Nov 13 - James 1:13

Jesus said,

And lead us not into temptation

King James Version

Matthew 6:13a

Let no one say when he is tempted,

"I am being tempted by God,"

for God cannot be tempted with evil,

and he himself tempts no one”

James 1:13

Two contradictory verses?!

How about a third: 

“Jesus was led up by the Spirit

into the wilderness to be

tempted by the devil”

Matthew 4:1

So ... what conclusions are you drawing?

1.      God does not tempt us. 

2.      But God does leads us. 

3.      And sometimes he leads us to places in which we are vulnerable. 

Hmm. Really?!! Why? 

Well, let's look at this step-by-step. 

1.      God does not tempt us. He hates sin. Indeed, the Son despises it so much that he shed his own blood to conquer our violations. Therefore, the God who does not like sin does not tempt us. Rather, we tempt ourselves. It's our heart and our actions that make us vulnerable. It's our heart and our actions that choose rebellion. (More on this in a minute.)

2.      But God does lead us. In a practical, every day way, God is at every intersection, saying, "Go right. Go right." And when we inevitably go left, God in his grace rushes to the next intersection to bandage the inevitable wounds.

3.      Yet … let me now contradict myself: God, nevertheless (and also), leads into situations in which we might be vulnerable. Why?

·       To stretch us and help us grow. That's one reason.

·       But even more so, he intentionally puts us in situations where we have to choose. Will we choose right or wrong? Light or darkness? Truth or half-truths? Integrity or compromise? Will we choose, indeed, God … or ourselves? Will we choose God or the world?

God's purpose isn't to squash us or judge us. His intent (sometimes) is to create a disequilibrium within us. And between our scrapes and scars make us yearn for light, truth, joy, and integrity. That grows us -- as individuals ... and in him. 

The Apostles describe it like this: "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.and God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so you can endure" -- 1 Corinthians 10:13. (He will show you a way out … if you look … if you ask … if you trust!)

Life is a battle. We must choose constantly between right and wrong. Between God and not God. It is a battle. Daily. But when we pray, “lead us not into temptation,” we are battling proactively, on the front-end. We are saying, "God, so that I don't have to make a stressful choice between you and some delicious (but destructive) temptations, I choose You right now! I come to you. I pray to you. I put my life in your hands. Guide my steps -- not into temptation … but "along right pathways for his name's sake" (Psalm 23:3). 

Indeed as we quote, "The Lord is my Shepherd," that's really what this petition is all about. It's about trusting God to lead us where we need to go. And when we go with him – joyfully and purposefully, anyway – he doesn't need to lead us down any challenging, tempting pathways. He can simply maketh us to lie down in green pastures and leadeth us beside the still waters."

Today, submit your heart to be lead in advance of the temptations. 

In Christ's Love,

a sheep who wants to be led

(into green pastures and

not into temptation)

Nov 12 - Matthew 6:13a

Jesus said,

Do not lead us to

the time of trial ...

Matthew 6:13a

What is the difference between Jesus' more literal phrasing of the Lord's Prayer ("Do not lead us to the time of trial") vs. the common liturgical prayer that we say each week ("Lead us not into temptation")?

Temptation, as we said yesterday, is internal. It is the way that you and I respond to various stimuli around us. What tempts me may not tempt you – and vise-versa. Temptation is often a measure of the weaknesses and vulnerabilities within our hearts. Internally, will I sway or will I stand? It's that old measure of integrity – Who are we when no one is looking?

But in the more literal translation of Matthew 6, Jesus is talking about both internal and external "times of trial." And often it is the external circumstances that create internal crises. Therefore, part of what we are praying is for God to lead us not to the external places (and situations) where we will be internally tempted. 

Now, temptation (or more accurately, what we do with temptation) is a choice. We'll talk more tomorrow about where God "leads us into" and how -- and if -- he tempts us or not. But today we want to stick with where we lead ourselves. Do we put ourselves in danger? When and why do we go where we know we really shouldn't go? What within us is vulnerable, and what should we, therefore, guard against?

