Tag Archives: Jesus

February 18, 2023 · 1:26 PM

He Is The God Who Speaks

Samuel was just a boy. He was growing up in the temple in Shiloh, learning about the various responsibilities of a priest. It was a dark time spiritually in Israel. The word of the Lord was rare, but not silent.

One night, Samuel heard the Lord call his name. He got up and ran to his mentor, the old priest Eli. But Eli was not the one calling Samuel. Two more times Samuel heard the voice calling him and mistakenly thought it was Eli.

Finally, Eli realized the Lord was calling the boy. He instructed Samuel to go back to bed and wait. If the Lord called again, Samuel was to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9). 

The Bible tells us that Samuel failed to recognize the Lord’s call “because the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7). He knew about God, but he did not know God personally.

To know God personally, Samuel, needed to have the word of the Lord revealed to him. The Bible speaks often about the word of the Lord. By the power of his word, God spoke into existence the universe, all that is, was, and ever will be.

Jesus quoted the Old Testament when he was tempted by Satan, saying, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). The word of the Lord is life itself!

The frequent appearances of the phrase “word of the Lord” in the Bible remind us that he is a God who speaks. God wants to reveal his character and his plan to us. God’s desire is that we know him and that we share in his kingdom work and kingdom victory.

It is not enough for us to have a vague awareness of some “higher power.” God is powerful, yes, but he is also personal. He wants us to experience more than his power. He wants us to know his love, wisdom, holiness, grace, mercy, patience, kindness, and more. He wants us to hear his word.

Jesus is God’s ultimate communication to us about himself and his plan. Jesus is the Word who became flesh and dwelt for a while among us (John 1:1, 14). “My sheep hear my voice,” Jesus said, “I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). We are his flock.

God is both one who speaks and one who writes. Over a period of more than a thousand years, on three different continents, in three different languages, God patiently and carefully produced his written word, the Holy Bible. For thousands of years he has guarded and guided its transmission so that we can read his perfect word for ourselves in our heart language.

God has called, empowered, and sent his servants to preach, teach, and communicate his word. These gifted people are given by God to his people to give a human voice to his word.

By the power of his Spirit dwelling in the hearts of his redeemed sons and daughters, God gives believers the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to receive his word.

What an incredible effort God has made to speak to us! Will we take the time and make the effort to listen? Do we have a desire for the power of God’s word to take root in our souls and bear spiritual fruit that will last?

May God inspire us and enable us to hear his voice and to follow him faithfully,

Brother Richard

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February 4, 2023 · 3:14 PM

State Of The Church

How are things going in God’s house?

First Samuel chapter 2 gives an assessment about conditions in the house of the Lord in Shiloh during the days of the Judges. Eli was priest. His sons served with him.

The Bible tells us that Eli’s sons were wicked. Instead of serving God’s people, they abused their position and served themselves. They took the choice meat that people brought as an offering to the Lord and used it for their own selfish desires. They even engaged in sexual immorality with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

They had no respect for God. In fact, Scripture says that they did not know the Lord.

If we stop here, our assessment of the worship in God’s house in Shiloh would be very negative. But that would be an incomplete picture. God’s word has more to say.

A young boy named Samuel was also in the Lord’s house in those days. His mother, Hannah, had promised God that if he gave her a son, she would give him back. He would be dedicated to the Lord’s service all his life.

After years of marriage without any children, God answered Hannah’s prayer and gave her a son. Hannah was faithful to her promise. When Samuel was very young, she brought him to Eli at the Lord’s house in Shiloh and the boy grew up in the presence of the Lord.

Hannah’s son Samuel was a sharp contrast to Eli’s wicked sons. Samuel was not using the Lord’s house to fulfill his own desires. He was there to fulfill a promise to God. Samuel would grow up and be a mighty man of God.

So, a fair assessment of the ministry in God’s house in those days would include both the wicked deeds of Eli’s sons and the great potential of Hannah’s son, Samuel.

