Category Archives: Uncategorized

Peace with God

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Romans 5:1-5 (NASB)
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

As this year comes to a close, I have heard many say how happy they will be when this year 2020 will be over. It’s as if by some mysterious way, the coming of the new year will somehow change the trials of 2020 and they will disappear, never to darken our lives again.

It is a hope that is understandable, but as Paul tells us in Romans 5, our hope doesn’t come from the circumstances of our surroundings, but by the Holy Spirit who pours out into our hearts the love of God.

We have peace with God. It is so much more amazing than anything that we can experience in our lives. It is permanent, unchangeable, more powerful than anything else.

Romans 5:8 (NASB)
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God demonstrates his love for us, not in an easy life, but by the fact that even though we were separated from Him by our disobedience, He reached out and forgave us and loves us.

Father, thank You for our peace with You. I confess that I don’t exult in tribulations. I thank you, though, that it bring us strength and hope. As I walk with You each day, I pray that I would cling to the love that You have poured into my heart. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Pray for me, Jesus

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Luke 22:31-32 (NASB)
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Romans 8:27 (NASB)
27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

We have a trail in our neighborhood that runs next to a lake. I often walk this trail for exercise in the morning. What I have never done is put on headphones and listen to music. This morning I did. I listened to the album by Klaus called “Everything Lives in the River”. As the sweet melodies swept over me and the familiar lyrics that were often direct from scripture filled my heart, I found myself asking Jesus to pray for me.

Until recently, I had not connected the fact that when Jesus intercedes for us, He is “praying” for us according to the will of God. It seemed to me this morning that my prayers are often selfish and self-centered, and what I needed to do was to simply ask Jesus to pray what is best for me.

I need more of Jesus living through me because the things of this world can drag us down. I grieve for a friend from school who lost his wife this week. Jesus, pray for my friend.

Heavenly Father, I praise Your Son, for He prays over me. Give me the strength to run to Jesus no matter the circumstances. Jesus, as You pray for and sing over me, reveal your will in my life. I pray this in Your name. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Look Familiar?

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James 4:1-8 (NASB)
1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?
2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

In this passage, James gives us a view of the world during his time. But God gives us a view of the unregenerate throughout all time, as well as the sin nature that surfaces in those that are still being conformed the image of God.

I have to be constantly reminded of verse 6 above. The sin of self pride emerges without warning, disguised as a virtue in our minds. It causes us to compare ourselves to others, lifting the image of ourselves above others, erasing any humility that should be there.

When we let pride take over, we are unable to humbly defend those in need, humbly proclaim the truth of the gospel, humbly give Jesus the glory for all.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the prideful sin in my life. It is a prayer that I need to pray each moment of every day. Holy Spirit, consume my spirit so that pride cannot emerge from my thoughts and deeds. Purge sin from my heart and replace it with a humble reliance on Jesus. I pray this in His name, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Praying for Those in Authority

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Luke 6:27-28 (NASB)
27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Romans 13:1 (NASB)
1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

Jesus taught us many things that are a complete opposite of what we might think. If we aren’t careful, we will ignore some of these scriptures that don’t feel right. Why should I pray for my enemies, I’m pretty sure that they aren’t praying for me. Then, the Holy Spirit whispers to me, what if God used that criteria to love us? What if God only loved those that first loved Him? I’d be lost for eternity.

We were given the Bible and the teachings found there to keep us from determining what is right based upon what WE might think or feel. There are plenty of examples of what people only feel and think, especially from on-line sources. When we are exposed to content on-line or even thoughts expressed by our friends, family, and neighbors, we need to filter our thoughts and responses through the lens of Holy Scripture. Do the words that bombard us from these other sources cause me to love others or does it divide?

I understand that we all are passionate about the course of our country. We may agree or disagree with the current state of things, but no matter what, it is God’s providence. God has established those in authority. And we should pray for them. Pray that God’s wisdom would influence our leader’s decisions and that they would be willing vessels of the Holy Spirit. Pray earnestly that God’s will would be done, that He would accomplish His will through them.