When I pray the word "temptation" rather than "time of the trial," I am praying for God to do his part in helping ME do MY part. 

And I do have a part. It's often called wisdom – God's wisdom. I need to stay away from places where I know I am vulnerable. I need to stay away from people who make me vulnerable. I need to keep myself from being too hungry, too angry, too lonely, too tired -- indeed, the warning bells from the acronym HALT can keep us from many vulnerable situations. 

When, where, and in what ways do you know that you are vulnerable? Pray for God to do his part in helping you do your part. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy whose greatest

temptation is ...

cookies

Nov 11 - Matthew 6:13

Jesus said,

Do not lead us to the time of trial,

but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:13

It is important that we talk generally about this final Lord's Prayer petition (today) before we talk more specifically (in the next few days).

Generally, what does this petition tell us?

It tells us that we are in a daily battle. And we war in two primary directions.

First,  there is an internal battle. It is with "temptations" (to use the modern translation that we prayer in church each Sunday).

Second, there is an external battle with the "evil one" -- who has "sworn to do us woe."

One of my favorite Christian books was given to me last year. I confess that I haven't read the whole book. (I confess that I don't read a lot of whole books! I glean. I collect a lot of information ... and I know where to go back to when I need more.) but what I cleaned most from this book was the title itself. It described our true battle in seven short words: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil.

Those are our three primary enemies, and they operate on two fronts.

·       Internal -- Our flesh is at the root of this internal battle. When a major Hollywood star was caught in a very sickening sin -- leaving his wife for his adopted daughter – he excused it simply by saying, "The heart wants what it wants." Inside of us we have hungers, wants, bitterness, lusts, and anger. Our flesh -- and its weakness -- is at the root of this internal battle.

·       External -- When Jesus says, "deliver us from the evil one," he is reminding us that we are not alone on this planet. We battling a powerful external force. In Ephesians 6:11-12, the Apostle Paul describes this external battle in this way: "Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against… the cosmic powers of this present darkness." Yes, there is an internal struggle, but there is also a powerful external enemy.

·       Internal and External -- So far we have dealt with the internal enemy – that is the flesh. We have also dealt with the external enemy – that is the devil. According to the book title, there is one more enemy – the world. The world is largely external. There is a culture that shapes us, too often in a negative ways. There are peers that apply pressure. There are neutral things, not bad in and themselves, that too many take two extremes and abuse -- things like alcohol. These external realities create internal temptations, and the battle rages on two fronts – inside and out.

Can you identify the primary battlefronts in your life? Where are you we kissed and unprepared?

In Christ's Love,

a guy who is wide

but not deep

(I am tempted to graze

and glean widely, but

I finish few books deeply.

I am a generalist.

Not a specialist.)

Nov 10 - Ephesians 4:26

If you become angry,

do not let your anger

lead you into sin,

and do not let the sun

go down on your anger
Ephesians 4:26

Forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who

trespass against us.

Matthew 6:13a

As we finish off thinking about the Jesus' Lord's Prayer petition on forgiveness, today's devotion will be very short. It is simply one of my favorite quotes by pastor and author Frederick Buechner ...

Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back -- in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.

In what ways are you cannibalizing yourself? If you still have unforgiveness in your heart, go back a few days, and keep working through the process of forgiveness.

In Christ's Love,
a guy who has always been a
proud part of the (NCSU) Wolfpack,
but there is one wolf pack
I really don't want to join. 
(No more wolfing down of myself.

Lord, teach me to forgive)

Nov 9 - Matthew 6:14

Jesus said,

And forgive us our debts, as we

also have forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 6:12

"Forgive us" said Jesus, "exactly in the way and to the extent that we forgive others." Ouch! This is clearly the hardest petition in the Lord's Prayer. 

And lest we try to explain this phrase away lightly, Jesus' first words after the Lord's Prayer absolutely reinforce this point:

For if you forgive others

their trespasses, your heavenly Father

will also forgive you;

but if you do not forgive others,

neither will your father forgive

your trespasses.

