 For God So Loved
John 3:14-21 Jesus and Nicodemus Our Scripture comes right at the end of a conversation between Jesus and a man called, Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a great Jewish leader, yet he sensed something in or about Jesus that led him to come and speak with Jesus. But because of his reputation, and the fact that Jesus was not very popular among the Jewish leaders, Nicodemus came at night. It was there and then Jesus taught Nicodemus the truth about how a person must be saved or redeemed – brought into a right relationship with God. Jesus even scolded Nicodemus for not already knowing this since he was a great leader of the Jewish people. Moses and the Snake As Jesus finished up his lesson to Nicodemus, he referred to an event in Jewish history that Nicodemus would have known well. Referencing Numbers 21:4-9, Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:14-15, Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” It is an interesting story, but the short version is this: after God graciously and lovingly rescued his people from bondage in Egypt, they began complaining. They started speaking against God and Moses, suggesting they had been brought out into the wilderness just to die. Therefore, God sent poisonous snakes among them and the snakes began to bite the people. Many died. As you can imagine, this got the people’s attention, and they began repenting for speaking against God and Moses and pleaded for deliverance and healing from the snakes. Thus, God told Moses to make a snake, put it on a pole, and then lift it high above the people. And so Moses did just that. He made a bronze snake, put it on the end of a pole, and when the people looked with faith to the image of the snake lifted up, they were physically healed. After retelling the story, the last point Jesus made to Nicodemus was this: just as Moses lifted up the snake, Jesus himself would be lifted up. By “lifted up” Jesus was referring to his death on the Cross to be sure, but also his resurrection, and ascension into heaven. And Jesus added, that everyone who looks to him – trustingly believes in him – will have eternal life. The Bible’s Most Popular Verse That brings us to the most widely known verse in all the Bible, John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 is the most succinct summary of the Gospel in all the Bible. In one verse John tells us God gave his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to live, teach, heal, perform miracles, but ultimately, to die on the Cross. By doing so, those who look to him in faith, as the Israelites looked to the bronze snake, would be forgiven and delivered from the guilt and power of sin. They would be reclaimed and reconciled to a right and eternal relationship with God. And they would be empowered to live the lives for which they were created. The Front Door John declares to us in this beautiful verse that we must reach out to God with our hearts and minds to receive this free gift of eternal life. John 1:12 says, Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God… We receive Christ by placing our faith in him. Trusting belief. This is more than mere head knowledge or vague acknowledgement. It is to give our very lives to him. To give him ourselves. To be sure, it involves trust, repentance, submission, commitment, obedience, and following him. But the front door is faith. We must enter through that front door and say, “Yes Lord, thank you. I believe.” Then, what follows, is a life of getting to know him better – following him wherever he may lead. It means desiring to become more and more like him. It means telling others about him, even as we serve them, along our journey through this world. According to John, those who do respond in faith in this way receive eternal life. Those who do not respond in faith, do not receive eternal life. John says they stand condemned already because they prefer darkness instead of the light that Christ brings into the world. God’s Love Now, if you have been paying attention up to this point, perhaps you noticed I left out the central, governing purpose of all that God did through Jesus on our behalf. John tells us that, “God so loved.” That phrase, “so loved” means, God loved “in this way,” which involves everything mentioned so far about Jesus being “lifted up” on our behalf. And please notice, John says God so loved the world. Not just the Jews, but the Gentiles too, which is a way of saying, everyone. God is not only the covenant God of Israel. He is the God of all. He sent Jesus for all. That is why John said, “everyone who believes” and not just the Jews. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:12-13, For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Emphases mine) Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. And this is because, “God so loved.” God’s love expressed in this way, John reminds us in his first epistle, flows from the fact that God is love. It is who God is. But here is where we need to be careful. We must not go to movies and music, or Hollywood and Hallmark to get our definition of love and then read Scripture through that lens. Instead, we go to Scripture to learn what love is and then look to see how worldly views compare with what the Bible says (and therefore, what God says) about God’s love. This is how we practice the art of spiritual discernment. The founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, seldom talked about God’s love without referring to it as a “holy love.” Each of God’s attributes relates to all the rest. God’s attributes do not exist in separate, isolated compartments in which they have nothing to do with one another. Furthermore, God’s attributes are not partial. He is not a 10% one attribute and 15% another and so on. He is 100% each of his attributes, and as I mentioned, they all interrelate and influence the others. This led A.W. Tozer to write, From God’s other known attributes we may learn much about his love. We can know, for instance, that because God is self-existent, his love had no beginning; because he is eternal, his love can have no end; because he is infinite, it has no limit; because he is holy, it is the quintessence of all spotless purity…” Charles Wesley beautifully captured a glimpse of God’s love in his hymn, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”… Love divine, all loves excelling Joy of Heaven to Earth come down Fix in us Thy humble dwelling All Thy faithful mercies crown Jesus, Thou art all compassion Pure, unbounded love Thou art Visit us with Thy salvation Enter every trembling heart Your Response That is the love of God. And so how do you respond to that? This idea that God sent his Son to come and save, not a world that was cheering for him, but just the opposite. As the words of the Holy Communion liturgy in the United Methodist hymnal, borrowing from Romans 5:8 put it, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Emphasis mine) How do you respond to that? How does that impact you emotionally? Does it fill you with awe? Humility? Reverence? Joy? Gratitude? Indifference? Distaste? Fear? The Apostle John suggests that all those seem to be ways people respond to the glorious announcement of God’s love in Christ. How about you? Is the good news of God’s love for you in Christ an announcement of indescribable beauty to you? Of horror? Of Indifference? I want you to know there is a God in heaven who loves you and who went to the greatest lengths to act on your behalf – to win you to himself. To enable you to become the person he created you to be. He loves and rejoices over you so much he sings. Zephaniah 3:17 says, The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” He loves you so much he offers you eternal life in his presence. But he will not force you to respond in faith, to give your life to Christ. He will not override your will and desire. To those who would prefer not to spend eternity in the presence of God, God replies, “thy will be done.” And yet, like the Father in the parable of the Prodigal Son, he waits and watches for you. More than that, with his Spirit he lovingly calls you and draws you to himself. And he is doing that today. The Ultimate Gift And what is the gift that awaits you when you trust in Christ? The gift is God himself. “Life of abundant joy and immeasurable blessing in the presence of God forever.” At the end of The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis writes these words about some of the characters in his books, “All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” Don’t you want to be a part of that Great Story? If you have never put your trust in Christ before, reach out to God today and call to him. Trust in him. Enter his Great Story and become a part of it. If you do know Christ, then give thanks and continue to love and follow him. Tell others about him. Invite them to join you in the Greatest Story ever told. Thanks be to God for the love of God. Walking Points
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 Psalm 22:4-5, 30-31 - In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. …Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn – for he has done it.
