Get the Bible through you

“Reading is the way you get through the Bible; prayer is the way you get the Bible through you.”- Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson completes Chapter 8 of The Circle Maker by referencing an old preacher’s sermon titled God’s Grammar:  “Never put a comma where God puts a period, and never put a period where God puts a comma.”  Praying through- not putting a period where God puts a comma- allows God to finish the sentence and make a statement.

Pastor Batterson asks us to consider the statement of faith Martha made to Jesus after Lazarus’ death (John 11:21-22): “Lord . . . if you had been there, my brother would not have died.  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”  Mark notes that Martha’s statement exhibits two degrees of faith:

1.  Preventative faith– where we ask God to prevent things from happening

2.  Resurrection faith– believes that God can undo what already has been done

There is no easy answer for how to get from preventative faith to resurrection faith.  Hard times teach us to pray hard.  During periods of ellipsis, even then you believe even now.

However, often we don’t pray through because we run out of things to say.  The solution, Mark states, is to pray through the Bible.  Mark asks us to think of Scripture as God’s part of the script and prayer as our part.  Mark emphasizes how to get the Bible through you:

“The Bible wasn’t meant to be read through; the Bible was meant to be prayed through.”

Today’s question: Would you describe your current level of faith as preventative faith or resurrection faith?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The by- products of answered prayer”

 

Get the Bible through you

Speak words of truth

Bill Hybels concludes his discussion of four steps that help us partner with God to conquer fear.

STEP 4: Speak Words of Truth.  Pastor Hybels emphasizes that the truth wins, every time.  Therefore, it is critical that we speak truthfully when fear threatens to take control of our minds and emotions.  The author notes that there are three types of truthful words we can speak to counter our fears and establish God’s peace:

a.  Self-talk.  Pastor Hybels references the Mennen aftershave commercials of the 1970s, in which a man would slap himself in the face and proclaim, “Thanks, I needed that!”  When fear overwhelms us, perhaps it would be helpful to give ourselves a mental slap in the face.  Bill encourages:

“Stop believing that you can’t push back panicky feelings with the power of Christ and the power of truthful words, because you can.”

b.  Scripture.  When we face our fears, God does His part.  His presence is tangible.  The Bible is filled with words of truth to keep our fears from controlling us.  Speaking Scripture truthfully is a skill that grows stronger with practice, eventually becoming second nature. It’s powerful weapon in our arsenal against fear.

c.  Prayer.  Pastor Hybels believes that sometimes we pray “nonspecific, if-it-be your will types of prayers, rather than simply telling God exactly what we want Him to do.”  Whatever the outcome, we have the assurance God is with us and can expect His peace to follow.

Today’s question: What Bible verse most clearly speaks God’s words of truth to you?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Stupid rubs off”

Speak words of truth

Six words

“See, I have place before you an open door that no one can shut.  I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”- Revelation 3:8

John Ortberg’s latest book is titled All the Places to Go . . . How Will You Know?  Pastor Ortberg begins Chapter 1 with this question: If you had to summarize your life in six words, what would they be?  The six-word limitation challenges us to focus on what matters most, to briefly capture something of significance.  John reports that Winston Churchill once sent back a desert pudding because “it lacked a theme.”

None of us want our life to be like Churchill’s pudding.  Yet we aren’t the authors or the pawns of our life stories.  We have an unseen Partner- God.  One of the pictures of God-inspired opportunity sprinkled across Scripture is that of an open door.  Although the image of a door can mean safety, hiddenness, rejection, or rest, in Scripture an open door is symbolic of boundless opportunities, as John defines:

“An open door is an opportunity provided by God to act with God and for God.”

An open door means the possibility of being useful to God.  God’s offer of an open door, and our response to it, comprise the subject of this book.

Today’s question: How would you describe your life in six words?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Remember the resurrection”

Six words

The sword of the Spirit

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”- Ephesians 6:16-17

As Charles Stanley continues Chapter 6 of Waiting on God, he reminds us that we courageously can face times of waiting by remembering that God is with us and has an important purpose for all we’re experiencing.  But there is a third principle that is crucial if our season of waiting is to end victoriously.  Dr. Stanley stresses we must realize that we are in a spiritual battle.  Disheartenment strikes at the depths of our soul because Satan strikes at the very core of our personhood- through what we think and believe.

The most effective time for Satan to torment us, Dr. Stanley states, is when we are waiting on God:

“He (Satan) know exactly how to pinpoint the most painful, vulnerable places in your life: the areas of fear, insecurity, rejection, anger, bitterness, pride, and guilt that so readily lead you to despair.”

When Satan moves in, we must confront his lies with the truth of Scripture- the sword of the Spirit.  As the Holy Spirit works in our heart, the Lord will identify Satan’s lies one by one and each us how to overcome them with His truth.  The Holy Spirit will lead, counsel, and strengthen us.

Today’s question: What powerful truths of Scripture have enabled you to confront Satan with the sword of the Spirit?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Courageous praise”

The sword of the Spirit

Conditional promises

As Charles Stanley continues Chapter 5 of Waiting on God, he expands his discussion of God’s general promises, subdividing them into unconditional and conditional promises.  An unconditional promise is a guarantee from the Father that has no exceptions or qualifications.  For example, as believers we are guaranteed a home in heaven.  On the other hand, a conditional promise is subject to specific requirements.  God’s assurance to forgive our sins is dependent on our confession of those sins.

Dr. Stanley notes that the majority of promises in the Bible are conditional.  There is a responsibility attached to the assurance that must be observed.  It is crucial, then, for us to ascertain whether God’s promises are limited or general, conditional or unconditional to help us understand whether specific verses are intended for us and if we’re able to meet the associated requirements.

We actively must anchor ourselves to God by claiming His Word and obeying Him.  Dr. Stanley provides seven questions to give us the criteria for confidently taking hold of a promise from God.  The first two questions are discussed today.

1.  Does this promise meet a particular need or desire the Lord wants to fulfill?  Dr. Stanley encourages us to review the promised necessities the Lord enumerates in Scripture, ask the Father for guidance, search the Scriptures, and carefully consider if the promise is one the Lord delights to fulfill.

2.  Does the context of Scripture allow it?  We need to consider to whom the promise originally  was directed and determine whether a wider application is appropriate as well as if requirements accompany the promise’s fulfillment.

Today’s question:  How have you determined the appropriateness of a specific promise to your situation?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Walking in obedience”

Conditional promises