Matthew 6:14-15

Forgiveness is THE most important thing in the world. Why do I say that? Because that's the whole reason that Jesus came down to earth and died -- to forgive our sins. (Yes, we could argue forgiveness is surely a subset of the more important attribute of love, but we must equally understand that without forgiveness there really is no true love.)

Let me say that again -- and more clearly -- If we are not forgiving, we are not loving, and "whoever claims to love God but does not love brother or sister is a liar" (1John 4:10). Indeed, "whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" (1 John 4:2). Biblically, I think Jesus is saying that we could substitute "forgiveness" into that sentence: "whoever does not [forgive] does not know God, because God is [forgiveness]." 

BUT FORGIVENESS IS HARD!

We have legitimately been hurt. Betrayed. Violated. 

Worse: Don't mess with me; mess with my kids! 

We could spend several important weeks counseling on how forgiving does not demand forgetting ... nor putting yourselves (or others) in harm's way again. 

But as painful as trespass against us was, the real affect of unforgiveness is that it keeps US in chains. It keeps you and me living in the past, rather than opening ourselves to God's future. 

Jesus doesn't say that forgiveness is easy. But it is doable – with his help! 

It starts by admitting that unforgiveness is sin. But fortunately our Gracious Lord loves to forgive our sin! Therefore, when we humbly draw near to his forgiving nature, we become more like him. And then it's his power working in us, rather than our weakness ruling us.

Read those two last sentences again -- and let me restate them: if we are not forgiving, we are not humbly drawing near to God nor his forgiving nature. Thus, we have made unforgiveness our idol -- the most powerful thing in our lives. We are essentially declaring that our anger is more powerful than God's love. And what is the result? That's what separates us from God. 

But when we confess our sin – including the sin of unforgiveness – we have quit relying on ourselves! We have declared victory over bitterness. And we have turned, instead, to the God of power and love. And then -- suddenly -- it can be his power working in us, rather than our weakness ruling us. 

Christianity all boils down to the same one thing: When we rely on ourselves, we separate ourselves from God. But when we confess that we cannot truly do life on our own -- including forgiving those who've trespassed against us -- then we begin to receive the life and the power of Jesus Christ himself. Forgiveness – especially for those monumentally big hurts – demands our dependence upon God. And that's precisely when and where life begins again!

Do you have people that you still struggle to forgive? If so shed the chains and grief, and begin to trust in God. Take this to the Lord in prayer right now. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who translates this

Lord's Prayer petition like this:

When I draw near to God

in order for him to help me

forgive the debts of others,

God draws nearer to me --

forgiving me, healing me,

empowering me, and

helping me love again.

And that's when and where

and how eternal life begins.

I am no longer caught in the chains

of this earth nor the past,

I am suddenly looking forward

into heaven -- and that's eternal life!

Nov 7-8 - Matthew 6:12

Jesus said,

"Forgive us our debts, as we

also have forgiven our debtors."

Matthew 6:12

Yesterday, our focus should have been on our need for forgiveness from God. (As it says in 1 John 1, "if we say we have to know soon we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.")

Yesterday, however, I made it about: how we can forgive others of their debt. I used a banking analogy to talk about getting rid of the hurts and debts that others have cost us. And in so doing, I didn't proclaim the Good News in that next sentence from 1 John: "But God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Forgiving. Cleansing. Healing. Rectifying. Our bank manager, who is faithful and just, yearns to forgive. In his name, you are free!

That is what I should have focused on yesterday, but let me tell you why I didn't. It had to do with the scary next petition in the Lord's Prayer: Forgive us to the same degree that we have forgiven others. Ouch!

Jesus wants told a parable about a rich man (God) for gave a poor man (us) a millions of dollars worth of debt. But then the poor man (our neighbor) turned around and had an even poorer man thrown into prison for not paying a few pennies worth of debt. The rich man (God) was harsh and angry to the unforgiving man (us) who'd been forgiven of such a large dent that it required the cross to pay for it.