Spiritual Reproduction It has been said the problem with living is that it’s so daily. The same could be said of parenting. Whether it’s getting your children to eat their vegetables, clean their rooms, do their schoolwork, or have good manners, parenting is daily. Consistency and intentionality are absolutely required. And in no area of parenting is this truer than in the passing on of our faith – our beliefs, worldview, values, character, conduct, etc., to our children. What we’re talking about is spiritual reproduction. A primary truism about spiritual reproduction is this: We can’t reproduce what we aren’t ourselves. Cats aren’t going to reproduce dogs, no matter what. We reproduce what we are. Therefore, it’s absolutely imperative that moms and dads are daily, consistently, intentionally, and faithfully practicing the faith they profess, the faith they are seeking to instill in the hearts, minds, and souls of their children. More Than Your Good Example, Though Not Less In a real sense, this is more than mere example. Faith really needs to be in the “DNA” of the parents. Having said that, example is vital because children will copy what is being modeled for them at home. It wasn’t dumb luck that my kids all turned out to be Georgia Bulldog fans. But passing on our faith requires more than example. We are called to actively lead them, instruct them, tell them, pray with them, pray for them, admonish them, counsel them, and nurture them. In a word, love them. The call to pass on our faith to our children in this manner runs throughout Scripture. For example… Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [5] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. [6] These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. [7] Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. [8] Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. [9] Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Psalm 78:1-7 O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. [2] I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old– [3] what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. [4] We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. [5] He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, [6] so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. [7] Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. Ephesians 6:4 – Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. A Multigenerational Vision These are just three clear examples of Scripture’s overwhelming multigenerational vision for the extension of God’s kingdom. Many more could be cited. In truth, we’re talking about more than quoting a few texts. This multigenerational vision is a key thread that runs from Genesis to Revelation. Early in Psalm 22, the psalmist declared that those who came before his generation put their trust in the Lord and were not disappointed. Later in the same Psalm he stated that future generations would also serve the Lord because they would be told about the Lord. If you think about it, how else will Christianity be passed on? If the love, holiness, grace, works, and words of God are going to be known two hundred years from now, then we must pass them on here and now. But to whom? Many Christians talk about the need to evangelize and disciple the lost but seem to forget about God’s covenant children under their very own roofs. If we think in terms of concentric circles, our next priority (or circle) after our own relationship with God (because, again, we can’t reproduce what we’re not ourselves) should be our own family. Our goal, of course, is for our children to come to know, love and follow God and then pass on that faith to their children and their children’s children for a thousand generations (Deut. 5:10, 7:9). In a real sense, our children are not our own. They are God’s. We are stewards of God’s children. That means we have been given the vital and joyful responsibility and blessing of raising these children to know, love and follow their heavenly Father. And while such an upbringing is so daily, we need to realize we only get one chance. It’s my prayer that God will honor the prayers, blood, sweat, tears, effort, and love we pour into our children (his children). To see them come to know him and become the godly adults we’ve been striving for will make it all worth it in the end. Walking Points
 In Search of Just One Good Example
My wife and I have recently been making our way through a period drama on TV. We have enjoyed much of it, especially the first couple of seasons. I noticed in the third season the program started introducing Christians into the story, Methodists in particular. One ought to expect to see Christians in 18th century England. The program rightly shows that the England of the Wesleys and Whitefield was a mess when their Methodist movement got going. In fact, some historians have pointed out that England was moving in the same direction as the bloody revolution in France when these men, and those who followed them, began to faithfully proclaim the Gospel. Sadly, but not unexpectedly, this series has not had a great deal of positive things to say about the Christian faith. I have no gripes against showing the dark side (fallen, sinful side) of Christians. Christians have never officially taught they were morally perfect people, even if some over two millennia have hypocritically pretended otherwise. However, Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with well over two billion people who claim a commitment to Jesus Christ. Therefore, it does not seem unreasonable to think that with so many people claiming to follow Christ, there would be at least one or two positive stories worth telling, or at least including in an episode or two. Scholars have written extensively on the positive difference Christianity has made in this world, whether it relates to education, freedom, equality, mercy, etc. My goal here is not to list them all, though if you are interested, I encourage you to take look at the recommended reading list at the bottom and dive in. (Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would like a suggestion for your first read.) Consider the Consequences Instead, my question is this: Do cynical unbelievers really want a world without Christians? I qualify “unbelievers” because I realize most of them do not want such a world. And yet, the more cynical among them may say, "absolutely." To them I would say, just consider the consequences of such a thought-experiment. If Christians disappeared, there would still be organizations, and even governments, that would continue to provide care to those in need, to stand for the rights of the oppressed, etc. But for how long? For even those right tendencies find their roots in the Christian worldview. Many of the common, everyday virtues people appreciate, and even teach, come from the Christian faith. Our country might continue to practice many of those good and right things if