Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Years ago, we were studying through the book of Isaiah on Sundays. It is a stark reminder for us who follow Jesus to rely on God and not the methods or politics of man. It’s also a great encouragement that God is for us, always paying attention, and always willing to work on our behalf when we call out to Him.

Today, Sunday November 2 is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. It’s an important and personal day for our church family because being a follower of Jesus in these places comes with great risks, places like China, North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and many more. Hundreds of people who once believed in a different god come to faith in Christ and are discipled. Yet, many times the local people will not even consider hearing a reading from the Bible. This all raises an important question “In these spiritually dry lands, how can they minister effectively without the written Word?” 

Jesus provides the answer to this question in the Gospel of John: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,  

even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17) 

In Biblical times, the scrolls containing God’s Word were owned by a select few as they were very expensive and not widely available. Most all the people were illiterate. When Jesus sent out The Twelve and the Seventy-Two in His power and authority- the first short-term mission trips- they went out in obedience, and God blessed them. The ministry of the Lord prevailed and the number of believers grew to epic proportions. This is due to the obedience of the believers who went out in their neighborhoods, towns, and all over the world, proclaiming Jesus and doing exactly what God told them to do.  Despite their lack of access to the Word, they did not go out unprepared. They carried God Himself, the Holy Spirit, the very Author of the Scriptures, who lived within them and supernaturally empowered them for the work of the ministry. Today, our family in Asia goes out in the same manner- in obedience to God and in the power of His Holy Spirit. God is not limited by man’s need or shortcomings! In fact, He is glorified through them.

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
 and streams on the dry ground;
 I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
 and my blessing on your descendants.” (Isaiah 44:3)

The Book of Acts records the Sanhedrin were amazed by the courage of Peter and John because they were unschooled but realized they had been with Jesus. What a testimony where God got the glory! The Apostle Paul states we are not lacking in any spiritual gifts as we await Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 1:7). The Holy Spirit is a person not a power, so we can ask Him for what we need. When we travel overseas to serve, if we don’t know what to do, we seek God and ask, and He gives us wisdom in the moment (James 1:5). This includes God’s Holy Spirit bringing Scripture to mind exactly when we need it. We’ve seen this time and time again, both His direction and His protection. Our God is incredible!

Other Christians in spiritually parched places of great risk are under great scrutiny. There are times the authorities step in, and even though this is troubling, they move forward with confidence in God. How many times they must have this Scripture come to mind: 

“And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11-12)

Today, I ask you to commit to pray for the persecuted church! They need us- and we need them! They help keep our hearts focused on the eternal things of God. In our brave, new world, our thirsty and spiritually dry land, we too minister in difficult times. We need God to give us strength, wisdom, and to work through us as we obey His commands to love our neighbors and share the Gospel message of hope, love, and salvation with them. Just like believers of old and our family on the other side of the world, He will give us what we need as we step out in faith! Yes, His love stretches to the ends of the end- and He loves the people of the U.S.A. and beyond as well!

On the Other Hand

Had the huge blessing of sitting with two friends for lunch yesterday. One I see regularly and the other one I see about once a year because he lives outside the state. I remembered a lunch like this almost 15 years ago where God put hope in our hearts for a special project. What we had never came together as we wanted. It fell apart quickly due to some people who lied and created problems. And yet, God's ultimate plan played out very differently. He's still in charge, and I trust Him. So, even though I felt a wave of sadness wash over me, I also realized I'll spend eternity with these two because of our shared deep faith in Jesus Christ. That is a blessing and a promise from God that no one can take. On the other hand, rejecting Jesus' offer of eternal life to all who would believe in Him and live for him... well, it results in eternal destruction and agony and separation from Jesus for eternity. Yes, I'm talking Hell. As far as heaven goes, Jesus speaks several times of both heaven and hell being real places. Heaven is the physical destination for those that love and follow Jesus until the end, and Hell is the physical destination for people that reject him and the offer of eternal life he made for every person that would choose to believe in him and follow him. Many of his parables also point to it. 