How would we assess the state of things in our churches today? As in the days of Eli, we can and should take note of both the ups and the downs.

In the aftermath of COVID-19, average attendance has decreased significantly in many local churches. As a result, budgets are tight and volunteer hours are harder to come by. The mission of the church appears more difficult than ever.

The pandemic seems to have accelerated trends that were already in motion. Many people are increasingly distracted by activities that compete with church. These activities are not necessarily bad or sinful, until they interfere with worshiping and serving God.

The results of eroding commitment to worship and discipleship are easy to identify: biblical illiteracy, moral confusion, false teaching, and eroding support for missions, to name a few. Of course, one might argue that the process works in the reverse: biblical illiteracy, moral confusion, false teaching, and lack of interest in missions may cause a lack of interest in church attendance. Either way, church attendance and spiritual vitality are closely connected.

Refocusing God’s people on God’s house is a worthy goal.

Can we identify anything good in our local churches? The gender confusion movement has forced many Christian groups to choose between worldly delusions and God’s Word. Sadly, some churches and denominations have chosen false teaching over Scripture. But not all.

Hundreds of Methodist congregations have chosen to remain faithful to God’s word, even though it means breaking their long-standing association with the United Methodist Church. They will take the challenging steps of finding or creating new groups for fellowship, cooperation, and accountability. Their willingness to take the difficult road of faithfulness to God’s truth is inspiring.

Groups like Southern Baptists have at times struggled with finding the proper response to the gender confusion agenda, but they have not suffered the radical division now disturbing Methodists (and others). We can rejoice that many Christians have not been led astray by a movement wreaking so much havoc and harm, especially on children and youth.

The assessment of God’s house in Shiloh included mentions of God’s presence, especially with regard to young Samuel. The boy Samuel served in the Lord’s presence. Samuel grew up in the Lord’s presence. And, God stood by Samuel one night and spoke to him in the temple at Shiloh. Despite the failed leadership of Eli and the wicked actions of his sons, God’s presence was still in God’s house!

Perhaps the most important measure of a church is God’s presence. The greatest thing we can say about any church family is that they experience and enjoy the presence of the Lord. People who are seeking the Lord can find him there.

The current challenges faced by local churches are multifaceted and they often seem overwhelming. Without denying the complexity of our times, God’s presence gives us a focal point that delivers hope. When Jesus showed up at Lazarus’ funeral, that sad and tragic gathering was transformed into a joyous occasion. God’s presence always makes the difference!

Jesus was no isolationist. He did not retreat into the desert with the Essenes. Neither should we retreat from the challenges we face. Nevertheless, our first love must be to meet with our Lord! Let’s continue seeking and serving our Lord with all our hearts, praying that he will always meet with us and enable us to be victorious, to bear fruit for eternal life.

May God inspire us and enable us to honor him and serve him in his house this year,

Brother Richard

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December 7, 2022 · 8:28 PM

God Is With Us – So What?

We often hear the name Immanuel during Christmastime. What does it mean? It means “God is with us.” Why is this name so closely related to Christmas? It goes back to the first Christmas.

The first Christmas started with a big disappointment for a good man named Joseph. He was soon to marry the love of his life. Joseph and Mary were “betrothed.” Betrothal in ancient Israel was somewhat like our engagement used to be, only stronger.

I write “used to be” because now many people (not all) who claim to be engaged feel free to live together as husband and wife, or at least to sleep with one another. Sex used to be a joy reserved for marriage. Thankfully, some folks still respect marriage, one another, and God enough to wait.

Joseph and Mary had respect for God and his institution of marriage. They also respected each other enough to save themselves for marriage. This is where the problem appears. Mary was pregnant before their wedding day.

People would conclude that either Mary and Joseph didn’t wait, or that Mary was unfaithful. Joseph knew the baby wasn’t his. He could only assume that Mary had been with another man. Imagine his heartbreak!

