What Now? The Focus

What do you want for Christmas? Ice skates, tools, clothes, a new kitchen gadget, or maybe some toasty mittens for those frosty mornings. Then there is the New Year. What might your wish be for the coming year? Not a repeat of 2020 might be high on everyone's list. For many of us this week leads to the celebration of our Lord's first advent, His first arrival. The commercialized event can bring challenges to one's spirit to not be swept away with the egregious pace of it all. Christmas itself is a bit of an odd holiday. The day chosen nearly 2000 years ago was more political than spiritual but it indeed holds a long standing tradition. Celebrating Messiah's birth still seems like a good thing even if we are off a bit on the date. Which, by the way, isn't given to us precisely in Scripture. So, I will let December 25th be a special day. December 25th in the year 2020 will possibly be like no other in our life time. The CoVid19 residual fear and government restrictions still swirl around us and political tensions are yet to be resolved. Rumors are that 2021 will not be much better, at least at the start. Further restrictions, shutdowns, isolation, and economic hardships are in the forecast. So much for a "Happy New Year". For believers and followers of Messiah Jesus the "What now?" question can be a bit daunting. We want to move forward, but may question how. This is my last post to try to offer some perspective based on the prayer our Lord gave us in Matthew 6. His counsel in prayer applies to broader aspects of our lives as well. We conclude with a thought that should be ours on a daily basis. One that should be our focus in life and one that helps keep our vision clear.

"For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:13b). The ending of the prayer brings our focus back to the majesty of the object or focus of our prayer. I understand the textual variants and some leave this phrase out. However, it is one of longstanding, one I learned as a child, and one that cannot be disputed as theologically true. Thus, today we will let it stand. Our tendency in life, be it our physical or spiritual lives, is to maintain comfort. Much of our prayer time is spent on the desire for our comfort or that of someone else. Relief from pain, sickness, distress, financial hardship or some kind of oppression likely fill our prayer journals. Our prayer of daily bread, forgiveness, even for God's kingdom to come may have our comfort at the forefront. We feel powerless and need God's power to make us feel better. To feel more comfortable in whatever situation we find ourselves to be in. Looking forward that may yet be our focus. "Lord give me a comfortable New Year".

Is that really to be the focus of our lives? John the baptizer put it simply, "He must increase but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Life is not about my comfort but about God's kingdom and God's glory. If  my discomfort results in God's glory I should be content. The Apostle Paul recognized this truth. He didn't always enjoy it but he learned to be content. In dealing with an oppression from the devil Paul asked for relief, to be more comfortable. However, he shares this response with the Corinthians. " And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Boasting in my infirmities isn't high on my New Year's list. Paul gives the believers in Corinth some other council as well, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). And the following, "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us" (2 Corinthians 1:20). God's glory and putting His power on display is apparently more important than being comfortable.

Many of us live as pampered Christians thus our prayer lives may focus on the desire to remain pampered. None of these things are bad or evil but they are self centered. If my objective is to advance God's kingdom, which was the message of our Lord here on earth, my prayer life should coincide with that purpose. My life is to be about God's kingdom, God's power, and God's glory forever. Perhaps our prayers should include the desire for God's glory. "Lord, whatever brings You glory and best advances your kingdom, handle my cancer in what is best for You. I am your servant", rather than just, "Take away the cancer and heal me, let me be comfortable." Healing may be God's way of putting His power and glory on display. However, if another path is more effective in advancing His kingdom am I willing to be content or even desirous for the disease to progress? Not an easy thought to ponder. 

The new year may hold some difficult, even evil, occurrences as the weeks unfold. Should the progressive party prevail our religious liberties may be curtailed. Messages on God's view of marriage and the value of life could be hate speech. The ongoing pandemic will give more opportunities to target houses of worship to be shut down. Medical care could be rationed or required by our governing authorities. Our enemies may prosper and our allies suffer on multiple levels. I am not wishing for these and I am not a prophet, however, we would be naive to ignore the possibilities. In all of the potential of the days and months to come what will be our focus? God's kingdom, power, and glory or our personal comfort and a pampered life hidden in the shadows. If you study the Scriptures or even history, those who stood boldly for God's glory did not always fair well in this world. Yet, their focus was on advancing God's kingdom and glory no matter what the cost. How will we answer the. "What now?" question?  Will it be about just our comfort? Or will our focus be on God's kingdom, power, and glory? I suppose we also have the option to just leave out that final phrase of the Lord's prayer and take comfort in the shadows. But there is not much glory in that.

What Now? Be Prepared

 The year 2021 is on the horizon and many hope it will be a year of returning to normal. This past year has certainly been disruptive to our usual experience of life. The isolation and limitations placed upon us have left many wounded and afraid. There is a need to go beyond where we have been. God and His Word are essential guides for those who believe in Messiah Jesus and His coming kingdom. There are many places to find direction within the pages of God's revelation to us. Over the past few posts we have considered the truths found in the familiar prayer found in Matthew 6. "What now?" is a question that should lead us to our Heavenly Father for direction. We need to realize that the advancement of His Kingdom is not derailed because of a virus or an election. We need to recognize our dependence upon the Lord day by day and be quick to forgive and support those who share our faith and strive for faithfulness. All this is well and good. However, God is wise enough to alert us to another reality.  As we attempt to look forward we dare not be naïve concerning the opposition we will face. Our enemy has come to rob, kill and destroy. That has been his plan and desire from the beginning. The battle continues today. 