Father, as You rule from Your throne in heaven, I praise Your holy name. I pray fervently that Your kingdom would come to earth as it is in heaven. Give to me today, just what I need for the day, trusting that You would provide my future needs. Forgive me of my sin, as I forgive others who do evil against me. Keep temptation from my thoughts and actions and keep the evil one far from me. It is Your Kingdom and You deserve all the power and glory for eternity. Amen and Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Alone with God

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Psalm 139:1-3 (NASB)
1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

I sit down alone,
Only God is here:
In his presence I open,
I read his books;
And what I thus learn,
I teach.
     —John Wesley

I find that I think about God more when I am alone than when I am with others.  The only exception is during worship or Bible study or some other group activity like a prayer group.  And when I am alone, and my thoughts turn to God, I recognize just how much I am not alone.  I can be more alone in a group of people than when I am alone with God.

Even understanding this, I find it amazing that true humility seems to be difficult for me to feel.  Knowing that God is intimately acquainted with all my ways escapes my constant attention.  When we become Christians, I would think we should be the most humble people in the world.  And yet I am not.  My pride surfaces so easily.  I so easily think better of myself than others.  When I really meditate about that, it can be frightening.  How could anyone be prideful, knowing that God knows us into the deepest recesses of our soul.

I guess we try to protect ourselves by hiding how we really are and put on that mask that we show to others.  I’m afraid that I also do that with God, although hopefully less so.  Maybe it is the fear of seeing the real me.  If it wasn’t for God’s willingness to hear my confessions, I’m afraid that we would never really know anything true about us.  It would all be hidden away.  Without the Holy Spirit that helps us turn toward Jesus, we would never truly change.

Heavenly Father, You know me better than I know myself.  I pray that You would reveal to me the true me and then help me to confess those things to You that do not bring You glory.  Erase the fear of knowing myself.  Holy Spirit, whisper to me how to become more like Jesus and show me how to make that change.  Instill in me true humility.  Save me from my pride.  I pray these things in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God, 

 

Reminded of Grace

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1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NASB)
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

This week, as I was with fellow golfers after a round, someone brought up the name of one of our group that wasn’t there at the time.  I am ashamed to say that I spoke ill of that person.  As I was tempted to speak ill and as the words came out of my mouth, I could feel a twinge, knowing that what I was doing was wrong.  And yet, the words came out anyway.  I had forgotten about grace.  I had let pride propel me into saying something about another in order to elevate myself in the eyes of others.

I had forgotten that Jesus, although He could had let me have it about the sinful pride in my life, didn’t.  He instead said that I was forgiven.  I don’t deserve it, but freely accept it from God.  It should be so easy for me to do the same for others, yet I fail so often.  Praise God that He never forgets about grace.

Heavenly Father, I repent of my cold heart.  I pray that when I am tempted to speak ill of others, you would remind me of your grace.  Remind me before words are spoken.  Remind me as the thought comes into my mind and remove it.  Remind me that pride is a sin.  Remind me that I am no better than any other person.  I pray my actions and words would always bring glory to You.  I pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God.

The Prayer of Christ

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:”Prayer does not mean simply to pour out one’s heart. It means rather to find the way to God and to speak with him, whether the heart is full or empty. No man can do that by himself. For that he needs Jesus Christ.”

“When our will wholeheartedly enters into the prayer of Christ, then we pray correctly. Only in Jesus Christ are we able to pray, and with him we also know that we shall be heard.”

According to Bonhoeffer, Jesus is integral to our prayer life. It is only when we surrender to the Son and allow Him to bring us to the throne room, can we truly be in communion with God.  

And so, we must learn to pray, it is not something that we automatically know how to do. Thankfully, God has given us prayers in scripture. Bonhoeffer called the Psalms the prayer book of the Bible and they are the key to learning how to pray. Luther felt that the Psalms penetrates the Lord’s Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer penetrates the Psalms. So much so that by praying both we can bring them into perfect harmony.

I often find that as I read and pray through a Psalm, it doesn’t always reflect my need at the time. Maybe that is because I am more focused on me than I am on what Christ wants to communicate to me and through me.  