The Gospel writer Matthew tells us that Joseph was a “righteous man.” He knew the right thing to do. The Old Testament law said that a woman who was pledged to be married and slept with a man was to be stoned to death. This was a horrible thing for Joseph to consider. He still loved Mary.

Consider Joseph’s dilemma. If he acts according to the letter of the law, even if he just divorces Mary for cheating on him without taking any other action against her, he will expose the disgrace of the woman he loves. She will have a mark against her that will follow her the rest of her life.

On the other hand, if Joseph follows his heart, if he ignores her unfaithfulness and continues with the wedding, he is defying God’s law. He knows that God condemns adultery and sexual immorality. He would be deciding what is right based on what he wants. He would be rejecting God’s word.

Joseph struggles to find a way to be right and still be loving. He finally settles on a compromise. He will divorce her (that was necessary when two people were betrothed and ended their relationship without marriage). But he will try to do it secretly, so it doesn’t cause Mary too much trouble. Sounds weak.

This is when God steps in and gives Joseph the missing piece of the puzzle. Mary’s baby was conceived by God’s Holy Spirit. She has been faithful to him. Joseph can take her as his wife, knowing that the baby is a miracle from God.

And there is more. God tells Joseph to name the baby Jesus, which means “God is salvation.” Why? Because Jesus will save his people from their sins.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that all this took place to fulfill a word from the Prophet Isaiah: “See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,” which means God is with us.

Jesus is God with us. When God comes to us in Jesus, he solves our greatest problems. He was the solution for Joseph’s heartbreaking dilemma. Jesus is the answer to our most deadly difficulty. He will save us from our sins and guarantee us eternal life with God in heaven.

Praise God for being with us this Christmas,

Brother Richard

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November 4, 2022 · 3:13 PM

The Invisible Hand of God

God’s invisible hand is at work all around us to accomplish his good purposes. We sometimes refer to this as God’s providence. God’s providence is his often-unnoticed guidance of events. God guides events toward two ends.

First, he provides for his creation. Jesus taught about this aspect of God’s providence. He said that God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good. He causes the rain to fall on the unrighteous and the righteous (see Matthew 5:45).

Another term used for this part of God’s work is “common grace.” Have you wondered why God sometimes blesses those who are wicked? It is an expression of his common grace. He gives the sunshine, the rainfall, and many other blessings to all creation indiscriminately.

Second, God’s providence works for the redemption of his people. To redeem is to gain back something that is lost. Because of disobedience and rebellion, people are lost from God’s favor and turned over to his judgment. God sent a Redeemer, a Savior to regain ownership of his people and restore us to his favor. That Redeemer is Jesus Christ.

When Jesus came, he was opposed by the religious leaders. They plotted against him, seized him, unjustly condemned him, and turned him over to be publicly executed like a man cursed by God.

Those enemies of Christ thought they were destroying Jesus, but by God’s providence they were unwittingly participating in God’s plan to provide the final and full atonement for our sins. Jesus’ voluntary death on a Roman cross was carried out by God’s design. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Then God displayed his victory over every enemy and his mastery over all history by raising Jesus from the dead and exalting him to the right hand of glory! What an impressive feat!

But what about the widespread spiritual darkness in our world today?

We live at a time when many people refuse to distinguish between a tumor and a baby, a time when our culture apparently cannot tell the difference between a boy and a girl, when many people confuse sexual immorality and faithful loving commitment. They hear someone speaking the truth in love and label it as hate speech. It is a time of spiritual deception when even the darkness is called light and light is called darkness.

God’s invisible hand of providence is at work despite this present spiritual darkness.

What about all the economic uncertainty?

Inflation is driving the price of everything higher, making the dollars we have worth less. Many of our leaders enact policies that make life more difficult, lowering our standard of living, decreasing our liberties, discouraging people from working, increasing the number of criminals who run free. Despair tempts us to give up hope, but we need not do that.

God’s invisible hand of providence is at work despite the uncertainties of this age.

What about heartbreaking family losses?