Ouch! I like the loving and faithful God. I sometimes want to pretend that God is not righteous and just! Send costs. Why? Because it destroys. It costs so much that it demanded the death of gods own Son.

Today, I'm going to let you sit here in your guilt. Contemplating the cost of sin. And contemplating the price of unforgiveness.

Tomorrow, I will talk about how we reconcile God's forgiveness and our difficulty in forgiving others. But in order to fully comprehend the freedom of grace, sometimes we have to be crushed by the holiness of God. Sometimes we need to utterly fall in worship and awe, or else we take the freedom of the cross for granted.

God forbid that Jesus spilled his blood and I am anything less then on my knees! That's our prayer for today: Get on your knees and contemplate the cost of sin.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who’s so low

that he could milk

a pregnant worm

(Is that better than being

On my knees?)

Nov 6 - Matthew 6:12a

Jesus said,

"Forgive us our debts"

Matthew 6:12a

In my heart, I always say, "forgive us our trespasses," and I sadly admit that I have too often cross the line and stepped into territories where I don't belong.

I have been angry, envious, lazy, proud, gluttonous, envious, and greedy. And besides those seven deadly sins, I have surely stepped on other people to get what I want. I have trespassed on the gentleness of their hearts. I am indeed at trespasser, and I desperately need God's forgiveness ... and often yours. 

Yes, my heart prays "trespasses," but my favorite image for forgiveness is a banking image that centers around debts. 

·       When someone has sinned against us, they've incurred a debt. They owe us something -- at least an apology, often restitution. 

·       To move toward forgiving the debt, we must then examine this debt. 

o       Wait! Here's what this doesn't mean: It doesn't mean dwelling on it! (Some people become obsessed with the debts, turning them over and over in their mind, like a ugly, juicy pig roasting on a spit. They'd generally deny this, but they are essentially savoring the pain they've been given and the pain they desire to give back. That's not what I mean by examining the debt!) 

o       Rather, ask yourself, "WHY did it hurt?" For example, did the harsh words or tone of voice make me feel unloved? As it is in medicine, we can't be healed until we have the proper diagnosis. 

·       If the debt is little -- I accidentally stepped on your toe -- you (the teller at the counter) can a forgive a few a pennies of debt yourself. But what if the debt is big? Huge?! A mere teller can't forgive such massive debt. Therefore, we must go to who? The bank manager. God! Only he can forgive such massive debt. We need his power behind us. 

·       The next step is to actually forgive. To -- with God's help -- close the account. To forgive the debt. 

·       Then we need to never reopen this account. (Have you ever heard anyone say, "Well, I remember six years ago when you ..."? Have you ever said that yourself? Close the account!)

Who do you need to forgive? Work through this process and see if you can’t get some resolution with them, with your own heart, and with God.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who has incurred

more debt than he'd

like to admit

... which makes God's

grace all the sweeter

Nov 5 - Matthew 6:11

Jesus said,

"Give us this day

our daily bread."

Matthew 6:11

"Daddy, I'm hungry. Can I have some cake?"

Does a loving parent ever mind their child, stumbling out of bed in their jammies and asking for breakfast?

Of course not.

And neither does our loving Father in heaven mind us asking for daily bread!

Some people think it's selfish to pray for their own personal needs. This petition shows us that it's not.

The purpose of prayer isn't to get stuff -- like daily bread or a slice of cake. A good parent sometimes says, "no," and feeds us instead with something nutritious that we really need. (Though occasionally fathers surprise us with cake and joy too.)

But say with me again, "the purpose of prayer isn't to get stuff!" So what is the purpose of prayer? Communication! Relationship! Even though I might say "no" or answer my child's request with oatmeal rather than cake, I want my little ones to pour out every longing (and hope and dream and worry and fear) to me. It's not about the stuff! It's about the conversation. It's growing a relationship of openness and trust.

Yes, a good parent will often say no and chastise and discipline ... but a good parent also loves, laughs, rejoices, plays, celebrates, encourages, teaches, protects, provides, bandages wounds, bakes birthday cakes, shows us spectacular wonders, and cries with us at disappointments.

