Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 7 Love

Growth - Love

Perhaps this is the most important thing when dealing with growth.  We understand how important it is in our own lives.  Someone that is unloved and uncared for might grow up but how will they grow up?  What will their actions and attitudes be like.  That is why it is so good to know that we have a loving Father who loved us when we were still sinners and that He reached out to us when there was nothing that could make us attractive to Him.  We totally don’t deserve His love, but He offers it to us anyway ... even when we were far from Him.  Separated.

Rom. 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

It is because of His love that we have any opportunity for growth and that is a positive thing.  He has given us birth or life, provided food - really everything that we need, He is patient with us, He gives us good things and encourages us in them.  He gives every opportunity.  It is an expression of His love!  We are His children and He wants us to grow as any loving parent wants their children to grow.

Not only that but then Jesus, Himself, gives us the example to follow.

John 15:9 ¶ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

John 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Eph. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 

Eph. 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God...

When we look at 1 Corinthians 13 we see love in a way that the world doesn’t usually.  In popular talk about love we see these things often turned almost on their head.

1Cor. 13:4 ¶ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 

1Cor. 13:5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 

1Cor. 13:6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 

1Cor. 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

1Cor. 13:8 ¶ Love never fails.

There are so many things that stand out here but one thing that especially seems to stand out is the statement that “love does not seek its own”!  So often we look at love as something for us.  It is about the way that we feel.  It is about the richness it brings to our lives.  It is about how “happy” we are.  But here we see that love is not focused on self.  It is focused on others and the good of the other.  It is focused out, not focused in!  It causes us to grow beyond ourselves, our needs, our desires, our benefit.

As God’s children He calls us to have His kind of love toward one another.

Col. 3:12 ¶ Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 

Col. 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Col. 3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

In fact, 1 Corinthians 16:14 says

Let all that you do be done with love. 

Basically this is done by letting Jesus fill our hearts and lives with understanding of what He has demonstrated for us and allowing that truth to penetrate every part of our lives.

Eph. 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 

Eph. 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 

Eph. 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Or as the next chapter put it...

Eph. 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 

Eph. 4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 

Eph. 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. 

Which leaves us with 2 more verses to think about

Romans 13 says that we have a continuing debt of love to one another because love is the fulfillment of the law.  Hebrews 10 tells us to consider how we can encourage or “stir up” one another to love and good deeds and it tells us that these are among the reasons that we need to keep gathering together.  God wants so much good for us.  It is based in His love toward us and His love then being lived out in us toward others.

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 6 Exercise

Growth - Exercise

The advice that kids get if they want to grow is typically eat right and get your exercise!  It is not bad advice!  We all know that if we want healthy bodies we need activity and exercise.  The Bible is in agreement.

1Tim. 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

Training our bodies is profitable and good for us but only some in this life and not at all in eternity.  However, Paul says that godliness is good for both this life and the life to come.  Bodily exercise does some very good things for us.  In the same way, exercising godliness brings good things not only for our bodies but also for our minds, hearts and lives.

Yesterday we saw in John 5 how the people studied the scriptures because they believed that in them they would find eternal life.  Yet, they refused to come to Jesus in exercise of faith and so their study had little deep effect.  It does us little good to study and know things if we don’t use them.  This is especially true of spiritual things.

A few days ago we also looked a some verses from Hebrews.  There it says about maturity coming from the exercising of our senses to discern both good and evil.  It means that we grow as we practice using the truths of God’s word applied in practical situations in our everyday lives.  The point is not that we always get it right.  The point is that we keep practicing so as to grow up.

Christian takes violin right now.  He is learning but needs to practice to improve.  However, his teacher, while very talented, is not above making mistakes, accidentally playing wrong notes or touching wrong strings.  The teacher also needs to practice regularly to maintain and improve his ability to play well.

There is a story told about a boy who was apprenticed to a jeweler to learn everything he could about jewels and jewelry.  The master gave the boy small tasks to do each day...cleaning and polishing the same jewels over and over.  The boy felt like a slave and so he asked the jeweler when he would start to teach him.  The jeweler patiently replied that he was teaching him.  Then he gave him some more jewels to polish.  The boy sadly began to polish them.  As he did he looked up and told his mentor that something was wrong with these jewels.  They didn’t look right.  They didn’t feel right.  The jeweler then revealed to the boy that indeed they were just glass and not jewels at all.  It was by the constant practice of handling and observing that the boy had begun to learn the true from the fake. 