We want everyone to live long and happy lives, but in this world, that does not always happen. Unexpected losses can be devastating. Sometimes we fully appreciate a family member only after they are gone. Sometimes a wayward child or grandchild can cause great anxiety. Sometimes a marriage falls apart or disappoints. These and other family disruptions can truly be disheartening.

We need not lose heart. God’s invisible hand of providence is at work despite family disruptions and losses.

What about the faulty faith of God’s people? Who among us can say that our faith is a finished product? We are all works in progress. We gather regularly for teaching and preaching and discipleship so that God’s Spirit can advance his work in us, transforming us into the image of Christ, opening our eyes to see his hand at work in us and around us, opening our hearts to accept his timing and his methods.

God’s providence never slumbers. His plans are unstoppable. His love is immeasurable. His grace is unshakable. Our faith in Christ rests on a sure footing.

May God give us eyes to see his hand at work on our behalf,

Brother Richard

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October 5, 2022 · 3:34 PM

Satan Is As Real As Evil

A recent news story reported that an after-school Satan club now meets at a high school in Pennsylvania. This is not the first after-school Satan club. Others have already been established at public schools in our nation.

No surprise that one of their core issues is abortion. The Satanists teach kids that they are empowered to end the lives of unborn children. They compare abortion in Satanism to baptism or the Lord’s Supper in Christianity, a solemn ritual – outrageous!

They teach kids a song that includes lyrics saying that Satan is your friend, he wants you to have fun, and there is no hell. The song ends by saying that Satan doesn’t really exist. Sounds confusing and evil.

The Bible warns us that believers have three enemies: the ‘flesh,’ the world, and the devil (Satan). The ‘flesh’ is not a reference to our physical bodies. It is Bible terminology for the corrupt sinful desires that tempt us to disobey God and rebel against him. The ‘flesh’ threatens our peace and blessings from God.

The devil appeals to our ‘flesh,’ our sinful nature, stirring up the desire to disobey God. As followers of Jesus, however, we have crucified the ‘flesh’ with Christ. We are no longer in bondage to the sinful nature. We can choose to follow Christ instead of our sinful desires. We have God’s Spirit in our hearts empowering us to grow in our victory over sin.

The second enemy of believers is the world. In this case, “the world” is not creation, but the cultures, institutions, ideas, and attitudes of sinful humanity. This broken world is like a tide that always goes out to the sea of confusion and destruction. The devil exerts great influence on the world, using it to pull people away from God through skepticism and unbelief.

We face the temptation to be like the lost world around us instead of distinguishing ourselves as followers of Jesus, as a people with an eternal perspective. Jesus warns that the road to destruction is broad and many find it, but the path to life is narrow and difficult and only a few travel its way.

The third enemy of believers is the devil himself: Satan.

In Genesis 3, Satan makes his debut into the biblical account. He appears in the Garden of Eden and tempts Adam and Eve to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit. Sadly, they were easy to persuade. And, sadly, people are still easily led astray by Satan and his lies.

Evil is real. It is not a human or cultural idea that we can redefine. Good and evil are defined by God. The standards for right and wrong are established and uncompromising.

Evil is powerful. We are helpless to stop it without God’s intervention. By any reasonable standard, humanity is not making progress at defeating evil. War, hatred, violence, deception, immorality, they still grow like weeds everywhere. No continent, country, community or culture is free of evil.

Evil is personal. Satan is a living personal being. He is a fallen angel who led a third of God’s angels astray and into rebellion against God. Now he wants to deceive us and lead us into tragic rebellion against God.

We cannot destroy the devil, but we can resist him and his temptations. James tells us that the first step in resisting the devil is submitting to God (James 4:7). With God’s power, we are able to stand against our enemy. Ephesians 6 urges us to put on the full armor of God so that we will stand and not be destroyed (Ephesians 6:10-20).

Once fitted with the full armor of God, we pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers and requests. Our power to overcome is in our Lord. Let’s submit to God, resist the devil, stand against evil, and walk in victory!