Some people are so willful or afraid that in order to risk a disciplining no, they never get to experience the Father's yes.

Others have been lied to, thinking it's selfish to ask for themselves ... and they too never get to experience the relationship of a Father who learns to say yes!

In Christ's Love,

a guy who often snuck cake

to his boys for breakfast

(Sorry Mary Louise.

You’re welcome,

Paul, Jay, and Rob)

Nov 4 - Matthew 6:10bc

Jesus said,

"Your will be done on

earth as it is in heaven."

Matthew 6:10bc

Historically when an explorer stepped on the shore of a new land, he'd plant a flag and declare that this land now belonged to his country.

Famous paintings and pictures show Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong planting their country's flags in places as far apart as North America and the moon.

In terms of prayer, the question is: Who "owns" this planet that we pray for?

The ultimate answer is God. Of course.

But in genesis one, God gave humans dominion over earth. Therefore, we are lowercase kings of the planet.

Then in Genesis 3, we sold our authority over to Satan and sin. He is an even lower – not just lowercase – king. That's why Jesus calls Satan, "the ruler of this world" (thankfully, to "be driven out") - see John 12:31.

But we can't understand our earthly circumstances until we understand that this is temporarily Satan's territory.

Therefore, prayer is warfare. When we pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we are staking God's flag in the heart of enemy territory. We are claiming this land and these circumstances for God. And thus we are declaring war against the one who thinks he is in charge. (And by the way, we are declaring war against the rebelliousness in our own hearts too.)

Ultimately, this world belongs to God. And he promises that the Victorious Son will come again and claim this planet ultimately and eternally. But until then, God gives us the choice and the power to claim corners of this world for him… or not.

What do you want to claim – away from sin and Satan – in the name of Jesus, in and around your life and throughout this broken world?

In Christ's Love,

a guy who plants flags

(Since I don't have a

green-enough thumb to plant

flowers and tomatoes,

I might as well plant

the Kingdom.)

Nov 3 - Matthew 6:10a

Jesus said,

Pray then in this way ...

Your kingdom come.

Matthew 6:10

Jesus' very first sermon had four quick themes. In addition to “the time is fulfilled, ... repent, and believe ...," Jesus also revealed that "the kingdom of God [had] come here."

What does that mean?

 

This world is filled with sin and death. Heaven is filled with perfection and joy. Sin separates us from God… and heaven. When we pray, "thy kingdom come," what we are really saying is that we want more heaven on earth!

 

And Jesus is saying that that is possible!

 

The kingdom of heaven has come near. How? In the person of Jesus Christ!

 

In and through Jesus, our Triune God literally touched earth. God himself came in human flesh. 

 

Suddenly in one person, in one little corner of the world, the perfection of heaven prevailed on earth:

 

·         The love of heaven trumped the sin of earth. 

·         In a world of confusion and chaos, truth showed it's light.

·         For a moment, forgiveness was possible… and profound.

·         And evil was conquered by self sacrifice. 

 

If we want Thy kingdom to come, what must we do?

 

First, we must understand that we cannot manufacture it ourselves. Sinful human beings cannot manufacture a sinless world.

 

Therefore, what must we do? We must understand that the only path to a little more heaven on earth is by linking ourselves more fully to Jesus himself.

 

Two thousand years ago, Jesus was – in flesh -- "Thy kingdom come." Two thousand years later, Jesus is still "Thy kingdom come." He is this world's only real path to peace, hope, love, forgiveness, and true joy.

 

Therefore, if you want God's kingdom to come more fully in your life, spend a moment today drawing closer to Jesus, and asking him to help you follow his ways. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants to build

a kingdom on earth

My plan: To rename my cockatiel "King" and

declare her birdcage sovereign territory.

(Is that substantially more or less permanent

than any other temporary kingdoms on earth?)

 

 

How Can we Pray in November?!

How can we pray

for you in November?

Remember, a prayer time is available

8am-Noon

on (generally) the

first Saturday in the Month

– i.e. this Saturday.