Christians all disappeared. But again, I ask: for how long? Our culture, despite its move toward secularism, still enjoys the borrowed capital of the Christian worldview, however much it protests to the contrary. Unbelievers can say it doesn't because they don't presently have to test their thesis. Yet everyday there are signs that point toward a dwindling of that borrowed capital. Every passing day seems to produce evidence that a consensus of Christian belief and virtue is not appreciated, much less believed and practiced in our culture. A foreboding sign of the times to be sure. Only Christ In no way, shape, or form am I suggesting Christians have no blemishes on their side of the ledger. We do. Way too many. But that fact is why we need a Savior. The only answer to our private and public sins and shortcomings is Christ - his perfect righteousness, substitutionary atonement, indwelling and sanctifying Spirit, and continuing Lordship in our lives. Only Christ and his grace can redeem us and then set us on the right path. He's the only solution for everyone else too. To those cynics out there I would say this: Don’t be too hasty in wanting to get rid of Christians and any vestiges of their worldview and its influence. To do so may seem like a victory, but it will be a fleeting one. And then may God help those left in a comprehensively post-Christian culture, because there will be no Christians left to do so. Walking Points · With two or three other people, think of and talk about all the ways Christianity has influenced our culture and your daily life. · What are those areas that are so much a part of our culture that they’re no longer attributed to the influence of Christians and their worldview? · What are some ways you can be the salt and light influence of Christ in your home, workplace, neighborhood, community, city, and beyond? Write your ideas down so you can reflect upon and pray over them. Get as practical and realistic as possible and begin to pray for the Lord to lead you toward faithfully exercising that influence in the various spheres of your life. · Select a book in the bibliography below and read and discuss it with two or three brothers in Christ. Recommended Reading · The Micah Mandate by George Grant · What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? by James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe · How Christianity Changed the World by Alvin Schmidt · The Book That Made Your World by Vishal Mangalwadi · How Now Shall We Live? by Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey · Being the Body by Charles Colson and Ellen Vaughn · Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey · Why You Think the Way You Do by Glenn Sunshine · Kingdom Agenda by Tony Evans · The Kingdom Turn by T.M. Moore · The Kingdom Economy by T.M. Moore · The Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark · How Should We Then Live? by Francis Schaeffer · Turning Point: A Christian Worldview Declaration by Herbert Schlossberg and Marvin Olasky · Renaissance by Os Guinness · The Lordship of Christ by Vern Poythress · Culture Making by Andy Crouch · Joy for the World by Greg Forster · Onward by Russell Moore  The Mission
I’m on a mission. I’m searching for one hundred godly men. John Wesley once wrote in a letter… “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen, such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven upon earth.” (From a letter by John Wesley to Alexander Mather in 1777) For Wesley, “preachers” didn’t have to be what we call professionals. Instead, the proclamation of the Gospel and the witness of and for God’s Kingdom was to be done by every person who follows Christ. The undergirding biblical witness of Wesley’s words inspires and provokes in me a strong desire to see one hundred godly men in my community fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God. If such a faithful Kingdom fellowship of one hundred brothers in Christ could be cultivated and encouraged, it would transform our little corner of the world for Christ. A Grand Vision Is this too grand a vision? Thomas Chalmers once said, “No matter how large, your vision is too small.” In other words, nothing is impossible for God and therefore, we must dream big. I believe this vision for one hundred godly men is well within the reach of a sovereign and gracious God. Of course, my desire is not only for my community. Instead, my prayer is that bands of "one hundred godly men" will spring up in many “little corners of the world.” The Nature of the Call This is not a call to nominal or cultural Christianity. It is a call to what John Wesley described as Scriptural Christianity (what I refer to as Kingdom Discipleship). Following Christ in such a way steers clear of halfhearted and mere intellectual belief in Jesus. Instead, it’s the terrifying and exhilarating call of discipleship our Lord warned must be responded to first by counting the cost of following him daily. This does not produce a privatized or compartmentalized faith. Instead, it develops a faith that is passed from one person to another, from one generation to the next. As salt and light, this faith permeates every sphere of a man's life... in homes, workplaces, communities, cities, and, ultimately, the world. The Real Counterculture I once heard pastor and writer, Tony Evans, preach these words, · As the man goes, so goes the family · As the family goes, so goes the church · As the church goes, so goes the community · As the community goes, so goes the city · As the city goes, so goes the state, the nation, finally the world This, is Scriptural Christianity... Kingdom Discipleship. Our world is in great need of such men of God, for they are truly, in our day and age, the real counterculture and one of God’s primary provisions for a lost and hurting world. Such men are ambassadors of the King of kings, and therefore, minister and bear witness to the kingdom of this world under his authority and according to his agenda. They have no message but his. And not only are they called to proclaim this message, but they must also live it out before a watching world. The motivation of their mission is love for their Lord and their neighbor. Join Me This mission to find such men is part of God’s call in my life. Through Bible studies, small groups, one-to-one discipling, mentoring, spiritual direction, counseling, and writing, I am prayerfully working to help and encourage available and willing men become the kind of men God has created, redeemed, and called them to be. I believe God is calling you to be such a man. Walking Points If you hear this same call from God in your life, but aren't quite sure how to move forward as his disciple, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would be happy and honored to help you join this Kingdom Fellowship our Lord is calling us to.  1 Corinthians 2:14, 16b – The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. …But we have the mind of Christ.