Knowing this, our Lord told His disciples to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Satan and the evil spirits that invade our lives want to rob us of our freedoms, our worth, and our purpose in serving the Lord. They come to kill the unborn, the elderly, the young through war and social unrest. They hold an unrelenting desire to destroy families, communities, and the fellowships of believers. The path they propose may appear to be one of light and prosperity, however, the way may be the road to addiction and destruction. The way of temptation is one of enticement urging us to experiment with new things that appear benign on the surface but conceal the poison that draws us away for truth and into the snare that grips us and leaves us wanting. We need to pray that we would be aware, alert, and sensitive to the way of temptation. Paul warned those in Corinth, "And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). We dare not deceive ourselves into following our desires into the shadows of compromise and delusion. Thus, we must pray that we will not be lead into temptation or to allow ourselves to be tested in areas of personal weakness. We are warriors for God's kingdom and be are to be prepared for the battle. "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:13).

There is a second aspect to this prayer. We are not only to avoid being lead into temptation we are also told to pray for deliverance. "Deliver us from the evil one" is the given prayer. There are times when we need to be rescued for the evil one, or from evil, as some translate this prayer. The meaning of the Greek word for evil is pretty broad.  It is translated as labors, annoyances, hardships, peril, pain, and trouble. If we are honest the "evil one" is adept at ruining our day with hardships and damaging friendship through annoyances. His attacks are often subtle and deceitful. How much damage has come to your attitude from some "idiot" driver who cut you off? We need to be aware of our need to have our Deliverer present with us all the time. Well, He actually is. We are the ones who are unaware. Perhaps praying for sensitivity to our Deliverer's presence could help blunt the evil one's attack and keep us on the path of righteousness while avoiding that other path.

What Now? If we are to move forward and to advance God's kingdom we have no option but to cling to our Heavenly Father. Temptation and the assault of Satan and his minions will never cease until the Lord returns and His kingdom comes in all its fullness. We must pray to avoid the siren call to the shadows of death and be all the more aware of the presence of our Deliverer. Each day is a new opportunity to live out the Spirit's fruit and walk in step with our Lord and Commander. And each day is a battle to be fought and, by His power, won. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). Tomorrow is yet another day to answer the "What now?" question. Perhaps the real question concerning moving forward is, "Are we prepared?"

What Now? Humble Trust

 Wouldn't it be nice if God just did what we asked on our time schedule? We ask for good things and it often seems to take an extraordinary amount of time before anything happens. There are those moments when the Lord seems to answer even before we ask. However, it is not unusual for us to sit in  that heavenly waiting room to receive some response from the Almighty. As we have noted, 2020 has been a difficult year for many people and God's people are not exempt. For some, the turmoil from the American election goes on unabated. In addressing these things there are still things we can do. Advancing God's kingdom does not stop due to a virus or the outcome of an election. With that in mind we have been looking to the familiar verses of Matthew 6:9-13, what is commonly known as, "The Lord's Prayer".

First, we are called to keep going forward, knowing that our heavenly Father is with us. By His holy name we can find comfort and purpose. Second, we were reminded to advance His kingdom. We can do so in a variety of ways, one being the opportunity and responsibility to live out the nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. The world needs to see the children of God putting, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, on display. The Lord's encouraging words go on to instruct us to pray for God to give us our daily bread and to be those whose lives are marked by forgiveness. They are examples of holding a humble trust for the God and Father Who loves us.

For some of us praying for, "Our daily bread", might seem a bit of a waste of time. After all many of us live beyond abundance. Finding daily bread might seem easier that trying to curb the intake of bread to help reduce our waste-lines. The phrase would be more meaningful if we were Jewish folk following Messiah Jesus around the highways and byways of Judea. Daily bread was an absolute necessity for the Hebrews during forty years of wilderness wanderings. Manna was the daily bread that came down from heaven to allow the children of Israel to survive. Without God's daily provision the people would have perished. It was a powerful reminder that they were fully dependent upon the Lord for their survival. If you have food in the cupboard such dependence and trust might seem unnecessary. We live in the illusion of self sufficiency. It is humbling to recognize our dependence upon God. Jesus is our bread from heaven. We need Him daily, moment by moment, if we are to survive in this fallen world. John 6:35 explains, "And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." We need to be humble, trusting, dependent, people if we are to advance His kingdom and move forward in the days to come.