Congregational Prayer Lists are also available

throughout the rest of the month.

Check in the narthex and church office

Nov 1-2 - Matthew 6:9b

Jesus said,

Pray then in this way ...

hallowed be your name.

Matthew 6:9

The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy.

The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or wrath, wrath, wrath, or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of His glory.

The above words are a famous quote from Bible teacher R. C. Sproul. And they introduce well Jesus' phrase, "hallowed be Thy name" (or "Father in Heaven, your name is holy").  

Literally, "holiness" means something like "set apart" or "a step above." And God is obviously a few miles above us in terms of his majesty and power -- "There is no one like thee ... O Lord" (Psalm 86:8).

God is also miles above us in terms of goodness. And holiness also conveys and demands a sense of moral purity. 

There's another attribute to the set apart nature of God's holiness: it is total and complete. Every aspect of his character -- always and eternally -- is holy. It is complete. Unwavering. Total. And true. 

As R. C. Sproul says in his book The Holiness of God, "The tendency is to add the idea of the holy to this long list of attributes as one attribute among many. But when the word holy is applied to God, it does not signify one single attribute. On the contrary ... holy calls attention to all that God is." 

God is. And all that God is is holy -- utterly above, beyond, pure, just, and good. And true prayer must begin by worshiping the transcendent glory (the holiness) of God. 

Take a moment now to worship God's holiness!

In Christ's Love,

a guy who is holy, holy, holy

... I mean, holey, holey, holey!

(I leak! Patch me up, Lord.)

Oct 31 - Matthew 6:10

Jesus said,

"Thy kingdom come"

Matthew 6:10

Where is the kingdom of heaven?

Duh ... it's in heaven, right?!

Well… yes ... and no.

Yes, the kingdom of God is absolutely in heaven.

But there's a better definition for where the kingdom of God is: The kingdom of God is wherever God it is!

And where is God? Everywhere! He is sovereign over every molecule in the universe.

And yet, our Almighty God allows free will. He allows us to kick him out and ignore him. He allows us to pretend to be sovereign -- large and in charge. He intentionally limits himself and invites us to welcome him in.

When we do, his kingdom has come! When we don't, we miss his blessings.

Near the very beginning of human history, humankind kicked God out. In the Garden of Eden, we said that we wanted our eyes to be opened and be like God. From that moment on, the Sovereign Lord allowed sin, death, and rebellion to rule the earth. Thus, if the kingdom of God is wherever God is, we – even in our daily Christian lives – don't always invite him in.

When Jesus came to this earth, he planted his flag, much like an explorer plants his flag on a new land. In Jesus' first sermon, he proclaimed that through him, "the kingdom of God had come near."

·       When we pray, "Thy kingdom come," we are overthrowing darkness and sin.

·       When we pray, "Thy kingdom come," we are proclaiming that we want God to reign - not just in the world, but in our own hearts.

·       When we pray, "Thy kingdom come," we are taking new territory, proclaiming that this space belongs to God and that he is welcome here. And sin, death, and the devil no longer have any claim to the space.

·       When we pray, "Thy kingdom come," it is a declaration of war.

·       And when we pray, "Thy kingdom come," it is the beginning of victory!

The world calls today Halloween. Some use that to celebrate the kingdom of darkness.

·       Pray today for the light of Christ to overcome the darkness of this world.

·       Ask God to help the kingdom come nearer to you today.

·       And ask God for ways to help those around see and celebrate the kingdom of light.

In Christ's Love,

a jack-o-lantern

(Jesus picked me from the field.

Washed me off.

Clean out all the gunk inside me.

Carved a smile on my face.

And put his light in me.)

Oct 30 - Matthew 6:9

One day Jesus was

praying in a certain place.

When he finished, one of

his disciples said to him,

"Lord,teach us to pray, just

as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them,

"When you pray, say: 'Father,

hallowed be your name,'

Luke 11:1-2

Jesus said,

"Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name."

Matthew 6:9

The Lord's Prayer can be found in both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. In the next few days, we'll cover Jesus' words as recorded in Matthew in our month-long survey of the Sermon on the Mount. 

