The whole verse and nothing but the whole verse

  Jack Hayford continued his instruction in the July section of Moments with Majesty (see last week’s post)  with instruction regarding praying for our country.  2 Chronicles 7:14 has become the Christian’s motto during this pandemic, racial tension and economic chaos.  I, along with many others, have been guilty of spouting this verse and leaning heavily on “heal our land”.  We Christians are very good at remembering the promise of God, without much thought on the conditions placed on those promises.  In 2 Chronicles 7:14, we lean heavily on verse 14b.   

   However, 2 Chronicles 7:14 clearly gives us some requirements before God can heal our land.  He even starts the verse with “IF” meaning it’s not happening unless. . .  “IF MY people, who are called by my name.”   this is not addressed to anyone outside the church.  Christians are the people who need to “humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways.”   God thinks His people are proud and have wicked ways.  YIKES!

    It doesn’t take a Bible scholar to see the answer to our country’s difficulties, Confession of our sins and Repentance.  The Hebrew says we need to bend the knee, search out God and stop being so evil.

 Few of us consider ourselves “evil”.  During my years of teaching in a school where 89% of families did not speak English, I had a precious little guy who constantly used the word “evil” in regards to other students and me.  I was “evil” for giving homework, “evil” for a pop quiz.   The kids were “evil” if they beat him at a game or chose the center he wanted.  It really bothered me.  One morning I spent a half hour on the word “evil”.  We did a lexicon, we looked up the meaning in several texts, discussion groups were formed.  Finally, in triumph, I asked if anyone could name someone who was truly evil.  These were kids from Mexico and it took less than a second for a chorus of “El Chapo” to ring out. Okay.  But, in comparison, I could easily rest on my laurels, for I am not evil like El Chapo. 

    And that’s what happens.  We start to compare our evil to another’s evil and we become proud.  That pride leads to a multitude of sins that hinder our power in prayer.  That’s what has happened to our country, to our churches. We are not evil like ________  fill in the blank. 

 So today, I’m praying though the references from Hayford’s book and thinkin’ that I am need of repentance.

IF for "my people"

  In 1980,  Jack Hayford penned a worship chorus entitled Majesty                      (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaRwD2Y7C0s).  Ten years later, he published a “meditation” manuscript called Moments with Majesty.  It features nine short essays for each themed month. Over the years, I’ve pulled it out and read bits and pieces of it. In March, I pulled it out again and started reading two or three selections every Sunday.  Three entries from July’s section are ideally relevant for today. My next three posts will be based on these entries.

    In Ronald Reagan’s first inaugural address, he tells the story of a WWI soldier who died in battle.  The soldier’s diary was found underneath his body.  On the flyleaf of the diary, he wrote, “I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me.”  Let that sink in a minute.  What if?  What if we believed the salvation of our nation depended entirely on me. . . and you?

   Four scriptures suggest it might.    In 1 Timothy 2:1-3, we are commanded, not urged, mandated to pray for our country, “for Kings and all those in authority”.  All those in authority include those we disagree with. 

  The much quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14 offers us opportunity to pray “If my people”.  Notice, “if” we can choose not to pray.

    We are empowered to pray by the Holy Spirit according to Romans 8:26 “.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us.”  I can certainly attest that I do not know how to pray for this mess.

  And finally, we will see victory.  There are many examples of answered prayer in the Bible but thnkin’ about the story of Jehoshaphat.  In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat calls his nation to prayer as they face an overwhelming foe.  Verse 24 says, “When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground, no one had escaped.”   They hadn’t even fought yet, and it was over. 

   Last week I asked you to join me in prayer.  This week I’m suggesting you have no choice if you are a child of God.  Think about joining me.  

Two

   I love to read, it really transports me to other worlds.   I can smell and hear what’s going on. Different characters have different voices in my head.  The Israelites and I are living in the Promised Land under the rule of King Hezekiah.  As I read and studied through 2 Chronicles 32 and the book of Micah, it occurred to me that the “Promise Land” wasn’t always peaceful.  Nor was it just fun and games and love and easy street.  The Promise Land of Moses had it’s share of trouble, confusion, divisiveness and heartache. 

  Today, the King of Assyria, Sennacherib, got very vocal.  I will not dignify his words by reprinting them here, (2 Chronicles 32:10-19) but he had some nerve.  He actually tells the people to ignore their King and his words. Worse, he insults God by proclaiming that no other gods had saved people from him so the God of Israel can’t and won’t either.  His perseverance and decibel level begins to affect the people.  However, King Hezekiah and Prophet Isaiah “cried out in prayer to Heaven”.  Spoiler alert: (verse 22) “So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib, King of Assyria and from the hand of all others.  He took care of them on every side.”  "On every side,  took care of everything they needed. In other words, God provided, guided, protected and gave them rest.  

