God & Politics

If you wonder whether God can direct the hearts of political leaders in our county and the world, and thus if prayer for them isn’t a waste of time, look no further than the book of Ezra . . . and I Timothy 2:1-2. Ezra 1:1 says that “in order to fulfill the Word of the Lord,” He “stirred up the spirit of Cyrus the King of Persia” to allow Jews to return to Jerusalem after Babylonian captivity and rebuild the house of the Lord. Verse 5 also says that God had stirred the hearts of people to go and do precisely this. Ezra 6:8 says King Darius later added that the cost of building the house of God in Jerusalem would be paid in full by the taxes the Persian government received! Darius even said animals and crops should be provided for sacrifices (v. 9). He wanted God’s people to pray for him (v. 10). God certainly worked in the hearts of these leaders and these people.

I Timothy 2:1-2 says we’re to pray, with “entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, . . . for kings and all who are in authority . . . “

May this be our habit and our hope.

Dealing with Disappointment

Life can be dotted with, and on occasion dominated by, disappointments. Disappointments sometimes define people. Disappointments aren’t all bad for if someone is never disappointed, they probably aren’t striving for anything or expecting anything in life.

Since as Christians, we pray about life, when life is disappointing, we can become disappointed with God. We’re perturbed that He didn’t answer our prayers the way we hoped. We get disappointed because God didn’t meet an expectation.

Job 37:13 helps us understand how God works and why He answers the prayers of sincere servants the way He does. Through Elihu, the one faithful spokesman for God to Job, God says “Whether for correction or for His world or for His lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.” God causes things to go certain ways in our lives for three reasons, this verse says:

1. “For correction” – to correct sin or immaturity in our lives; to make us more like Christ; or, to get us on a correct course in life.

2. “For His world” – the Hebrew word means “inhabited world.” God is constantly doing things for people in the world, for His plan in the world, for His purposes in individuals outside our little world. He may say “no” to our prayers, with the consequence of our disappointment, because He’s doing so many other things for greater purposes. And He’s not obligated to tell us all about His plans!

3. “For lovingkindness” – sometimes, He does say “yes” to our prayers. He bless us; He shows us, as His children, His great lovingkindness. In His love and goodness, sometimes He meets or exceeds our hopeful expectation.

Knowing that God works in these ways makes us trust Him. It gives us security in life. We may face disappointments in life but we don’t have to be disappointed with God. For He has told us how He works and assures us that He will always work everything together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Names of Jesus

Do you ever have trouble sleeping? . . . your mind or your body working overtime when you should be resting?

Or do you struggle sometimes to keep your mind “Fixed on things above rather than things of the earth” (Col. 3:2) amidst the stresses and temptations that accompany life?

May I suggest something that has helped me with these and other challenges, a spiritual exercise that draws me closer to God when I’m awake at night or struggling to keep my focus where it should be:

Think about some of the Names of Jesus. His Names remind us of Who He is and what He has done and can do.

Jesus is:

A – Advocate before the Father (1 John 2:1)

B – The Beloved Son (Matt. 3:17)

C – The Christ (Matt. 16:16) and Creator (Col. 1:16)

D – The Descendant of David and the bright morning star (Rev. 22:16)

E – Everlasting Father (Is. 9:6)

F – Friend of sinners (Matt 11:19)

G – God (Rom. 9:5)

H – High Priest (Heb. 7:26)

I – Immanuel (Matt. 1:23)

J – Jesus (Matt1:21) and Judge (II Cor. 5:10)

K – King of Kings (Rev. 19:16)

L – Lamb of God (John 1:29)

M – Master (Luke 5:5)

N – Nazarene (Matt. 2:23)

O – Only Begotten Son (John 3:16)

P – Propitiation for our sins (Rom. 3:25)

Q – Qoheleth, the Preacher of Wisdom (Eccl. 1:1)

R – Redeemer (Eph. 1:7)

S – Savior (Titus 2:13)

T – Truth (John 14:6)

U – The “Us” of Gen. 1:26, United with the Father and Spirit (Matt 28:19-20)

V – The Vine (John 15:5)

W – The Way (John 14:6)

X – Our Example (I Pet. 2:22)

Y – YHWH (John 8:58)

Z – The Zeal of the Lord (John 2:17)

Psalm 9:10 says “Those who know Your Name will put their trust in You.” Our trust must be here, in JESUS.

Spiritual Awareness

I don’t know what else to call it but the “Stimulated Awareness” phenomenon.

This happens when you start thinking about getting a different car or truck, a specific model and even a specific color – and all of a sudden, you start spotting them all over town! Before your awareness was stimulated, you never noticed them; now they’re everywhere. Or, you want to change your hairstyle to something specific. Soon, you notice many people with the same style. Or, you get clued into what a house finch looks like in Central Oregon; then, all of a sudden, house finches are all over the neighborhood. None of these items actually increased in number; we just became aware of them because of the “Stimulated Awareness” phenomenon.