But ... I couldn't resist starting here with the disciples' lead-in question that Luke thankfully recorded: "Lord, teach us to pray."

Let that be our rallying cry for these next few days. "Lord, teach us to pray."

And so the Lord did. He gave us what we call the Lord's Prayer. 

Many churches and many people say this prayer word for word. That's a very good thing – especially when we mean it word for word ... rather than just saying it out of rote and routine.

But most scholars believe that Jesus was not offering us a prayer to be read word for word. Rather most see this as a pattern for prayer. Must see this as teaching us the general categories to make sure we pray for if we want to grow our relationship with our Father who art in heaven. 

And it starts with those words: "Our Father in heaven."

Those were radical words. Blasphemous words. How dare someone call the Lord God Almighty their Father unless they really were the Son of God!

With this prayer, Jesus was claiming his divinity. But then he did something remarkable: He gave us the same access to the Father in heaven.

No, we are not THE Son of God ... but we are sons and daughters of God. And as children of God we have the right to come to the Lord God Almighty in personal relationship. We have the trust to talk to him as Abba, Father, Daddy. 

Jesus promised us this kind of relationship through this prayer. And it was radical. And wonderful.

Right now, try spending a few minutes talking to God as your Dad.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who acts like a child

(a child of the King)

Oct 29 - Matthew 6:7-8

Jesus said,

“When you are praying,

do not heap up empty phrases

as the Gentiles do; for they think

that they will be heard because of

their many words. Do not be like them,

for your Father knows what you

need before you ask him.”

Matthew 6:7-8

There are days when I'd like to think that I'm an efficient pray-er ... exactly like Jesus recommended in this passage.

An economy of words. Short arrow prayers. Aimed crisply at God's heart. Not babbling on. That’s often my prayer style.

But that's not at all what Jesus is talking about.

Rather, we need to ask again the purpose of prayer. What is it? The purpose of prayer is not to get things (especially according to your desires). The purpose of prayer is to unite your heart to God's.

In private, I probably ought to have a lot of words, long conversations with my Father. (And I certainly ought to mix into that a good amount of listening to my Father too ... as he speaks to me through his Word and though the sweet silence of listening.) But if a heart-level relationship is the goal, my economy of words is probably not the ideal.

So why did Jesus say what he did in this passage about being efficient in our prayers?

Because -- if you remember the context -- he's talking about what hypocrites do in public.

In public, we don't need a cacophony of words, used to draw attention to ourselves. Be short. Be sweet. Be true. And then go home and pour out your words (and your heart) in your prayer closet.

Context.

That's what Jesus is saying. If I'm praying to be heard by others ... then I need to stop. If I'm praying to be heard by God ... then I need to retreat to the silence, maybe join with a couple of prayer partners, and work on my relationship with my Father.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who was the shortest guy

in seventh grade, and

it’s carried over to prayer …

a guy who runs the risk of being

too short and pithy in prayer

Oct 28 - Matthew 6:5-6

Jesus said,

And when you pray,

do not be like the hypocrites,

for they love to pray

standing in the synagogues

and on the street corners

to be seen by others.

Truly I tell you, they have

received their reward in full.

But when you pray,

go into your closet,

close the door and pray to

your Father, who is unseen.

Then your Father, who sees

what is done in secret,

will reward you

Matthew 6:5-6

A famous family named Wesley had many children. Many, many, many children. Therefore where was a busy mother to go to find quiet, private moments with God?

Legend has it, that the mother of John and Charles Wesley – the famous evangelist and hymnwriter, respectively – used to sit in the tiny little room at the center of their house, pull her apron over her head, and dare her children to interrupt her time with God!

The Wesley children probably learned -- like our Thomas children -- that the day went better when you didn't interrupt mother when she was talking to the only Rock of Sanity in the midst of a busy day!

Jesus' point today isn't to recommend that we find a prayer closet (or pull an apron over our head if that's the only way we can find one on one time with God) -- though that is necessary and powerful advice! In other ways and other places, Jesus will teach about and model how to do life-giving, private devotions. But that’s in other passages and on other days.