In many ways that is the idea that we find in scripture.  We test things.  We see if they are from God.  We do that by applying His word.  We do that by seeing that when we follow His word that it is true and trustworthy.  It often takes time and effort and repetition. It is exercising of faith.  An exercise in trust.  A practical exercise of seeing things from God’s truth and acting accordingly.

In Proverbs 3:5-12 it says

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding; 

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths. 

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 

8 It will be health to your flesh,

And strength to your bones. 

9 Honor the LORD with your possessions,

And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 

10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,

And your vats will overflow with new wine. 

11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,

Nor detest His correction; 

12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects,

Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 5 Study

Growth - Study

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Be diligent, prepare for, work toward... the idea that is presented here also includes the idea of study ... in fact one translation puts it exactly that way.  Study!  Why?  Paul tells Timothy to study so that he will rightly divide the word of truth.  In other words so that he will know, understand and use the Bible correctly.

It is no different than anything else in life.  We go to school to learn the right and acceptable ways to do things.  It requires us to read, memorize, learn, understand and demonstrate understanding (read “exams”).

We see from the verse above that the main reason for study is about our relationship with God.  We don’t want to be found to misrepresent Him or His word.  As much as possible we want to be faithful to Him.  It is not, as many people think, about being right or wrong.  It is about what God’s intention is for people, His best.

There are many places throughout scripture that we are encouraged to study.  It doesn’t always say “study” and often depending on the translation it might say study in one translation and have a different word in another.  However we do see the idea of preparing, being ready, carefully considering etc.

Psa. 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You. 

Prov. 22:17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,

And apply your heart to my knowledge; 

Prov. 22:18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;

Let them all be fixed upon your lips, 

Prov. 22:19 So that your trust may be in the LORD;

I have instructed you today, even you. 

Paul encourages Timothy in a later part of the same letter to preach the Word and be prepared in all seasons for all that is necessary for careful instruction.  Peter likewise tells his readers in 1 Peter 3 to be prepared to give an answer to anyone that asks us to give a reason for the hope that we have.

Two other quick thoughts.  In Ezra 7 it tells us that Ezra had devoted his heart or prepared his heart to study the law.  It wasn’t just an academic exercise but he studied to observe or apply God’s word.  Ezra helped the people return to following the Lord after their captivity and to rebuild Israel.

On the other hand in John 5 Jesus is talking to the Jews and He tells them the following:

39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

The Jews had the scriptures and studied them, but then were not ready to believe them or do them.  So their study did them little good.  But God wants this for our benefit.

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 4 - Time

Growth - Time

It takes a little time sometimes....  Rome wasn’t build in a day... It just doesn’t happen overnight... Anything worthwhile takes time and effort....

How many times do kids say “I wish I were older” or “I can’t wait until I grow up”?  How many times do parents think, “take your time and enjoy each stage of life”?  Let’s face it time is not a true indicator of growth but it is a required part of the growth process.  It takes time to grow.

However perhaps we are not talking so much about time as we are about waiting.

Ps 27:14

14 Wait on the LORD;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!

We, our society that is, has perhaps forgotten what it means to wait.  Everybody know that we have fast food, microwaves, high-speed internet, instant soup, minute rice, drive-thru, pre-cooked/pre-prepared, etc.  So it is not surprising that we want things to happen, “now”!  However as we look at God’s Word we see that there is a time and place for everything.  And as we look at the world we see there are a lot of good thing, ideas, products and programs but they can be introduced at the wrong time.  God has a right time for things and His time and ours are often different.

In the Bible we see people that had dreams, promises, projects, ideas desires etc that required them to wait for the right time ... until they or someone or something else was ready.

Some of the best knowns stories in the Bible are about people that needed to wait on the Lord.

Abraham - God gave him a promise.  He sent him to a new land.  He said I will make you a great nation and I will give this land to your decedents.  However, Abraham waited 25 years for the promised son (and made a few mistakes trying to speed up the process).  However, when God came to him and asked him to sacrifice Isaac, the long awaited answer to the promise, Abraham was ready because he had learned faith and learned that he could trust God.