Matthew Chapter 25 says a lot about Hell, particularly the last 15 verses or so. In the book of John, Chapter 14, Jesus says, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me". In context of everything else he said, that means we have to choose to believe He is god, died for our sin because we are all separated from God, and was raised from the dead after being crucified. He says if we believe that, then Heaven will be our home after we die.

The Bible says, "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment". (Hebrews 9:27) No second chances. You've got to make up your mind about what you believe before you're dead.

God's Plan for Freedom from Shame- His Work and Our Response

Do you walk out your life in a constant sense of shame, guilt, or not being worthy of anything good? Does depression take over when you least expect it? Then, you're just like me! But there is a way to freedom and to joy and peace and feeling worthy of the good things in life. Yes, once more, God offers the answer. Are we humble enough to accept His plan? How free do you want to be?

God's Plan for Freedom from Shame is something powerful! Looking at Psalm 34 from the Bible as a beginning point, we'll discover the key to real freedom.

Just to put things in a historical context,  this psalm is poem. David, the future king of Israel, wrote it when he was faking insanity so that Abimelech would set him free. We’ll focus on the personal application of this beloved piece of Scripture.

Before we read it, take time and pray, asking God to make this a personal thing for you. As you encounter Him through reading the Scripture, may He instruct and encourage you!

Let's look at Psalm 34, verses 1-8:

I will extol the Lord at all times;

    his praise will always be on my lips.

2 I will glory in the Lord;

    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the Lord with me;

    let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

    he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;

    their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

    he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,

    and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;

    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

I.  SOURCES OF SHAME-  OUR SHAME DOESN’T JUST COME FROM OUR UNFAITHFULNESS TO GOD

It’s not just a Biblical concept. It’s also a very personal issue.  Many of us have experienced shame due to the circumstances around our birth, our family background (be it economic or social status). What things about your family's history embarrass you or make you uneasy? What stories do you rarely tell? These could be indicators of shame being part of your life.

My mother was 16 and unmarried when she became pregnant with me. My maternal grandmother was so distressed, she had a nervous breakdown and spent some time in an institution (proving once more that even believers can have real life difficulties that aren't easily solved by faith.) The local priest refused to openly perform a wedding ceremony for my parents. He eventually did so begrudgingly with little celebration and even less involvement from either side of the family. At 18, my father was not ready to be one, and without a solid education or interest in it, he began shoveling concrete to help provide for his family. Although he is quite successful now by many standards, this was a job reserved for the lowest and least educated.

All said, perhaps you're like me and your background is rooted in shame.

Let's pick back up and continue in Psalm 34, beginning again at verse 8 and reading through verse 11:

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,

    for those who fear him have no lack!

10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;

    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me;

    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

II.  OUR SHAME ALSO COMES FROM SINS AGAINST US.

Not only can our shame come from our background, shame can and does enter our life through the way others treat us. When you think of interactions with others in your life, were you given encouragement and love? Or were you a burden or even an emotional or verbal punching bag? Correction is one thing, but abuse is something totally different.

Many people in authority sinned against me. Although I was a good student, I was not perfect in attaining grades. I was uninteresting and quiet, neither a trouble maker nor a stand out student. Easy to overlook, young for my age, small and uncoordinated. Teachers' disinterest stung. Friends were few and far between, and my awkwardness made me any easy and ongoing target for neighborhood bullies. Ridicule from other was a regular part of my school day, making me even more introverted and anxious. Some but not all in our extended family were abusive in different ways. Anger was easily expressed and often was out of control. Words were used to tear down rather than build up. I couldn't wait to graduate, break free, and move on.

Perhaps you're like me. My shame also came from things done against me. A word of caution here. As we'll see in the next few verses, retaliation and revenge are not the ways a believer should handle themselves. Look at verses 12-14:

12 What man is there who desires life

    and loves many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil

    and your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Turn away from evil and do good;

    seek peace and pursue it.

The hidden benefit in keeping the response in the Lord's hands is when we choose to trust Him instead of taking matters into our own hands, we watch God work on our behalf and our faith is built up.