May God’s Holy Spirit always inspire us and enable us,

Brother Richard

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September 1, 2022 · 10:45 AM

Don’t Go Halfway To Church

Jesus promised to build his church. He assured his disciples that the gates of Hades will never prevail over his church. This wonderful promise is recorded in Matthew 16. It is the first appearance of the word “church” in the Bible.

The underlying term used for church in the ancient Bible language is ekklesia. Bible teachers sometimes point out that ekklesia consists of two parts. The first part is ek, which means from or out of. The klesia part of the word is closely related to klysis,the ancient word for call or calling.

When we put the two parts of ekklesia together, we get something like “called out.” Some Bible teachers conclude from this combination that church means the called out ones, or those who are called out. In other words, “church” means those who are called out from this world of unbelief, called out from those who are in rebellion against God.

Come out of the world and be different! Be holy! That’s certainly an important part of God’s call to his people, his church. Believers are called to come out and be distinct from the unbelieving world. However, the word ekklesia means more.

First of all, we should note that combinations of words don’t always determine or even hint at the resulting meaning. For instance, butterfly does not mean that dairy products sail through the air on wings. The combination of butter and fly creates a completely new meaning: a delicate little critter with beautiful markings.

The word ekklesia is not bound by the meaning of its parts. The combination creates a fresh emphasis. Ekklesia is not focused entirely on what Christians leave behind, called out of the world. Instead, it points to what we are called to. The word emphasizes the fact that followers of Jesus are a people who gather together in an assembly.

We are the “assembly” of believers, so we assemble. We gather. Another English word that expresses the meaning of ekklesia well is “congregation.” As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we congregate with one another.

If we limit the word ekklesia to a negative connotation, being called out from, then we could stay at home alone and convince ourselves that we are being the church. After all, we have left the world behind, right? But leaving the world and being alone is not the meaning of church.

Staying at home to worship alone is halfway church. Retreating alone to a favorite place in nature for private worship is only going halfway to church. It is retreating from the unbelieving world, but it is not gathering with believers.

When we follow Jesus, we gather with brothers and sisters in the Lord. We congregate with Christ’s people, his church. We assemble for Christian fellowship and God meets with us in a special way.

When we assemble for Christian fellowship and worship, we send a message to the world: God is alive and well and working in us and among us! Our meetings are meant to be a positive witness to the world. Our meetings are meant to show the world the love of Christ.

Every enemy we have tries to keep us from church. The world works to lure us away by planning its best activities during church time. The devil whispers in our ear about what a failed and pathetic group God’s people is. Our own flesh, the sinful nature, urges us to pursue personal fun instead of public faith.

When we listen to God’s Spirit and follow his ways, we fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We worship and serve God together. We are a light in a dark world. We fulfill our eternal calling.

Going halfway to church is not far enough. Let’s be faithful in our generation. Let’s go all the way to church!

Brother Richard

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July 14, 2022 · 3:46 PM

Oops! Another Reminder Of Life’s Frailty

On Saturday morning, June 11, I decided to trim a holly in front of our house. It had gotten too tall. I wanted to shorten it significantly so it would be easier to trim in the future.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I engaged in an ill-conceived strategy to reach the top of the holly that included non-sanctioned supporting equipment. (OSHA would have been appalled!) Suffice it to say that it included a bucket turned upside-down and other sundry items.

The instant I fell, I knew that this would not be my finest hour. Every breath was a struggle. A trip to the emergency room let me know that I cracked/broke (is there a difference?) four ribs and two vertebrae. My movements over the next couple of weeks were curtailed, to say the least.

Thanks to all who went to the emergency room, brought meals, did shopping, gave rides, filled in at the church, checked on us, and most of all, prayed for God’s mercy and healing. Church family made a difficult time so much easier.

I’m sorry for taking an unnecessary and foolish risk, but I’m grateful for the grace and mercy of God, demonstrated through the love and concern of brothers and sisters in Christ. Oh, and I’m so grateful to God that he made our bodies so that they heal!