Moses - He was not an ordinary child.  God protected him from being killed as a child.  In fact, he was a child of promise.  He would deliver Israel from slavery.  However, as a young man he went out and saw the problems of his people.  He was passionately moved.  He wanted to free them.  He tried in his own strength.  Yet, he ended up running for his life.  He was gone for 40 years!  Then God sent him back with what he would need to free Israel.  It was during this time that Moses learned how to care for, serve and shepherd patiently and humbly the people that he would bring out of Egypt.  He spend time in God’s school of waiting.

David - He was a young man (probably in his early teens) when God told Samuel to anoint him as the next king over Israel.  He had great victories, big responsibilities, hard and difficult trials, pressure to rush ahead of God.  Yet, David refused.  Twice he could have killed Saul and taken the kingdom of Israel for himself by force.  Instead he waited on God.  It was many years later until he became a king and even then it was only part of what God had promised.  Still, in the end God fulfilled His promise to David and David was known as a man after God’s heart. Did he make mistakes? Yes, but God also used that time to prepare and shape him.

Waiting on the Lord is hard.  Time is a valuable thing that we don’t want to waste but we also see that God is not in a hurry, nor does He waste.  He is more concerned with who we are and our relationship with Him and He is willing to be patient to see it be what it can and should be.  We don’t like to wait but it is a part of the growth process and over and over in scripture we are told to wait upon the Lord.

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 3 - What Are You Eating?

Growth - What Are You Eating?

We all know what mom says!  If you want to grow you have to eat well!  So pull out the salad and wash off the fruit!  Make sure you cover the 5 food groups and all the essential vitamins and iron!

This is a fast week and were talking about food!  Please have compassion!

No really we are talking about spiritual food.  The Bible talks about it.  It encourages us to feed and be strengthened.  It also encourages us to be self-controlled  and careful that if we eat or drink or whatever we do then we should do it to the glory of God.

So what kind of spiritual food should we be eating?

Well the first type of food the Bible talks about is milk!  Some people like milk others do not.  Some people think milk is for kids and babies and others regularly enjoy a tall cold glass of the stuff.  But whatever the case the Bible talks about milk.

In 1 Peter 2:1-3, Peter writes

1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 

2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 

3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow by it!  Now some people might think... well milk isn’t for me.  I am not a newborn.  That is not Peter’s point here.  He is saying that if we want to grow then we have to start with a sincere desire for God’s word.  Mother’s milk for the newborn is about the best thing a baby can get!  There are so many good things about it.  It has the good things the body needs.  It gives the drinker the protection and benefit of the mother’s immunity to sickness.  It is easy for the body to process and digest this milk.  There are all kinds of benefits that come from mother’s milk and there are all kinds of benefits that come from the milk of God’s word.

Peter is writing to believers here in the first of 2 letters and over and over in these letters he reminds them of things that they already know and have already been taught.  Why?  Because they are important!  They are a foundation.  If they are forgotten or neglected then there is danger to the believers and to the Church.  So he tells them, have a sincere, earnest desire for God’s word.  Are we hungry for God’s word or is it just something we fall back on when we have a problem, a need or a few moments to rush through a chapter or short passage?  Where is the Bible in our list of daily priorities?

Now the Bible also contrasts milk to solid food.  Just as we hope a baby will, in the proper time, move from milk to solid food there are those things in God’s word that are basic and foundational and there are those things that are more complex or difficult.  The Bible though is not saying that one is better than the other.  It is simply saying that both are necessary and one must come before the other.

For example 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 says,

1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 

2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 

3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

It was not that the Corinthians had not had milk... it was a matter that they had not mastered it yet.  In other words when we haven’t really learned a foundational truth then we have to go back and master it.  It is important to the process of our growth.

In Hebrews 5:12-6:2

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 

13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 

14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 

1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 

2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 

We see that there is a time to progress but sometimes there can be regression as well.  Sometimes there needs to be a reminder.  Solid food comes with time but time is also no guarantee that we are ready.  There needs to be another principle of growth, which we will talk about later, exercise!  In chapter 6:1-2 we see the some of the “elementary principles” that the writer is talking about.  Sometimes we need to go back, look again, be reminded.