There's consequences for lack of obedience here. First, we perpetuate evil if we respond in an ungodly manner. This tears down our witness as well as being sinful in and of itself. It also helps erode our faith as disobedience directly moves us away from God's will, chipping away at His authority and place in our lives.

The second consequence is just as powerful:  When we take matters into our own hands, we rob God of the glory He deserves. When we do not wait for Him, we communicate to others He is unable or unwilling to be involved in our lives.

There's also a very practical consequence.

How often can we seek after our own good and go our own way, thinking we know what is best. We may even attain it. But are we missing something even better from the hand of our Lord? I believe this is often the case. The self-made man (or woman) only gets what they themselves can provide. We know our God is limitless, so why not place things in His hands and watch what happens! Our God is good- ALL THE TIME!

Verse 15 forward through 22 is great news for those of us who believe the Lord and take Him at His word.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous

    and his ears toward their cry.  

16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,

    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears

    and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

    and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

20 He keeps all his bones;

    not one of them is broken.

21 Affliction will slay the wicked,

    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;

    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

 

The Lord hears our cries. He is near to the broken hearted. And there is no condemnation for us. It's a very sweet relationship!

So far, we've seen that our shame can come from our backgrounds, our family of origin and from the sins of others against us.

Yet, there's another place shame comes from- the place that causes us the most trouble of all.

 III.  OUR SHAME COMES FROM OUR OWN SIN, THE CHOICES WE MAKE THAT HURT PEOPLE AND HURT OURSELVES

Even as I say this, you may be remembering things you’ve done, choices you’ve made that you regret, the embarrassment that comes from those nagging temptations (note that temptation is not sin- it's just temptation to sin), and the pain that comes from ungodly relationships, misuse of power, and many other ways you’ve hurt others.

The shame from what we’ve done to ourselves and others may be the hardest to overcome!

In middle school, I drank a good amount of alcohol, trying to cover my shame from my background, my family, and the things others had done to hurt me. Instead, it only made it worse. I let my anger against others -and even more so myself- destroy relationships and stop them before they even began. I was drenched in shame, as if I was caught in a deep pool under a powerful waterfall I could not free myself from.

Maybe you're like me. Perhaps the things you’ve done- your bad decisions and choices- bring the most shame of all.

In the middle of my shame, dying under an ocean of pain and anger and regret…. I wanted to die.

“BUT JESUS!”  

I heard His message which brings forgiveness of sins and an end to a life of bondage to shame!

When I came to believe in Jesus and gave my life away to Him, not only did He forgive me of all my sin, I gained an unexpected benefit. For a full six months, my depression and my shame gave way to joy and a hope for the future!

The truth is, at one time or another, we all have broken our relationship with God by disobedience to His commandments and giving our love to idols that are hollow and lifeless. Our own ego causes us to disobey as we choose to lie, cheat, steal, and take advantage of others. We're disgraced and certainly worthy to be punished and banished from his presence forever. We all deserve an eternity in Hell.

"BUT JESUS!"

Not only does God offer salvation through Jesus Christ alone, He offers a plan for freedom from shame. I'm still learning how to walk this out, but let me share a few hard earned truths.

1- God has Done and Is Doing His Part.    

Our God is not just a god of words, He is a god who takes action on our behalf.  

Look at  Romans 5:6-8 -

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

There are some things only God can do. Thankfully, He just doesn't tell us we are broken, lost, and sinful, He alone provide the solution to the problem. And our God continues to change us from within as we yield ourselves to Him. This process continues throughout our lives as we press into loving Him and obeying Him.

God's word in the Holy Bible reaffirms our standing before Him once we believe. Through His declaration, He reminds us of who we are and how He sees us.  Read these three verses in Psalm 103, verses 10-13. It's one of many verses that speak loudly to us.

10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,

    nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

13 As a father shows compassion to his children,

    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

The Book of Romans states it bluntly:  “For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Chapter 10, verse 11)

He is our good, good- shall I say it again?- good Father! The God of love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness.

God does his part, and we must do ours.

