoned by God? He cries out the same.

Struggling to find faith to accept the trials of the day? He did, too! 

Even if the only words we can find are mumbled cries for mercy, He knows the deeper need.  Moreover, He has taken away our guilt and given us confidence to come into God’s Presence.  When I pray I know He stands alongside of me. I am shabby, without beauty, but the majestic Lord of Glory puts His arm around my shoulders and says, “Father, Jerry is here with this need, this cry!”  

Richard Foster speaks of ‘simple prayer.’  This most basic form of prayer is not about eloquence or persuasive arguments.  It is prayer that is filled with our inconsistencies, mixed motives, sorrow, anger, joy, dreams, hopes, longings, and daily concerns.  “Let us pray!”  Yes, simple prayers, wordless prayers, groans, and laughter formed into simple prayer.

The word from the Word is an invitation - "So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The “curtain” into God’s presence is his body. So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word." (Hebrews 10: 19-23, The Message)

(This Sunday at Faith Discovery Church - www.FaithDiscovery.com - I will be starting a series of messages to explore the topic of prayer and encourage us to follow the direction – “Pray continually!” I am excited to take on this topic and know that the Spirit will be among us to make the Word alive!)

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Before The Throne Of God Above

Before the throne of God above,

I have a strong and perfect plea,

A great High Priest whose name is Love,

Whoever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands,

My name is written on His heart,

I know that while in heav'n He stands,

No tongue can bid me thence depart;

No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,

And tells me of the guilt within,

Upward I look and see Him there,

Who made an end to all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died,

My sinful soul is counted free,

For God the Just is satisfied,

To look on Him and pardon me;

To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,

My perfect spotless righteousness,

The great unchangeable I Am,

The King of glory and of grace.

One with Himself I cannot die,

My soul is purchased with His blood,

My life is hid with Christ on high,

With Christ my Savior and my God;

With Christ my Savior and my God.

Charitie Lees Bancroft | Vikki Cook

© 1997 Sovereign Grace Worship (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing (IMI))

CCLI License # 810055

Making God into a joke?

Remember that moment in your life when you were so scared that you broke into a cold sweat? 
Remember when you met somebody who was famous and stammered like a little child? 
Have you had the occasion to visit a great cathedral like St. Patrick’s in New York where the massive and beautiful architecture causes you to lower your voice as awe sweeps over you?

Habakkuk’s prayer is mine this morning - "LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2, NIV) I stand in need of a renewed experience of the awesomeness of the Lord. The sins of the land, an apathy about God, His Word, and His will; and yes, multiplied human needs are placing heavy demands on me. No amount of human effort, no words of inspiration will bring renewal. Only an encounter with the holy, living, ‘scare me half to death’ God will do. So, I pray the prophet’s prayer, but not without some fear.

We say, “awesome!” as if it were a pleasant thing. A little chill or thrill might be fun, but real awe is a sibling of terror!  Something genuinely awesome is beyond our control; and most of the time, we do everything we can to avoid those kinds of experiences. Who really likes when life is out of control, when everything is shaken?  And yet, I pray for the Living God to shake us up, to rip away our disillusions and cause us to cling desperately to His promise! 

Exodus tells us about a Israel’s encounter with the Holy Awesome. They were camped at Mt. Sinai. Moses was going to go to meet the Lord and receive the Law.  As the mountain quaked and smoked under His Mysterious Presence, Israel grew fearful. "Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”" (Exodus 20:18-19, NKJV) Later in the saga, with Moses gone, they set aside their holy fear, abandoned the Lord, preferring to make a lesser god - one less awesome. In one of the tragic episodes of the Exodus, Aaron gave in to their demands and made them an idol, a golden calf.  Freed from the restraint of the fear of the Lord, they slide into riot. "They celebrated with feasting and drinking, and indulged themselves in pagan revelry. Then the Lord told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! The people you brought from Egypt have defiled themselves. They have already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They have made an idol shaped like a calf, and they have worshiped and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.’" (Exodus 32:6-8, NLT)

When Moses arrived at the camp of Israel, he saw a tragic, sinful sight: "the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies." (Exodus 32:25, NIV)

Are we, like them, longing for a god less fearsome, one who we can identify with more easily? 
Do we allow ourselves to resent the Lord of Glory who defies our definitions and formulas?  
Are we making Him over into a lesser god, perhaps even unconsciously adopting images for Him to which we can relate? 

There is no good end in that. We will lose the Majesty and slip into self-indulgent religion that lacks any real power to transform us into His holy people. When we diminish God, when we take away His majesty and make Him over as a tame god, awe disappears. With the loss of awe comes a loss of moral restraint! 

God asks "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you ever build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord. ‘Could you build a dwelling place for me?" (Acts 7:48-49, NLT) We must be willing to live with awe and mystery, serving the Almighty God who is holy, awesome, and worthy of our wholehearted devotion.  The 21^st century Christian Church is filled with sin because her theology is so impoverished. We sing "Jesus loves me, this I know...” a sweet sentiment to be sure, but there is much more to know about God.  God, as seen in the face of Jesus Christ, is approachable.  But, God is still the God of Sinai and the God of Whom the prophets thundered. He is the God that John met on the Isle of Patmos who revealed His sweeping plans for the triumph of His kingdom and the destruction of evil.