That is why Peter is not afraid to remind his readers again and again.  When we earnestly desire the Word of God we will grow.  And the hope then with having both milk and solid food is that we will grow up into someone “...who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 2 - Birth

Growing - Birth

John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

You must be born again! Jesus tells this to Nicodemus, a teacher of the Jewish law.  Nicodemus just doesn’t understand the importance of birth.  He thinks it is just something that happened a long time ago and something that can never happen again.  But he is not seeing with spiritual eyes.

The Bible talks about this spiritual birth in a couple of different ways.

2 Corinthians 5:16-19 - 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 

19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 

When we were born spiritually or born again there was a change that took place.  Our lives changed, our focus and what is important in life changed.  We speak of a newborn as a new life.  We celebrate that life and the possibilities that it represents.

1 Peter 2:9-10 - 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 

10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

We have been called out of darkness to walk in the light.  We often talk about physical birth in this way as well.  Seeing the light of day.  Being born into a family in many ways defines who we are.  In this “new birth” we are Christians or literally “Christ ones”.  It is easy to forget who we are and what that means but birth, especially for the “one like Christ” defines who we need to be.  If we forget that we forget who we are and what is important.  Focusing on our birth then should focus our attention on what it means to be like Christ!  Am I like Him?  How am I like Him”  How am I not like Him and what needs to change? What does our Heavenly Father want His children to look and act like?

Birth is also something that we celebrate.  We celebrate birth once a year but really we celebrate it more often than that as well.  Every time we consider what our lives mean or what another person means in our lives we are at least in some small way celebrating birth.  When we have a party it is not just for presents or to be thankful for another year of life.  It is also a remembrance of that day long (or not so long) ago.  Something joyful happened.  Something changed forever.

If we look at spiritual birth as just some past event we are in danger of losing ourselves - who we are!  If we were really made to be a new creation and we brought out of darkness into life and light, then it is important to remember and celebrate that.  It defines who we are, where we are going and what is expected of us.  That is why the New Testament writers are always coming back to that foundation... that birth.  We are children of the king.  It is not just a place of privilege, but perhaps especially a place of responsibility, service and humility.  Remember where we came from.  Darkness.  What has that grace give us? Light, salvation, freedom, hope!  Our attitude concerning the gift that is life will greatly influence what we do with that life.  “You must be born again” opens up to us all kinds of new and wonderful possibilities but it also mean that old things are past (and should be put in the past) making room for the new.

Week of Prayer and Fasting - Day 1 Spiritual Growth

What is it that God has for me in the life that He has given me?

We can see clearly in scripture that God loves us.  We can see clearly that He is and wants to be involved in every part of our lives.  We see that God knows what is best for us and wants the best for us. Yet how often do we really spend time seeking Him?

Sure we pray.  Sure we read His Word.  His Spirit speaks.  Are we listening?  Are we ready to do what He says.  God certainly has plans for us!  Ephesians says He prepared good works in advance for us to do.  But more than what we do and more than any good work, God is wanting our lives to be the best they can be.  That sounds great, but sometimes what it means for us is not exactly what we envisioned.

We often take comfort in verses like Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 

The Bible says you will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah is writing to a people that are in captivity in Babylon.  To a people being punished for their failure to listen to and follow the Lord!  He confirms to them that His plan for them is good.  That their captivity is not permanent though it is necessary.  He wants them to seek Him with all their hearts ... that is to seek Him with an intent to do what it is He is calling them to...not just doing something but obedience for their own sakes.

Too often we say we want to seek God but when what He reveals to us what we need most ... well sometimes that is inconvenient, uncomfortable and frankly requires us to sacrifice things or ideas we would rather hold on to.

We sometimes call this growing.  It is something that we all need and something that should never stops  In fact, typically when something does stop growing it means that it begins to diminish and fade.  There is always something new to learn.  There is always something that can be improved.  There are always areas in our lives that are in need of correction, reordering and reassessing.  

Growing is a process and we have all heard about “growing pains”.  Often we think that growing is just a matter of time and waiting but really there are some steps that need to happen in our lives if we are to grow in a way that is good, healthy and meaningful.  It takes time, effort  and intent.  It means seeking God with all our hearts.  Still to listen.  Ready to obey.  Prepared to trust.