2.    We Must Do Our Part.  

We have a responsibility in our Freedom. Not to earn it but to walk in it!

We must take Him at His Word, choosing to believe what He says. The solution is in believing God for what He says- including believing our new identity in Christ! God says we are free from shame and that He removes us from our sin.

This is first a battle for our mind!  Then it’s a battle of our will. Today we talk a lot about Identity.

But, what is YOUR Identity? For example, “Are you an alcoholic?” OR “Are you a Christian who struggles with alcohol?” Your answer reveals much about how you view God and how you see yourself!

We MUST choose to praise Him! (Look back at the first three verses of Psalm 34) There’s something powerful about praise. Maybe it is because it takes our minds off ourselves.

When we pray, do we begin with a time of Acknowledging Who God Is- His goodness, love, mercy, faithfulness etc.? Do we have hearts and words to express Thanksgiving? Or do we go right into a mode of need or even complaint? Our God is enough or He is not.

This is just like Peter stepping out of the boat into the waves to reach Jesus: " Save me from myself!" You can almost hear the words come out of his mouth as you read the account in Matthew 14. We step out in faith to the new life, trusting in Jesus- and then the enemy moves into attack. We can fall into old patterns of sin… and old patterns of thinking!

We may hold onto anger, hate, fear, perhaps even toward God. It’s easier and better to confess the state of your soul or that sin to the Lord and be cleansed than it is to justify your choices and argue with God, creating even more tension within yourself.

We must continue to look to Him.  In the world, when we’ve hurt someone, it’s difficult to look into their eyes. Yet, God is not like man. When we look deeply at Him, He reminds us that our faces will NEVER be covered with shame!

Maybe you just can't forgive yourself. Are you better than God who has already forgiven you once you come to Him?  

Our church has offered a program from the U.K. called The Alpha Course. It's incredible! Our time in the series has driven this potion home extremely well: OUR VALUE IS SET BY GOD! - He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for your sins by dying on the cross. That is how much you are loved.

Look at God's words in Isaiah 43: 18-19, 25.

18 “Forget the former things;  do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake,  and remembers your sins no more.

For God’s sake? What does that mean? It means we'd  be so thankful that we would make His name known wherever we go. This is the Great Commission in its simplest terms.

When Satan reminds us of our past or tempts us to sin, be aware it means the battle is on! Remind him of his defeat. And then remind yourself of your future:

Romans 2:6-10-

6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

We are clean and whole in Jesus!

We may have a broken past. We may be seeped in shame, like tea in boiling water!

Our shame may come from our backgrounds, our family of origin and those stories we never tell. Our shame may come from the sins of other people against us. The sins that weigh us down may be our own sin, our disobedience to God when we live in ways that don't please Him. It may come from the choices we make and the temptations we face.

"BUT JESUS!"

We may have a broken past. We way even have a difficult present. But we do not have a broken future!

Can I hear an "AMEN!"?

Let's praise God for His plan for freedom to shame as we walk this out together.

The King of Disney's Fright-Filled Attractions

Vintage Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. (And I bet you expected something about the Haunted Mansion today, right?) It's a Disneyland favorite, and now the only ride with this theme in the Disney park empire. With the double tracked version of the ride in Florida's Magic Kingdom now long gone (R.I.P.), Mr. Toad also makes his home in Disneyland Paris, but only as the master of Fantasyland's fish and chips restaurant. 

From the GREAT Yesterland site.

This vintage photograph shows Disneyland's Fantasyland in its early charm. Even though the top photo's black, we know and can see the colorful buildings, and tournament banners, and pennants created a fun medieval environment to celebrate the joys of childhood.  Like large swaths of the park, the land has gone through so many changes and additions over time. The entire revamp of this fantasy world debuted in 1983, replacing the original theme into the European village we all know and love.

While a ride that ends in Hell is a very odd choice for a Fantasyland favorite, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride creates fun and thrills as it sends its riders on a crash course to the devil's final home of eternal torment. Unlike the ride, in reality when Jesus returns to rule and reign, the devil is not the master but instead the prisoner- and there is not an ounce of fun to be had. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, Chapter 20 tells us:

 "...and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Disneyland's Toad poster

is a bit of false advertising!