If you haven’t done this before or for some time, pick a few Psalms this week and pray through them and see what God has to reveal to you.  

Always praying for the glory of God,

Chris McKean

Times of Drifting

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Hebrews 2:1-4 (MSG)
1 It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off.
2 If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything,
3 do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him.
4 All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.

Have you noticed that the cacophony of the world can drown out the whisper of the Holy Spirit? As I am tutored and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, I have learned that I must guard my heart – for I will drift. Sanctification will only happen when we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. And our hearts are open most often when we worship, read/study the scriptures and pray.

God wants us to enjoy His creation. We enjoy it the way it was intended when we have a world view that is consistent with His plan. When we view it any other way, then we drift.

Sanctification is not only a step of salvation, it is a proof to us of our salvation. Is our faith and trust in Him today greater than last year? Last month? Yesterday? As we glorify God by sharing His good news, it sanctifies us. When we seek out and study with others that are farther along in their faith walk, it sanctifies us. God wants us to make disciples and to be disciples.

I fear the church is full of drifting Christians. I grieve for them. I pray for them. I pray that I will resist the temptation to drift. And I repent when I do.

Heavenly Father, help me to keep a firm grip on Your good news. I repent that I drift sometimes and miss out on the glories of the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Save me from my silliness. Help me to look to the Father, for we are the crown of His creation. I pray this in the name of Jesus, who saved me from an eternity without Him. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Imperfect Human Sight

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2 Corinthians 5:5 (NASB)
5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight—

The truth of the life beyond life is a matter of faith not of sight. For our human senses and observation of the universe is imprecise. Understanding the world around us from human terms even requires faith. As a child our sight tells us that as someone walks away from us they become smaller. Yet we learn that this is not true. The earth looks flat to us, yet we know that this is not the case. Our sight deceives us when we use it alone to discern the world around us. Insight, or faith in other important facts corrects our imperfect human sight.

I have a friend, one who attends church regularly, who told me that he was a scientist and just wasn’t sure that Christianity could be believed. Yet the science that he holds fast to, requires much faith. He, like many assert that if it cannot be “proven” scientifically, then it cannot be believed. Yet, the very basic postulates that all science is built upon cannot be proven, but have to be assumed.

The fact that our senses can deceive us – that we must accept on faith, even the universe around us – I find to be a beautiful plan orchestrated by an Almighty and Holy God. He wants us to love Him, not because our physical senses tell us so, but because the faith that He gives to us convicts us. We walk by faith – and when we do, He reveals Himself to us in mighty ways.

Father, we praise You for the universe that You have created. We thank You for the faith that You have given us to walk by, for the revelation of scripture that gives us an understanding Your plan. I pray that You would open the eyes of those with faith that cannot see You. I pray for my friend that he would come to a saving faith in You. I ask this in Jesus name and it is in His precious name I fervently pray. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

The Beauty of Opposites

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Psalm 23:4 (NASB)
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Psalm 18:28 (NASB)
28 For You light my lamp; The Lord my God illumines my darkness.

John 8:12 (NASB)
12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

God, in His infinite wisdom created a universe that contains a spectrum of opposing experiences, so that we could sense and understand the differences. For without a valley, we could not see the mountain; without sorrow, we could not feel love; without silence, we could not hear music; without the bitter, we would not taste the sweet; without the sense of pain, we could not feel a tender touch.

The 23rd psalm is probably the most well known passage in scripture. The fourth verse talks about walking through a valley and the word death is the one word we focus on. Yet, it is not the valley of death, rather it is the valley of the shadow of death. And shadows cannot exist without light. The comfort of walking through a valley is that He is walking with us. His light illumines our way. Jesus is the light of the world, whether we are on a mountain or in the deepest valley. Praise God for the beauty of opposites.

Heavenly Father, I confess that I do not like the valleys of life. I’d rather be on the mountain top. I’d rather feel the tender touch rather than the pain. We live in a broken world, but because of the sacrifice of Your Son, we do not walk it alone. Thank You for Jesus, the light of the world that shines on us each day. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,