Accidents and illnesses are reminders of how fragile life is. Things can change in an instant. The world says, “Your days are numbered!” That’s certainly true, but it sounds so negative. In fact, it sounds a bit like a threat.

The Bible, on the other hand, says, “Teach us to number our days aright” (Psalm 90:12, NIV). This is no threat. It is good advice. It is wisdom from God’s word.

We know that God has blessed us with a certain number of days in this world. He urges us to be aware of how precious time is and to be fruitful in spending it. This includes healthy balances of work and rest, productivity and pleasure, family and friends, worship and service, being in the church and being in the world (but not of the world), staying home and getting out, and so forth.

Jesus told his disciples, “We must do the works of the One who sent me while it is day; night comes when nobody is able to work” (John 9:4). The word “day” in Jesus’ saying signifies the time of opportunity. “Night” symbolizes the time when opportunities are past.

Jesus said that we must do the works of the One who sent him, that is, the works of God. The Lord holds out opportunities to each of us to participate in his great kingdom work in this age. These are opportunities to number our days aright, to use our time in a fruitful manner.

Every day that we can get up and go is a gift from God. He is inviting us to be fruitful and to enjoy a harvest from the work he gives us to do. Know your calling and pursue it with wisdom and passion.

May the Lord enable us to go and do, for him and for his glory,

Brother Richard

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June 2, 2022 · 1:22 PM

God Saved Us To Do Good Things

The Bible verse for Vacation Bible School this year is Ephesians 2:10: For we are his (God’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we might walk in them.

The “we” in this verse refers to Christians, followers of Jesus. Immediately before this verse, we read about how to become Christians: For by grace you are saved, by faith; and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God, not by works so nobody can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Christians are saved by grace, not by works. Grace is the wonderful gift of salvation offered by God. He sent his Son Jesus to give himself as an atoning sacrifice, to die for our sins. He did this so that we can be forgiven.

Since God offers us salvation as a gift, we are not required to earn it by doing good works or by being good people. Jesus earned our salvation for us. This is good news. We would be incapable of earning a place in heaven. Why? Because only one who is perfect deserves heaven and nobody is perfect except Jesus himself.

God’s gracious gift of salvation comes to us through faith. Faith is the step of trust we take to believe God’s promise about Jesus and to ask him to forgive our disobedience. Faith includes a commitment to be a follower of Jesus, confessing Jesus as Lord. The result is God’s priceless gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

So, what about all those verses in the Bible that talk about obeying God and doing good deeds? After God’s grace saves us by faith, God’s plan lays out a path for us to follow which includes good works. It is vital for us to note that Ephesians 2:8-9 comes before Ephesians 2:10. We don’t work to get saved. We get saved to work.

Verse 10 starts by saying that we are God’s workmanship. It’s his work that saved us. He sent Jesus to die for our sins. That’s why it then says we are created in Christ Jesus. Jesus is our Savior, the one who died so that we can be a new creation. God also sent his Spirit to speak to our hearts and to transform us into the image of Christ.

Now we see in verse 10 that we are saved to do good works. God wants us to avoid spending eternity in hell, but his salvation is more than a rescue from eternal punishment. God’s salvation enables us to do good things that he prepared beforehand. Since he prepared these works, we know he will be pleased by them.

God prepared us for the works and the works for us. To be saved by faith in Jesus and to do the good deeds God prepared for us is to experience the fullness of a life well-lived. Since God prepared these works for us to do, we know that they will be meaningful, eternally meaningful.

The last part of verse 10 says that we are to walk in them (“them” being the good works). The Bible describes our daily lives as a ‘walk.’ We ‘walk’ through this world step by step, day by day, decision by decision. Our ‘walk,’ our daily life, has a direction and a destination.

The works prepared by God for us to do become a pathway that leads to a full and fulfilling life. By walking in the pathway laid out for us by God, we enjoy rich experiences of his presence, power, and blessing along the way. And we know that he is our great destination, to stand in his presence, to see him face-to-face, and to worship him with abundant joy!