After reading this, the Bible's very famous words about Jesus make sense- "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:16-17)

In a sense, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride may be the most frightful of Disney Imagineering's scary attractions. It rightfully takes its place among the Haunted Mansion, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Phantom Manor, and the defunct Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour in Tokyo, and equally dead and missed Alien Encounter. You can find out more about each of these on the Insights blog- if you dare.

(Art and photographs copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

What Jesus Really Said About Heaven and Hell

Time Magazine interviews Bart D. Ehrman, a professor who claims Jesus never taught on Heaven or Hell. I guess the guy hasn't read the Bible. Let's cut to the chase- Jesus says, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28) Keeping reading for more proof Jesus did speak about eternal judgment and a real Heaven and Hell.

Mr. Ehrman was also interviewed on NPR on March 31 of this year, and ends his interview admitting he is an atheist. (Read the transcript here.) Guess there's a bit of an agenda. Here's the truth about what he claims:

As far as heaven goes, Jesus speaks several times of both heaven and hell being real places. Heaven is the physical destination for those that love and follow Jesus, and Hell is the physical destination for people that reject him and the offer of eternal life he made for every person that would choose to believe in him and follow him. Many of his parables also point to it. 

Matthew Chapter 25 says a lot about Hell, particularly the last 15 verses or so. In the book of John, Chapter 14, Jesus says, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me". In context of everything else he said, that means we have to choose to believe He is god, died for our sin because we are all separated from God, and was raised from the dead after being crucified. He says if we believe that, then Heaven will be our home after we die.

The Bible says, "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment". (Hebrews 9:27) No second chances. You've got to make up your mind about what you believe before you're dead.

If you want to go farther. Think about this. The last three chapters of the last book of the Bible, Revelation (Chapters 20-22), talk about judgment for every person. Again, Hell (a real place with a lake of fire that never goes out) to Heaven (a place of joy and peace where tears will never be a part of human existence again.)

the Bible's last book, Revelation, also ends with this warning- "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Chapter 22 verses 18-20.)

Bart's just promoting his book, Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife. But he's preaching a falsehood which too many people are willing to believe. By claiming this, he is playing with literal fire. As always, read the Bible for the truth.

Prayer, God, and the Coronavirus

Is the Coronavirus making you anxious and worried? I think we all have a bit of jangled nerves as we figure out this brave new world. Does it make you pray? It should! Why do we pray? We want answers from a Living God. We want to pour out of hearts. We want to know someone greater than us cares. Sometimes we just ask for things. But prayer is much more than this.

When talking about prayer, we have to start at the beginning…

It all begins with the character of God. In the book of I John, the great disciple of Jesus states, "God is love". (verse 4:16)             

God’s character is the beginning of everything good.              

The problem is with us. If we don't understand who God is and what prayer means to Him, we may be expecting results that God never intended. Then, we can become discouraged, confused, or even embittered.

Of the many characteristics of God, four stand out to me as being worth consideration as we discuss prayer. Let's look at these from a Biblical standpoint.

 1- He is Unchanging.

In the New Testament, James writes in Chapter one, verse 17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

In other words, He is the same God for the starving children in Africa as He is for those of wealth. Even though we do not understand his ways, and they are never subjective to the understanding of man, God is dependable.  In fact,  He is not fickle nor does His personality alter. If our image of God is dependent on our understanding of Him, our understanding becomes our highest authority, our god, not Him.

2- He is All-Knowing   

    

PSALM 147:5   “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.”

God created Man. Nothing we think, do, or say, past, present or future, surprises Him. He knows all things. There's an inherent comfort in that for those of us that love and know Jesus Christ. 

3- He always cares. Our circumstances don't change His love.