An Antithesis The mannishness of man. That was a phrase Francis Schaeffer used to describe human beings in their fallen state. I like to use the word, “worldling” to describe the same idea. Paul uses the phrase “natural man” or “the man without the Spirit.” All of these describe the basic antithesis between those who have eyes to see spiritual truths and those who don’t – those who love the foolishness of God and know it’s actually unparalleled wisdom and those who see God’s foolishness and believe that it really is folly, an utter waste of time. Like the wicked described in Job 21, they say to God…‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?’ (vv. 14-15) God’s wisdom is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). Paul writes that a person in his natural state, doesn’t accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned (v. 14). It isn’t simply that he chooses not to know God’s ways and prefers not to understand them. He cannot. He is unable. Such things are spiritually discerned and he does not have the Spirit. His heart is unregenerate. He is blind. It is impossible for him…for him. But Not For God But nothing is impossible for God. Those of us who are now in Christ were once as blind as the worldlings that surround us today. There was a time when we did not understand the deep truths of God. But God is in the business of waking the dead, giving them (us) hearts that beat according to his Word, and providing eyes to see that which is invisible and eternal. This was not of ourselves, lest we should boast. It wasn’t because we were so smart, righteous, or born into the right family. It was the free and undeserved favor of a gracious God. We now have the mind of Christ. We are able to discern the things of God. Flesh and blood do not reveal such things to us, but our heavenly Father does as he discloses himself – his good, pleasing, and perfect will. We grow in our understanding of his disclosure as we are transformed by the renewing of our minds through his Word. Humility is Key So it is with humility that we plead with people who do not know Christ and who are under the influence of the spirit of the age. For where they are, we once were. We know they are in darkness, that they are hurting, broken, looking for meaning and purpose, confused and don’t know the Way. We were once like them. It took the sovereign touch from the Lord of hosts to deliver us from our plight. And so we beg those without the Spirit to run toward the Light of Christ. We intercede on their behalf and ask our Father to give them eyes to see and ears to hear, that they too might enter in and walk the Way that leads to Life. Walking Points
Prayer Holy and loving God, you have given me eyes to see and ears to hear your self-disclosure. I am able to discern spiritual truths because you have awakened me by your Spirit. I see your wisdom for what it truly is, even when all those around me think it’s foolishness. I am able to find freedom in your commands, even when those around me only see slavery. And yet, O Lord, give me humility of heart. Please prevent me from developing a judgmental attitude towards those who don’t know you. Remind me that where they are, I once was. And it is only because of your goodness and grace that I now have those eyes to see and ears to hear, for which I thank you with all of my heart. In Christ I pray. Amen. This Week’s Prayer Guide [You can use this prayer guide in your own personal prayer time. However, I encourage you to use it with a group of Christian men. Each week you should spend time praising God for who he is, confessing your sin to him (be specific) as well as expressing gratitude to him for his gracious forgiveness. Also, don’t forget to thank God for the many ways he has poured out his goodness in your life. Then, focus on the following areas of supplication, which will change from week to week.] Petitions – prayers for yourself · Help me to grow in wisdom and become who you created and redeemed me to be. · Renew my mind and enable me to cultivate a godly perspective and attitude regarding the various spheres and circumstances of my life. · Today’s events and interactions with others, planned and unplanned · Other needs Intercession – prayers for others · My family, immediate and extended · Those struggling with sin, illness, or relational difficulties · Other needs  2 Corinthians 2:15-16 - For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. [16] To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?