Let’s pray -"LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2, NIV)  With an authentic humility let’s admit that God can never be defined, tamed, or explained! Admitting that God does not live in our back pocket, that He is holy, awesome, and majestic in Glory, will go a long, long way to bringing us around to serving Him acceptably in reverence. "LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2, NIV)

The word from the Word -  "Then the Lord said to Job, “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”  Then Job replied to the Lord, “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will put my hand over my mouth in silence. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” (Job 40:1-5, NLT)

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 Your Great Name We Praise

Immortal, invisible, God only wise.

In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes.

Most holy, most glorious, the Ancient of Days;

Almighty, victorious, Your great Name we praise!

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light.

Not wanting or wasting, You rule us in might.

Your Justice, like mountains, high soaring above;

Your Clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

All life comes from You, Lord, to both great and small.

In all life You live, Lord, the true life of all.

We blossom and flourish but quickly grow frail,

We wither and perish but You never fail.

Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light.

Your angels adore You all veiling their sight!

All praise we will render, oh Father of Grace,

‘Till one day, in splendor, we see face to face.

Bob Kauflin | Walter Chalmers Smith

© 2001 Sovereign Grace Praise (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (IMI))

CCLI License # 810055

Bitter or broken – which will you choose?

In my youth, I did not place much value on humility! It seemed a virtue of the weak, a choice of last resort. The young and inexperienced often believe that they know and understand much more than they do. They can, and many do, live with the illusion that life can be mastered, the world directed, and outcomes neatly predicted. In some ways their self-confidence is a gift.  If they knew the difficulties inherent in most human enterprise, they might never allow themselves to love, to try to create a better world, or to build new communities. With experience our limitations become clear. Most of us taste failure in one way or another, go through the sorrow of a failed relationship, and encounter sickness and/or death up close.  What then?

Will we become tired old cynics, loudly protesting the supposed emptiness of life?  After a life filled with ‘accomplishment’ – money, fame, power, and pleasure – Solomon complains bitterly that it is all "Smoke, nothing but smoke. There’s nothing to anything—it’s all smoke. What’s there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone? One generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes—it’s business as usual for old planet earth. The sun comes up and the sun goes down, then does it again, and again—the same old round." (Ecclesiastes 1:2-5, The Message)

OR, will we let the battering soften us, break our pride, and carry us to an total dependence on the love of our Father?  Paul, once known as the proud, self-sufficient Pharisee, came to Christ to find a life that many of us would reject.  He speaks often of his suffering- rejection, persecution, shipwreck, and imprisonment – honestly.  Paul realized that suffering allowed him to be identified with Christ.  He rejoiced in it as his pride crumbled and the Lord became his treasure and hope.  Contrast his response to life with that of Solomon who enjoyed such privilege.  Paul writes,  Do not "be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:13-20, NIV)

The last six years for me have included many sorrows.  My father sickened with cancer and his life ebbed away for the next 14 months.  My mother was diagnosed with cancer a year after his death and slipped away over the next year. My own health was challenged seriously during this time, though I am presently healthy, for which I am glad!  Bev and I made some major life adjustments to answer the Lord’s call to our family and our subsequent experience was one of failure, disappointment, and rejection; an exceeding painful thing to me to this moment.  And, then, last year Bev, my wife, became ill and we have lived with hospitals, doctors, weakness, and sorrow. Ours has not been a mountaintop experience – to all outward appearance.  But, truly God has revealed more of Himself and He has led me nearer to Himself. For that I am thankful, strange as that may sound to some.

I can say, with Paul, ‘when I am weak, then I am strong.’  The illusions of mastery are long gone; I am in the hands of my God. I refuse to rail on Him for the ‘unfairness’ of it all though I am tempted by that response sometimes.  I look to Job who did not sugarcoat his suffering, who wrestled to understand, but who kept talking to God!  And, in the end, though the Lord never explained what He had allowed, He revealed His majesty and Job was both humbled and comforted.  “Without humility there can be no true abiding in God’s presence or experience of His favor and the power of His Spirit. Without it there can be no abiding faith or love or joy or strength.” (Andrew Murray)

Learn humility. Kneel before the Throne of God.  Submit willingly. Learn to listen to Him and to others. There is great grace to  be found.

Here is the word from the Word.

“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word." (Isaiah 66:2, NLT)

"But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." (Matthew 23:12, NLT)

"He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble.” (James 4:6, NLT)

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Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find You in the mystery

In oceans deep my faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sov'reign hand will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You've never failed and You won't start now

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Saviour

I will call upon Your name

Keep my eyes above the waves

My soul will rest in Your embrace

I am Yours and You are mine

Joel Houston | Matt Crocker | Salomon Ligthelm

© 2012 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055