Here's a classic piece of scripture that best describes this point:

Romans 8:35-39    “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:  “For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God's love for a fallen, imperfect man is shown best in the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross for sin. That He understands and has seen all the evil men can do, and yet He loves us, it's amazing. That means you and me! We all fall short of the perfection God desires. But He alone provides a way. In fact, any man who would come to Him, confessing his sins, believing in his heart that Jesus Christ is the perfect payment for sin, will find an eternity in heaven with Him. Hell is no longer his destination, and Satan no longer has a hold on him.

 4- He is Always Good

PSALM 25:8     “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.”

Let me emphasize here. God is always good- even when we do not agree with Him or get what we want. God's goodness and mercy are found all through the Bible, but all of Psalm 136 resonates:"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever!"

Stop and think about the times God has answered your prayers. These stories are important because they are your stories of interactions with our Living God. No one can take these from you, no one can tell you they did not happen. This is part of your history. Just think, the most powerful being ever took time to interact with you. Incredible!

Now, remembering what you just did, let’s look at prayer from God's perspective. A Biblical perspective. There's three main aspects of prayer.

1- Relationship with Him

God desires that we  would know Him and love Him. This goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. After the fall of man, when the forbidden fruit was eaten, God searches for them in the garden. It's not that He didn't know where they were. It's that He wanted them to answer as to why they were hiding from Him; why they no longer desired to know Him and talk with Him. 

An Eternal Relationship. He gives us hope for an eternity with Him. An eternal, loving,  relationship. Never broken unity. No pain, no loss, no doubts. Imagine an eternity of peace, deep love, and joy. This is God's heart for us!

As far as prayer goes, He does answer prayer. For those who put their trust in Him, prayer is a two way dialogue, a by-product of relationship. Not the reason for it. Contrary to what the false teachers of the prosperity gospel would teach, God is no cosmic genie, waiting at our beck and call to give us all we ask. Instead, He is a good and perfect Father, allowing only what is best for us.

                               

2- Transformation

The second reason for prayer is transformation. Not the Michael Jackson type of change, but the kind of change for the better. Every recovering alcoholic understands what I mean here. Ever plead with God to change you? To heal you? To make you different than what you currently are? Well, God has a plan for that kind of transformation. The plan is to make those who believe to look more like Jesus Christ. He desires to clean us up, heal our souls, and to change the course of our lives. It gives us hope and purpose, but it also means God has a plan for us...

 3-   Instruction

He wants to lead us. Our beautiful, living, powerful, good God has a plan for us. He created us and made each of us unique. Because we are made by Him to be unique, He alone knows what will most fulfill us and give us meaningful purpose. The truth is, we only think we do. Yet, until we love and trust in God, we will never discover the truth and instead, be left to search endlessly on our own.

We all want to know if we make a difference. We all want to know we will make an impression in this world before our life is over.  God's plan is that all people would know and love Him. (Just read the book of Second Peter in the New Testament.) And He desires to uniquely use us for this plan. 

There’s a progression here.  In other words, if we love Him and walk closely with Him, we will: 

·      Encounter the Living God, 

·      Be Changed by the Living God, 

·      Be Used by the Living God.

And God desires to keep this cycle going! So, from a Biblical perspective, these are the three real purposes of prayer. As you think more deeply about each, you'll realize prayer doesn't always involve getting what we want, what we think is best. Sometimes, oftentimes, it's a very different story. 

To make sense of this fact, it helps to look at the life of Jesus as our model.

This Jesus, the one I love and follow, took on the pain and sins of Man. Once for all time. Even though His life was sinless and ours is not, there's a lot to learn by examining his life. He was, after all, a man of prayer. And what better place to look at his prayer than right before His Crucifixion.

Let's look at the Book of John, chapter 17 verses 1-4, right before Jesus is sent to be crucified.  

"After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.  For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.  Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do."

·   This was the most crucial time in Jesus’ ministry. Would He finish well? No one would dare complete this task of crucifixion unless God Himself spoke it and they loved God enough to obey. Jesus’ prayer reveals THE most important aspect of why we pray:

“I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”

But back to us. What about the things we pray about?

What happens when we pray and God answers? What happens when our life is impacted by what happens around us and to us? It usually falls into these categories. 