Here’s an Odd Question How do you smell today? That’s a strange thing to ask someone. There are times when I smell rather pleasant, if I say so myself, like when I’m out on a date with my wife. There are other times when I’m quite sure I have smelled pretty awful to anyone within a country-mile of me, like after working in the yard all day or after a long walk on a hot and humid Florida morning. But there is another smell that every true follower of Jesus Christ has. It is the aroma of Christ himself. Indeed, we are dressed in his garments and they give off his glorious fragrance. But sadly, this aroma doesn't smell the same to everyone. The Fragrances of Life and Death To those who “have put on” Christ, as well as those who are making their way to him to be fitted with his robe of righteousness, we are the “fragrance of life.” Only in Christ is there life – real life – for he is the author and sustainer of life and it is he who makes all things new. Those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and noses to smell, know the difference between life and death, and they want life. However, in the nostrils of others there is a rotten, filthy stench about us. To those who are perishing in their own pride, wisdom, and efforts, we smell like death, for our very odor bears testimony to the One whom they have rejected, the One from whom they have fled. The fragrance of Christ smells repugnant to them. They have grown accustomed to the foul smell of death that comes from the fallen and sinful patterns of this world and have found that fragrance normal, even pleasant. Paradoxically, life smells like death to them, and vice versa. Love for Our Neighbors We could sit in judgment of them, looking down our noses at them. Or, we could have compassion on them for their self-inflicted predicament. We should, of course, remember how terrible Christ once smelled to us, even if we didn’t know it and never would have said so. I think the beauty of our own scent ought to bring forth humility, gratitude, and service on our part, for our scent is not our own, but Christ’s. Once we remember this we will know there is no time for judgmental hearts or mere pity. Instead, love for our neighbors should move us to awaken those who are running from (or simply oblivious to) the sweet smell of real life – life in Christ and his beautiful fragrance. Walking Points
Prayer Merciful Redeemer, you sought me, found me, and moved me from death to life. You have clothed me in the righteousness of Christ so that I am adorned in his clothing and have new life in him. My fragrance is his. I can only boast in him. I once was lost but now am found. I once was only able to discern in him the scent of death. Now I know it was (and is) the aroma of real, abundant, and everlasting life. I pray, holy Father, that you would give me the same compassion for those who do not know you, as you have for them. The same compassion you have for me! Help me resist the temptation to judge them for their outright rejection of you, their rebellion against you, and even their willful ignorance. Let my life always be consistent with the aroma of life that comes from you. And enable me to speak words of life that help them desire to be clothed in your righteousness as well. In Christ I pray. Amen. This Week’s Prayer Guide [You can use this prayer guide in your own personal prayer time. However, I encourage you to use it with a group of Christian men. Each week you should spend time praising God for who he is, confessing your sin to him (be specific) as well as expressing gratitude to him for his gracious forgiveness. Also, don’t forget to thank God for the many ways he has poured out his goodness in your life. Then, focus on the following areas of supplication, which will change from week to week.] Petitions – prayers for yourself · Lord, help me to faithfully participate in the life of my congregation and for the sake of my community… Ø By my prayers Ø By my presence Ø By my gifts Ø By my service Ø By my witness · Today’s events and interactions with others, planned and unplanned · Other needs Intercession – prayers for others · My family · For those who serve in government, at the national, state, and local levels · For those who serve in law-enforcement · For those who serve in fire and rescue · For those who serve in our nation’s military · Other needs  1 Chronicles 12:32 - Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.