As we study the life of our Lord Jesus, we observe four components that marked His ministry, making His meetings with people really matter, components that made His encounters count for eternity. In either large or small measure, Jesus’ conversations and activities with others, had:

Consecration – a time when He set Himself apart to be used however the Father wanted. (Mark 1:9-13, 35)

Compassion – seeing beyond Himself to the needs of others, bringing elements of the Kingdom of God to others. (Mark 1:41)

Clarification – shedding light on a confusion or misunderstanding about God, the Bible, or life. (Mark 2:16-17)

Communication – speaking life, communicating in some way the Good News. (Mark 1:15)

Our everyday encounters with people can really count for God if we recognize that people may need from us elements stemming from one of these four stages. Maybe we need to be consecrated to God – “Lord, I yield myself to You to do or to be whatever You want for this person.” Maybe the person needs compassion, to see elements of the Kingdom of God – His kindness, His love, His power, His joy, the beauty of holiness. Maybe the person we are with has a false assumption about God that either our lives or our lips can clarify. Or maybe they need to hear about Jesus and His grace in forgiving our sins through His death and resurrection. Thus, we communicate it.

With “Stimulated Awareness” of how God can use us in any of these four stages, our encounters, like Jesus, can count for eternity. We’ll see God at work all over town!

Roe vs. Wade

Each January, Americans are reminded of the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision (1973), legalizing abortion with a constitutional right for mothers. Here are some Biblical reasons for defending the life of unborn human beings and why abortion is wrong . . . remembering at the same time that God forgives those who seek His forgiveness for having had an abortion (or encouraged one) . . . and, He gives new starts, new beginnings, new futures for people who seek His forgiveness (Proverbs 28:13; II Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5)

God abhors abortion because . . .

1. He equates the unborn with human life. The laws for “retaliation” in Exodus 21:22-25 treat injury to the unborn as injury to a human being. The term for “baby” in Luke 1:44 referring to John the Baptist in the womb is the same Greek term for “babies” in Luke 18:5 describing small children coming to Jesus. John also had the Holy Spirit even in the womb, Luke 1:15 says. Clearly, the unborn are considered human beings in the Scriptures.

2. He embroiders each unborn specifically. Psalm 139:13-16 describes God’s prenatal work.

3. He expresses judgment on it. God pronounced judgment in Amos 1:13 on a nation that “ripped open the pregnant women.”

4. He esteems human life above all other creation. The description of people bearing God’s image in Genesis 1:27-28 and Genesis 9:6; the value of human life over animals in the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 10:31; the teaching that even to mock a human being (to say nothing of physically harming them) in Proverbs 17:5 is to insults that person’s Maker all show how God values human life over any other created thing.

5. He exposes its root by it fruit. This principle from Luke 6:43-36 bids us look at the fruit of abortion – in women’s lives as well as the unborns – and ask “Has abortion produced good things for women? families? nations?” or has it left in its wake guilt, sterility, heartache, pain and an imbalance in the sexes in nations?”

For these Biblical reasons, we know that abortion displeases God.

What can we do about it?

1. Pray for our nation’s leaders and laws. (Proverbs 21:1; I Timothy 2:1-2)

2. Protest according to God’s will. (Proverbs 24:11-12)

3. Provide alternatives to abortion (Daniel 1:8-21; Romans 12:17-18) like adoption; helping single moms; supporting orphanages, Pregnancy Resource Centers; etc.

4. Personal obedience to God’s laws regarding sex, children, human life, parenting (Psalm 1:1-3)

May God richly bless you all this new year.

Advent Reading

As the day we celebrate Christ’s birth approaches, may I encourage you to read and pray through (on the designated days) the following Advent Bible passages? These readings can keep us focused on Jesus during the busy month of December.

1- Isaiah 40:1-8

2- Luke 1:26-38

3- Luke 1:39-56

4- Colossians 1:15-20

5- Philippians 2:5-11

6- John 3:16-18

7- Matthew 1:18-25

8- Mark 10:42-45

9- Matthew 2:1-12

10- John 1:1-9

11- John 1:10-18

12- Hebrews 10:10-18

13- Revelation 1:12-18

14- Psalm 23

15- Isaiah 52:13-53:6

16- Exodus 12:3-14

17- Romans 3:23-26

18- Hebrews 1:1-8

19- Revelation 5:8-14

20- Daniel 7:13-14

21- Galatians 4:4-7

22- John 10:7-18

23- 2 Cor. 8:9; 9:15

24- Luke 2:1-20

25- Revelation 11:15-19

He Is Good!

I was recently reminded by a friend of the greatness and the goodness of God as revealed in the book of Exodus.

With the burning bush, the awesome Name of “Yahweh,” the ten plagues that revealed God’s greatness to Egypt, Israel, and every so-called Egyptian god, and then the phenomenal parting of the Red Sea – not to mention manna from heaven and water from rocks – Exodus certainly showcases God’s greatness.

But when Moses asks God to “show me Your glory,” God responds in Exodus 33:19, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you…”

Certainly God’s glory is in His greatness but he chose to emphasize His goodness as He revealed Himself to Moses.

Do you view God as good?

His goodness certainly speaks of His moral goodness, His absolute holiness. “Goodness” also speaks of God’s skill; He does what He does very well. But goodness also speaks of His benevolence; His grace; His mercy; His kindness; His immeasurable love. WOW! He actually delights in giving good things – because He is good.

He is worthy to be trusted, prayed to, served and thanked . . . for He indeed is GOOD.