·      Good things we like 

·      When Bad Things Happen 

·      The consequences of our sin

·      The consequences of other’s sin

·       The results of Other people’s sin against us

What happens when we get what we asked for? When there's no answer? When the answer brings us pain? Keep reading!

When We Get What We Ask For

Rejoice and be thankful! God wants us to come to Him when things are good and not just come to Him when things are hard or when we need something. Remember how good He is! Celebrate that- and remember that.

Sometimes getting what we pray for comes with an unexpected side! There can be challenges that come with it. Opportunities to grow, change, and become more like Jesus. 

It's time for us, for me, to move away from an American mindset of Christianity. What I mean is, following Jesus does not mean we will experience success as our culture defines it. We will, however, experience success as how God defines it. And He defines it as obedience. Jesus himself says if we love Him, we will obey what He commands. Doesn't mean we'll get what the world says is a reward. 

In the world's eyes, Jesus was a crucified failure. In God's eyes, Jesus completed his mission- to die for the sins of the world, to save all the people that would choose to love Him, serve, Him, and follow Him. The world would say he was a victim of a hate crime. The truth is He was no victim. Jesus was a strong, brave and obedient servant of the God Most High who completed the task set before Him- even if it looked like failure and shame.

What about When We Get No Answer?

Let’s look again at Jesus in the Garden. He knows what’s coming. He is in emotional distress, lonely, troubled. He’s in physical distress as well. His friends are too tired and worried and sad to stay awake and pray with Him. He is ultimately alone. He cries out:

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  (Luke 22:42 )

The Father doesn’t change the situation, but He was strengthened. In this case, an angel appeared to Him. We may not get an angel, but we may not be asked to die on a cross either! Jesus continues on… to fulfill the Father’s plan.

Practically, when we get no answer, we can follow Jesus' model.

1-Keep Praying,  2- Wait and Watch for God, 3- Do the Last Thing He Told You 

When the Answer Brings Pain 

Our life's circumstances can come because of our sin, the sin of other people, or other’s sin against us. But, as we have just seen in the example of Jesus at the cross, it can also come because we are obedient to what God has asked. God works in ways and in time that we may never understand. Or it may take years before we can look at our life, look backwards, and then say to ourselves, "Now I understand." 

  

What about the times we pray and do not get what we feel we have been promised?

Interestingly, the Bible does not ignore the fact that sometimes we do not get what God has promised. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament speaks of all the great "heroes of the faith". You know, the guys like King David, etc. The guys of Sunday School Bible stories. 

Hebrews 11:39: "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised."

All the great heroes of the faith didn’t get what was promised!

We are in good company! Of course, this also brings a challenge to our minds when we do not receive our promised from God. What do we do when we think the promises of God don’t come- when it seems God is contradicting Himself?

Will we rely on our own understanding to bring us peace?

Will we trust Him, knowing His character and love for us?

Will we wait on Him even if it’s hard?

Again, will we trust in God even when it looks as if He is certainly contradicting Himself?

Looking at the topic of prayer from God's perspective always helps us. We can either choose to believe things about God that are not true, or we can believe He is unchanging, all-knowing, that He always cares and that He is always good. 

The Complete and Biblical Purpose of Prayer is for Relationship with God, Transformation into the image of Jesus, and for Instruction from Him. 

He wants Relationship with Us, Wants to Make us More like Jesus, Wants to Give Us Hope, and Wants to Use Us for His Purposes.

God allows the seasons so he can show his power to us, his wisdom, his goodness. Whether or not we get the answer we want or ever understand, He is still God! This we know: He does love and care for us. 