The Mission Field in Our Backyard If you were called to serve as a missionary in a foreign land, you would no doubt seek to learn as much as possible about that land and its inhabitants. You would want to learn how to speak the language of the people, as well as discover their customs and beliefs, in order to get to know them and communicate effectively with them. How else would you be able to meet their eternal and temporal needs? In our world today, what is true about ministering in a foreign land is equally as true in our own. As many missiologists and evangelists have pointed out, if we desire to effectively reach our diverse culture for Christ, we must know the language, customs, and beliefs of the people we’re around every day. Jesus reminds us that these people are our neighbors whom we’re called to love. Yet, we know that behind people’s perceived temporal needs there lurk real and eternal needs that only the Lord Jesus Christ can meet. Irrelevance is not a mark of faithfulness or a virtue to celebrate. Seeking to understand where people are “coming from” spiritually, philosophically, psychologically, and emotionally is not necessarily accommodation and compromise. Building relationships, meeting needs, and giving answers that never include the Lord Jesus Christ and his gospel is. It was the Apostle Paul who said that he had become all things to all people that he might win some to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:22). We can be certain that he was able to do so without sinning or selling out. Should we not seek to follow in his footsteps? Called to be Like the Men of Issachar Issachar was one of Jacob’s sons whose descendants grew to become one of Israel’s twelve tribes. By the time of King David, we are told in 1 Chronicles 12:32, that among the great fighting warriors of Israel were the men of Issachar, who were distinguished by knowing or understanding the times in which they lived and were able to advise Israel accordingly. It was the Lord Jesus who castigated the religious leaders of his day for being able to predict the weather but not being able to interpret the signs of the times (Matthew 16:1-3). God continues to call godly men to know the times in which they live in order to provide a faithful witness for Christ and his Kingdom in our own day. Godly men should help their neighbors view the temporal world in which they live with and through the light of God’s eternal perspective. Whether the focus is theology, worldview, ethics, culture, Western civilization, peace, justice, economics, etc., godly men are called to provide those in their spheres of influence with biblically faithful, culturally aware, and practically useful wisdom and guidance. The goal should be to lovingly equip those entrusted to their care as well as to faithfully confront unrighteousness and evil with God’s truth. Such vigilant ambassadors of God’s Kingdom are called to represent the Lord Jesus Christ in their own personal mission fields to which they have been called to serve. The King of Our Mission Field Jesus Christ is the Lord over every mission field and we want to communicate that touchstone truth to every man, woman and child in a way that is true, significant, and attractive. We cannot save people ourselves but that doesn’t mean we should not bear witness to our Lord as lovingly, clearly, and faithfully as possible. Like the men of Issachar, we need to know the times in which we live and effectively, humbly, and respectfully give an answer to everyone who asks us about the hope that we have in this world and the world to come. Walking Points
Prayer Heavenly Father, help me to be a faithful steward and ambassador of your Word – the loving truth of the good news of Jesus Christ. As your ambassador, enable me to speak only your message to others, and not my “new and improved” version of it. As your steward, remind me that you have not only entrusted me with your truth, but you have also entrusted others to my care, that I might humbly share your truth with them. Your truth does not belong to me. It is yours and you have chosen to reveal it to the world. Therefore, help me faithfully communicate it to others in such a way that they will not only know how much you love them, but how much I love them as well. Remind me that it was the faithfulness of those who came before me that brought me this same good news. In Christ I pray. Amen. This Week’s Prayer Guide [You can use this prayer guide in your own personal prayer time. However, I encourage you to use it with a group of Christian men. Each week you should spend time praising God for who he is, confessing your sin to him (be specific) as well as expressing gratitude to him for his gracious forgiveness. Also, don’t forget to thank God for the many ways he has poured out his goodness in your life. Then, focus on the following areas of supplication, which will change from week to week.] Petition – prayers for yourself · Help me to mature in my faith and to increasingly please God by my thoughts, words, and deeds. · Particular struggles in various relationships · My activities for this day · Other needs Intercession – prayers for others · My Family · My local church · My denomination · Para-church ministries, particularly Christian education and discipleship · Evangelistic ministries · Other needs |
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