What marvelous things God has revealed to us in his word! How abundant the blessings that God stands ready to pour into our lives!

May God always bless us with good deeds to walk in,

Brother Richard

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April 12, 2022 · 3:03 PM

The Great Signpost To The Other Side Of Death

Skepticism has reduced Christianity to an empty shell for some people. One writer described the unbelieving ‘liberal’ version of Christianity in words like these: A God without wrath brings people without sin into a kingdom without judgment by a Jesus without a cross.

Just one problem: A tomb without a body means a Savior with great power and a life after death. Jesus’ resurrection is a striking reminder that the Bible promises more to our existence than what we see in this world or what we experience in this age.

The Bible assures us that everyone is appointed to die once then to face judgment (see Hebrews 9:27). Many in our skeptical world want to believe that God’s final judgment is a myth, yet people have a surprisingly strong desire for justice.

Justice requires judgment. The ultimate justice requires the ultimate judgment. And the ultimate judgment requires the ultimate Judge: God himself.

Is this world our only chance for justice? If so, we are apparently doomed to tragic disappointment. Justice now is certainly worthy of our best efforts, but it is also important enough for us to be realistic and admit that this broken world always falls short of justice for all peoples, justice in all things, and justice at all times.

Jesus’ preaching and teaching ministry placed much emphasis on the final judgment. Of the 39 or so parables of Jesus recorded in the Gospels, 18 of them focus on final judgment. About half. Jesus’ parable of the 10 virgins, 5 foolish and 5 wise, is about final judgment. It points out that some will be ready, but not all.

The separation of the sheep from the goats is about the final judgment. It points out that judgment will be focused on how we acted in this life, especially with regard to Jesus’ brothers and sisters, the church.

His parable about the wedding celebration is about the final judgment. One who came in without the proper garment was cast out into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, eternal condemnation.

The parable of the talents is about final judgment. The Lord tells each of his servants, “Well done my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a little. Take charge of much!” Words that every follower of Jesus should long to hear.

God is able to make perfect judgments. He uses the perfect standard: his own personal holiness. He is not corrupted. Nobody can bribe him because everything is already his. Nobody can force him to act. He has all power. Nobody can deceive God. He knows all the truth.

The final judgment will not be an inquiry to determine the facts. There will be no depositions or investigations. The facts will be fully known. One of the challenges of justice and judgment in this world is that we don’t know all the facts, especially the secrets of the people involved. Sometimes the guilty go free. Sometimes the innocent are condemned.

On God’s judgment day, even the secrets will be revealed. In fact, all the secrets will be revealed. My secrets and yours. Once we know all the facts, even the secrets, we will know that God’s judgments are right, just, and true.

If we are concerned that God is too harsh (or too lenient), we needn’t be. We can trust him to do what is right. We can be certain now that when judgment day comes and all things are finally revealed, God’s judgments will be vindicated.

Judgment day will also reveal God’s grace and mercy. Once we know the full story of evil, we will appreciate the full value of God’s grace. What we know about God’s grace is truly great now, but it is nothing compared to what our understanding will be then. For all eternity, believers will praise God for his marvelous grace, astounded by his love, inspired to worship and enjoy him and his blessings.

The resurrection of Jesus is the great historical marker of God’s justice and mercy. According to his justice, God provided judgment for sin through faith in Christ Jesus. According to his mercy, he offers forgiveness and eternal life through trust in Jesus Christ. The choice is ours. Trust God and his ways, or trust ourselves and follow our own ways, hoping that the Bible gets it wrong.

The resurrection of Jesus is a clear signpost that more awaits us on the other side of physical death. A day of weeping and gnashing of teeth for some. A day of rejoicing and celebration for others. Choose life. Follow Jesus.