Humility is one of those difficult things to foster and integrate into our lives. We prefer to be independent and self sufficient. This trait may become glaringly obvious when someone offends us. We say things like, "I don't get mad, I get even" or "I can forgive but I will never forget". We hang onto offenses and irritations like they were precious metals. Morbid jewels infesting our lives or closeted away in lock boxed memories. The guardian of pride protects the hurt and eventually sucks the very life from our bones. The Lord knows the danger. Thus, He instructs us to forgive those who have trespassed or become indebted to our wounded spirits. It takes a humble person to forgive. It is often much easier to proudly hold onto the trespass or emotional debt we maintain in their account. It is wise to remember this warning from James, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). If we are to ask our Heavenly Father's forgiveness we must forgive others as well. We cannot move forward anchored to past hurts and preserved transgressions.

The New Year is approaching. Many are praying this would be a year of revival and the outpouring of God's Spirit in new and refreshing ways. To see God's will done here on earth as it is in heaven. If we are to be a part of that revival or to have the power of prayer with us, we need to be those who live with humble trust. To come to the Lord fresh every morning asking to to nourished by the very Bread of Heaven Who rescues our souls. We must be those quick to forgive and slow to take offense. To follow Paul's directions to the Ephesians in 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." 

There are yet a few more  forward thoughts here in Matthew 6, but this is enough to think about for this week. What now? Maybe we need a little more of that humble trust and forgiving spirit if we are to advance God's kingdom in the days to come. 

What Now? The Kingdom

Has life improved over the last week? Has a little less stress and a little more confidence in the future become your reality? Probably not. They speak of a new surge in the Covid19 pandemic. New government restrictions and a limited Christmas celebration. It is all for our good, so they say. The cacophony of voices can drown out that still small voice of, "Peace on earth, good will toward men." In my last post I spoke of assurance we can find in a common prayer that many of us have memorized. It is recorded for us in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. A reminder that God is our heavenly Father. He has a perspective that we can lean on and a love we can trust. Our heavenly Father is not unaware of our situation. We are welcome to call Him, Abba, and rest in His arms of comfort and protection. In the times and situations we find ourselves in we may adopt a, sort of, bunker mentality. "Keep your distance and just let me hide away until it is all over." However, that attitude may well be self defeating when it comes to God's answer to the "What Now?" question. God's prayer not only gives us comfort it also gives us purpose.

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done", is the request we are to make of the Lord God Almighty. It is a thought provoking phrase. If I do not pray will that prohibit the coming of His kingdom? And what of God's will? In the long run can we ever escape His will? I mean, isn't God going to do what He desires to do? As sovereign Lord doesn't He have this all worked out in advance? If I sequester myself in my basement would it make any difference? That odd tension between God's will and my responsibility never seems to go away. Paul's question to the Romans's in 10:14 comes into play when we think of hiding in our attics. "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" We are the answer to the "how." Praying, like faith, takes action if it is going to be effective. James uses a bit of an edge as he directs those scattered to have a faith that works. James 2:16, "One of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what good is it?" If you are praying for God's Kingdom to come you need to be doing things to advance His kingdom now, day by day. Covid or not, government edicts or not, we are to be actively advancing His kingdom. We still have a purpose. We still have responsibilities.

To accomplish this we simply have to do God's will. That, in and of itself, could fill a significant number of posts. Knowing and doing God's will has been a means of selling a plethora of books while leaving many a weary believer feeling inept or discouraged. Jesus asks us to pray that God's will would be done, "on earth as it is in heaven." That is supposed to be helpful. However, I have yet to visit heaven or have viewed a valid documentary on exactly how heaven works. I do imagine it runs smoother and more in tune with God's will than our current situation here on earth. Fortunately the Lord has given us a book on establishing His kingdom readily available to most of us. We need to be well versed in His Word if we are to know His will. Let me just give a few hints that may be helpful. We should be those who live by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is a bit easier to know. The Apostle Paul was directed to give the Galatians a list of nine aspects of the Spirit's fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Each day, even each moment, allows us to put this fruit on display. Our responsibility is to incorporate these various aspects of Spiritual fruit into our lives. It is fairly easy to imagine that being in glory would reflect these attitudes so we can both, do God's will, and advance His kingdom, as we live out Spiritual fruit.

Society is fragmented and hatred has spread like a cancer infecting millions. Sacrificial Godly love is the cure. We are surrounded by anxiety and fear so showing joy and peace would be a kingdom response. How about those lines with angry people joining in the odd contest of toilet paper hording? Could a bit of patience and self control put God's kingdom on display? Our communities could obviously use some gentleness and kindness. That just leaves the opportunity to weave a bit of faithfulness and goodness into our interaction with the local representatives of humanity. With that we are on our way to doing God's will and helping to get a little of His heavenly kingdom into our earthly realm. Could that be doable? We could even start tomorrow with minimal training. We simply need to make the choice to produce spiritual fruit instead of the world's corruption. It is one simple step forward that does not require governmental approval or the "right" person in the White House. 

What now? How about coming confidently to our loving heavenly Father, trusting in His care. Then we might start praying for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done. We could go about advancing His kingdom a little each day. There are lots of ways to be obedient. If you need a place to begin, living out His Spiritual fruit might be a place to start. It certainly couldn't hurt.