I'll end here with a piece of truth from the book of Romans. (Romans 8:28-30) Through the inspiration of God's Spirit, the Apostle Paul writes:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD, HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Notable and Quotable: Bill Hybels

You may ask how people wind up in Hell if God is a loving God. People wind up in Hell by trampling the love of God instead of treasuring it. They ignore it, spurn it, yawn over it, close their hearts to it, keep saying "someday, someday, someday".  The Bible says there will be a someday. It's a day of reckoning. To those who have spurned His love, God will say in effect,  "I loved you every day of your life.         I loved you with a perfect love. I extended Myself to you.   I made My wisdom available to you. I made My comfort and My strength and My Spirit available to you. I made My offer of salvation to you. But you trampled and spurned My love. You had it your way on earth, so now you can have it your way in eternity. Are you facing that scenario? Will you continue to trample the love of God? That's the question of the ages, and it is one you yourself must answer. 

Bill Hybels, Founding Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church 

Heaven Is Calling...

I posted this eulogy exactly two weeks ago on my Facebook page. I wasn't sure about publishing it here on Insights and Sounds (especially after sharing the passing of our puppy Alyeska), but Lohelani was such an important part of my life that I feel the need to honor her in whatever way I can...

Lohelani, which in Hawaiian means "to hear heaven's calling" was actually born in Honoka'a. Her owners were selling Lohe and her siblings out of a truck in the parking lot of the Parker Ranch shopping center. Having visited the Big Island regularly since 1987, it was inevitable that I would find my sweetheart in a place that is so special to me. I needed to purchase a small crate and an airline ticket to bring her back to Oahu, but her price tag of $25.00 made me feel like I got the deal of the century.

Lohe was super shy and she hid under the seat of the car rental all the way to Hilo. I stopped a couple of times on the road just to make sure she was okay. Back in Honolulu, the bargain puppy proved to be otherwise. I used my tax return to install an expensive wire fence to keep Lohe from uprooting my dad’s favorite plants. In the same week, she got stung by a bee giving her the look of a comical platypus (nothing a $300.00 vet visit couldn’t cure). Being a bachelor, Lohe and I spent much time and adventures together. On our first trip to the North Shore, the pup left a big pile of excrement on the back seat of my truck. It must have smelled bad to her too, because she came up front and stayed there for the entire drive. 

My girl took the arrival of a new woman to the house, my wife Sue, very well and somehow managed to transition into an inside house dog. She even took the arrival of puppy Juneau well, although the early adjustment period was tough for both of us. Being an only dog for the first seven years to having a little creature suddenly jumping on you every other minute was daunting. I slept on the kitchen floor the first night we brought home Juneau just so I could keep them apart. I remember going up to Lohe that night, kissing her on the head, and apologizing for bringing home another dog. She answered me with her soulful, quizzical eyes and the sound of silence. But I knew she would be a good sister to Juneau, and she was.

In the intervening years, Lohe was sometimes the neglected child due to Juneau being the princess of the family. She would defer to Juneau in all things, whether it be drinking from the water dish, or entering/exiting the house. One area Lohe still ruled was receiving hugs and treats from outsiders. Unlike Juneau, Lohe loved people and the attention.

In the past couple of years, Lohe began exhibiting lumps on her underside…fatty tissue that caused enormous swells. Although an exceptionally strong dog, the most recent surgery really took its toll on her health.

In late December (as most of my friends on FB know), Sue and I welcomed Sitka into our home. A rambunctious and rascally pup, Sitka immediately grew fond of Lohe and followed her around like the much revered older sister. I often wondered if Lohe thought to herself, "You're putting me up with another one of these things???" But as she was with Juneau, Lohe was extremely patient and enduring. Even in her declining health, she put up with lots of playful bites, jumping, and general annoyance that one expects from a puppy.



Lohelani went to sleep at 9:37 am on a Wednesday morning...having at last answered heaven’s call. She’s now young and healthy again, meeting her new sister Alyeska for the first time and getting a ton of treats and hugs!

There’s a debate I often hear among Christians about whether dogs (or any pet for that matter) go to heaven. The bible remains quiet on this subject, so anyone's guess is as good as mine. But I think it's incredibly clear to me that God, in His infinite wisdom, created dogs to bring a piece of heaven here to earth.

Until I next see you again my girl, always know how much happiness and love you brought into our lives...

Lohelani
Nov 2002 -Jan 2017

  (Photos Copyright 2017 Len Yokoyama)