Month: March 2011

Dr James Rosscup is a professor at Master’s Seminary.  One semester (true story) he had a student who depended on his wife to type his papers.  One evening the student called to ask for an extension on a paper due the next day.  His wife was in the hospital and he hoped Dr. Rosscup would relax the standards and allow him to be late this one time.  But the standards were set and Dr. Rosscup would not accept the paper if it was late.  “Where do you live?” he asked.  A short time later, he arrived at the student’s home took his place at the keyboard and typed the paper for him. (Nancy Guthrie, The One Year Book of Hope)   What a beautiful picture of Christ’s work.  The standard (holiness) is unchangeable.  Unattainable for us, He comes to do it for us and in us.  When you pray today “Father forgive us” will you remember that the way He does so is to have the Savior type your paper?

In Matthew 17 (our verse for this week), Jesus says “this kind does not come out but by prayer and FASTING”.  If prayer is grasping the invisible world, fasting is letting go of the material one.  “In nothing are we more clearly connected with the world of the senses than in our need for food and our enjoyment of it.” (Andrew Murray)  It is only in the life of moderation, temperance and self-denial that we discover time or strength for all that prayer can mean.  This is NOT legalism.  I know that some versions do not include this verse in the Bible.  However, the long testimony of our Lord is that He was willing to give up anything, do without anything (time, food, approval of others etc) in the pursuit of a vibrant and powerful relationship with His Father.  As we grow in Him, may we learn the same willingness.  I will see you in a few hours as we worship the One from whom we learned the power and practise of prayer.

We are talking this week about faith and prayer, how prayer strengthens faith, how faith strengthens prayer.  Partners.  Remember, our faith is in God not it prayer itself. So, when you pray are you aware of the Lord’s presence?  Do you feel HIM stretching your trust, requesting a release of your inborn reluctance and resistance?  All believers still have residual unresolved sin (the natural man).  It is not a bad sign when you feel the struggle as you pray.  Good sign actually.  The most common mistake is to look for “magic words” that can be said to gain God’s favor, without going through the difficult process of learning trust.  It is in listening to Him and loving Him that trust is developed.  What we get when we pray is a real conversation with God.  What we get from this conversation is more faith.  What we get from more faith is more power as we pray.  Personal note–later today we will gather in memory of our friend and brother, Dr. Chuck Musfeldt.  Your prayers for the family, for the bus driver and for all who knew this man of God will be appreciated.  My love to you.

This week we are thinking about belief as an essential ingredient in powerful prayer.  In Matthew 17:19-21 Jesus tells the disciples that their spiritual failure is due to unbelief.  Even with a small amount (mustard seed size),  nothing is impossible.  “This kind comes out only by prayer”, the Lord says.  Prayer and faith are partners.  When we pray, our fellowship with Him increases our trust.  When we trust, our prayers receive God’s attention and power.  Faith needs the life of prayer to grow strong.  Prayer needs the presence of faith to serve with strength.  We do not fail because the power is unavailable.  Even with stubborn problems and mountain size difficulties, we fail because we do not pray or we do not believe when we do.

“They suppose they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7)  Danger!  Just saying the Lord’s prayer, even 365 times, will not automatically accomplish the will of God nor add power or peace to your life.  Without faith, we will not be  heard.  Meaningless is the word Jesus used to describe such activity. (see Matthew 6:7, full verse).  The “power” of prayer rises from the quality of your relationship with God.  The quality of your relationship with God rises from your faith!  This week, we are thinking about believing prayer.  As you pray this morning, ask yourself, “what do I BELIEVE the Lord will do as a result of this request?”.  What are my expectations? What are His expectations of me, and which direction would my prayers go if I surrendered to His influence?  NOTHING holy or helpful  comes from a prayer that does not connect your heart to God in honest and vulnerable trust!

Good morning!  We are thinking this year about prayer.  365 days–praying the Lord’s prayer, learning what He intended us to know.  One essential lesson is to include the ingredient of belief.  In Mark 11:23, the Lord says ” whoever says to this mountain, ‘be taken up and cast into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but BELIEVES that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him.”  Powerful promise!  Leads to a question. “What forces work against belief?”  First on the list is pride.  So long as I think I can manage on my own, I do so. Bad decision.  Belief in God begins when I stop believing in myself.  “If my people, who are called by my name, HUMBLE themselves and PRAY”.  How convinced are you that ONLY God can do what is needed in your life?  How ready are you to believe HIM?    As you pray today, remember that you are joining hundreds of others.  Let’s talk again tomorrow.

“Jesus, knowing that. . .He had come from God and was returning to God. . .began to wash the disciples feet.”  (John 13:3,5)  Sunday night, just minutes after helping with the Lord’s Supper (his first as a newly elected Deacon), Dr. Chuck Musfeldt, our friend and brother, was in an auto accident just one block from our church.  Despite some early positive indications, on Monday morning he died to us and woke in the presence of Christ.  Chuck was a true servant!  Blessed by God and daily grateful, he was a picture to all of us of the Christ life–certain of eternity and therefore willing to serve others.  We will miss him and we pray for the strength he knew to make us equally faithful.  Please pray for Linda and the girls and for the Lord to use this news as it spreads literally around the world to direct attention to Himself.  I can still hear Chuck pray, “Lord, you are sovereign”.  We are more certain of it than ever.

There will be no post today as Pastor Don is with the Musfeldt family. Please keep them in your prayers.

God Bless

Jesus answered, “Have faith in God! . .  anyone (who) does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.”  (Mark 11:22)  A major problem with most prayer is the absence of belief.  Words without faith have no power (words without understanding are equally ineffective).  Today at FBC we will discuss the command of Christ.  Believe in God!  Believe in Me! (John 14) One of the ways the Lord’s Prayer blesses the believer is by reintroducing us to God Himself.  Prayer, first, is a  renewed relationship with Him.  We call Him Father.  We imagine Heaven.  We stand under the influence of His Holy presence and Fatherly care.  As we trust Him, we come also to trust His promises.  In the truest sense, we do not believe in prayer, we believe in God.  More on this subject this week.  For now, when you pray do you have faith in God?

For the past several days we have been asking the question, “What was He thinking?”  We have imagined the pictures that Christ had in His mind as He prayed.  Consider, today,  “for thine is the kingdom, power and glory”.  These words speak confidence, don’t they?  Did the Lord have “memories” of Heaven and the throne room of God?  A confidence builder, for sure.   Whether He did or not, somehow, Jesus lived a life of RADICAL OPTIMISM!  He believed that all events, all relationships, all disappointments will eventually be “pulled back together” into a beautiful whole. Do we?  Before you finish this week, will you imagine the victory that He has promised?  Will you stand with Jesus and look forward into the future that He sees?  You will not be disappointed. You will not be disappointed.