   As I watch the nightly news, I am heartbroken at our overall citizenry and their actions, including our government.  While I have heard only one newscaster verbally insult God by name, the undercurrents and the actions of so many are certainly insulting. The scourge of Covid 19 and the destruction of our cities has seemingly had no spiritual effect on people; still, they will not call out to God.  I confess that I often feel like we are hopeless.  But this story offers me hope.  Often, I read that the kings would call the entire nation to pray but this time, two was enough.  Because two men “cried out to God”, they were heard and God answered. 

   I needed to know that.  I needed to know that in the midst of this chaos and confusion, if I do my part, if I cry out to God, He will hear and answer.  The same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in Me!  And You!

Think about crying out to God today for our country.   That’ll make two of us!  

Survival Mode: Discernment

  Anyone who believes we are not born sinful has never lived with a toddler.  Lying, stealing and deception come easily to them.  The truth is not in them.  As I scroll through social media, watch news and read news magazines,  I often think, the truth is not in them.  The covid numbers, the behavior of protesters and police, the prophecies surrounding the current state of our world are overwhelming. Even doctors and nurses disagree daily on how to manage this pandemic. The conflicting views are mind boggling.   

   In Max Lucado’s  You’ll Get through This,  he repeats a mantra that includes,   “ Don’t be foolish or naïve, but don’t despair either.”  The only cure for foolish and naïve is discernment. 

   In  Philippians 1:9 & 10  Paul tells the church his prayer “ that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”  Discern.  ie:

 Understand what really matters         Approve what it excellent         Able to test and prove

·       How to make the right choices          Be able to choose what is best       Decide what is best

·       Distinguish things that are suitable     Proving things that differ       Use your head and test your feelings

  The world we are living in demands  we test and  prove every word that comes our way. Even among our spiritual leaders for the Bible warns, that even God’s chosen ones may be deceived in the last days. ( Matt 2:24,  Mark 13:22). We must examine every word for righteousness.  Apply spiritual judgement to every message received in sermons, in emails and in social media posts.   The only way to apply spiritual judgement is to know God’s Word.  I had a pastor tell the congregation, Bring your Bible to every service and open it to every devotion.  Make sure it says what the preacher/teacher says it does.  (I’m happy to say I’ve never caught a preacher misquoting) but I have heard others and read things that were not true.  Just this week I heard a black Pastor relate that as young man he was told the Bible said different color people should not be in the same room because “Birds of a feather should flock together”.  That’s not in the Bible.  (I’ve got more but that’s a post for another day).

    Never before has it been more important to know the word of God so that we can discern what is right and pure.   To know Truth.  The Word of God has to be our standard and prayer has to be our light.   Oh God, help us discern truth in these days.  

Thinkin’ about that. 

  

Mercy!

 

I grew up with doom and gloom prophecies. I heard all the sermons, saw all the videos and lived in absolute fear of the “end of the world”.   Fear was palpable as news about nuclear bombs, communism and corrupt politicians dominated.  Then there were the so-called “men of God” famous televangelists,  who blatantly sinned and built kingdoms to themselves. I repeatedly heard the saying, “If God lets America prosper, He must apologize to Sodom & Gomorrah.”  2020 feels like the year God said, I apologize to no one, ENOUGH America. 

In the midst of Covid 19’s judgement and with protests raging in our streets and burning cities, America continues in sin.  High courts continue to legalize sin.  In the midst of global shut down, the murder of innocent children was considered “essential”.  While it was deemed unnecessary for the people of God to gather, it was applauded that protesters march on our houses of government and ridicule our men and women of law enforcement.   God help us.  But I couldn’t blame Him if he doesn’t. 

Videos and articles are forwarded to me on a daily basis.  Some are doom and gloom, others call to action,  others just make me sad.  We live in sobering and frightening times. These days I try to file things in one of three places:

·       Totally untrue, forget it.

·       Totally truth, my litmus test is it has to come straight out of God’s Word. 

·       Pray about this and seek discernment                                                                                                        (See next week’s post on discernment,  subscribe to me as not to miss it.)

Whatever  the topic, as I wrestle with truth, there is only one possible response:  Mercy.  “The discretionary power of the judge to pardon”.   Grace is getting what we don’t deserve, Mercy is escaping what we do.  America is in need of mercy.   

 Because I’m still stumbling through the chronological Bible, I’ve read many stories of God’s anger against the Israelites. And I’ve noticed how many times He extended mercy.    So, I went digging.   There are at least, 34 instances in the Bible where God chose to “relent”.  Repeatedly the Israelites drove God to anger but Moses would plead for them, they would repent and God would relent.  The people of Nineveh repented and God chose to show compassion and forgive them. In the book of Amos, God relented at his desperate prayer.  Our God is NOT a God who wavers, He IS a God of compassion.  Every time God “changed his mind”, it was in regard to punishment. 

I do not know if all of this is God’s punishment.   I do not know if God will reign mercy again on us.  I am so frustrated with the direction we seem to be intent on going, it’s hard to pray for deliverance.    Regardless, I am convinced there is only one prayer for us.  Mercy, Mercy, Please forgive us or we will not survive. 

 Prayin’ for mercy today, I can’t just think about it.