May the resurrected and exalted Jesus Christ be Lord of your life both now and forever,

Brother Richard

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February 2, 2022 · 2:34 PM

Praay With All Kinds Of Praayer

The Bible urges us to pray with all kinds of prayers (Ephesians 6:18). What are the kinds of prayer we should be using? A careful search of Scripture reveals at least five general categories of prayer:

Praise God. Praise God for who he is. He is holy. He is all-powerful. He is infinite and unchanging. He is faithful and righteous. God is love!

Praise God for what he does. He creates. He is the Maker of all things. God spoke into existence the heavens and the earth. The Lord made the earth rich in beauty and resources for our benefit.

God made us. He is the giver of all life. He gives us life. We praise him for our lives and for the provisions he makes to meet our daily physical needs. We are blessed by his abundance.

God saved us. He saved us from sin and condemnation. He sent Jesus to die for our sins and raised him up to be our Lord and our Shepherd. God sent his Spirit to dwell in our hearts and to transform us into the image of Christ, empowering us to live holy lives and enjoy God’s blessings to the fullest.

Praise and worship are an inspiring part of prayer.

Repent of Sins. If we deny that we are sinners, we make God out to be a liar. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just. He will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Our goal is to experience victory over sin, but when we stumble and fall, we have an Advocate at the throne of our Father: Jesus Christ the Righteous one. He gave himself as our atoning sacrifice. He was raised up and exalted to God’s right hand in majesty. Now he always intercedes for us.

Confession and repentance are necessary for approaching God in prayer.

Ask Favors from God. Ask and it will be given to us. Seek and we will find. Knock and it will be opened to us. For everyone who asks receives. The one who seeks finds. To the one knocking it will be opened.

God is our loving Father, Abba, who knows how to give good gifts to his sons and daughters. God desires to give his greatest gift of all: himself. Will he not give the Holy Spirit to those who are asking?

We can approach God’s throne of grace and mercy with confidence, believing that he will always do what is best.

Petitions and intercessions are heard and answered by God.

Ask Questions and make complaints. We can ask God our questions. In doing so, we must remember two things. First, never forget all the answers he has already provided. We should not let a mystery overshadow the many important revelations God has given us.

Second, we must trust God to know what we need to know. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may obey him.

In addition to our questions, the Lord will also hear our complaints. Obeying God in a world filled with rebellion and disobedience can be challenging, frustrating, and sometimes depressing. God knows our hearts already. We can pour out our most intimate thoughts and emotions to him.

Questions and complaints are welcomed by God in prayer.

Yield to God. We spend much time in prayer asking God to help us with our needs, to forgive us for our sins, to answer our questions, and to listen to our complaints. We can also bring something to give him: our commitments.

We can promise God to worship him and to walk in his ways, to obey him and to serve him. The Lord makes commitments and promises to us. We can make commitments and promises to him, agreeing in prayer to honor him in our hearts and in our households, through our worship and while we work.

Covenants and commitments can be made with the Lord both publicly and privately, both by individuals and by groups.

The various categories of prayer are not like the major parts of a car. A car needs an engine, a transmission, a body and suspension, an interior with seats and all the necessary controls for operating it on the street. If any of these things are missing, the car could be dangerous, or not function at all.

The different types of prayer are more like assorted colors of paint on the artist’s palette. The colors serve the painter. One picture may be dark with gray, black, and red. Another painting is bright with vivid yellow, green, and white. Our circumstances and mood will determine which types of prayer we use on any given day. Different prayers will use different categories, serving the one who has come to speak with the Lord.

We should be comfortable with all types of prayer. When the mood is right or the circumstance appropriate, we should be capable of praising, confessing, asking, or yielding. If we learn to use all the categories of prayer, we will enjoy a deeper and more satisfying dialogue with our Maker and Savior.

Bowing on our knees or standing with hands raised, joining together with other believers or alone in our prayer closet, speaking out loud or silently in our hearts, in public or in private, in sorrow and in joy, in the morning and in the evening, in the Lord’s house and in the world, we pray without ceasing. We pray believing. We pray in the Spirit with all types of prayer!

May God inspire us to commune often with him in prayer,

Brother Richard

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