Today the point is our attitude in praying. Basically Jesus is saying: Don’t pray to gain the attention and accolades of others; rather, pray for an audience of One!

The God who sees in secret yearns to be met in the secrecy, honesty, and humbleness of your heart. The One who knows you already wants you to be vulnerable and trusting enough to give more of your heart ... and be even more fully known. The Lord doesn't want your prideful prayers; he wants your heart and your devotion.

Or to say it most simply: He wants you!

Not because he doesn't technically own everything, but because he loves you and wants you to give yourself to him as a gift. Ask your beloved – does she want you to love her as your duty? or does she want you to love her as your joy and give yourself to her as a gift?!

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants to be a superhero

(letting the God who sees in secret

see behind my masks)

Oct 27 - Matthew 6:3-4

Jesus said,

“But when you give to the needy,

do not let your left hand know

what your right hand is doing,

so that your giving may be in secret.

Then your Father, who sees what

is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 6:3-4

I am left handed. Very left-handed.

Mary Louise is left-handed too. But not so "very." Having to fully functioning pants made it much easier for her when she was a surgeon.

Me? I've often told people that my right hand is just here to make me look balanced.

Therefore, my left hand often doesn't know what my right hand is doing -- except I don't think that this was Jesus' point in today's verse!

I think he speaking figuratively, rather than literally!

Yesterday's verse talked about not trumpeting our generosity before others in order to be seen by them. He talks about giving in secret so that only our Father who sees in secret will know what we are doing.

Think about what this means… By giving in secret, we are not trying to curry favor with God. God knows our heart already! We can't fool him with false pride! We can't trick him with "secret generosity." No. "Giving in secret" means giving for the right reasons ...

·       because you love God

·       because you love others

·       because you're not looking for fanfare

·       because you simply and truly want to obey.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who -- in Worship Class in Seminary –

gave his first (practice) benediction,

using his left hand to "sign" the cross.

A guy who then had his worship professor

come flying out of his chair, saying, "Left means sinister!"

I said in response, "I'm not superstitious."

He said, "I don't care."

Therefore, a guy who now signs

the cross with his right hand!

(I wonder if my left hand knows what I am doing.)

Oct 26 - Matthew 6:2

Jesus said,

“So when you give to the needy,

do not announce it with trumpets,

as the hypocrites do in the

synagogues and on the streets,

to be honored by others.

Truly I tell you, they have

received their reward in full.”

Matthew 6:2

Matthew 6 begins with a theme:

Trumpets are bad!

Wait. Maybe Jesus isn't condemning a whole section of the band. More likely he's saying that "tooting our own horn" is prideful. (And he goes on to say convictingly that pridefulness has no lasting place in the kingdom of heaven.)

Jesus is telling us that we can do the right things ... for the very wrong reasons.

Giving is the right thing. It blesses God's kingdom. God calls us to give to the temple treasury. It pays the priests who preach the word. It takes care of the temple grounds (our place for grace). It blesses our community, doing good things like teaching our children and caring for orphans and widows. According to God, this is "the right thing."

But it is possible to do it for the wrong reasons.

At a church that a friend of mine served, the richest man in the congregation wouldn't give a penny all year. But on the last day of the year, he would call the pastor, "Preacher, how much are we behind at the end of the year? Let me catch the church up."

It wasn't generous. It was prideful and manipulative. He wanted to make sure the congregation knew that the church was in the black precisely because of him. And he wanted the pastor to be under his thumb – essentially, "if you don't do what I want this year, I won't bail you out at the end."

Mr. Hornblower might have given more than any other single member in the church. But he had more to give. Jesus says here, and in many in various ways other passages, that heaven prefers the generosity of poor widows (and the like) who give two little coins from the heart.

The heart is the measure of the true gift. Not the amount.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who's learned to

give and give, more and more,

until quiet generosity

finally feels really good

(and then life begins

to get really good!)