The Everyday Prayer

Re: Verse reading–Luke 18:18-30 (Day Three)
“Who then can be saved?” This question is a good one as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go very far.  Despite its passive voice, it’s still concerned with the detection of some quality, some attribute of a person that would signal his acceptance by God.  The question looks for its answer among men.  But it won’t find the answer among men, for that is the realm of the impossible.  When we seek God, when we lay down our efforts to impress him, when we ask him to “forgive me, a sinner”, we’ve begun to turn our eyes to the realm where all things become possible.

Re: Verse reading–Luke 18:18-30 (day two)
The Sunday before Christmas we looked at Luke 12 and the parable of the Rich Fool who also decided to put treasure on things he could possess and hoard.  Didn’t end well that time either.  Pastor Don very shrewdly also included Luke’s version of the birth of the Christ-child.  As Mary, surely still weary from a long journey and a delivery, saw the events unfold around her she made a choice; she treasured.  The visit from the angel, the star, the shepherds, and the wise-men all came to adore this child.  Her response was simple, she put her joy in her heart and to the Lord.  No excuses for the condition of the barn or an apology to the Kings for the meekness of their clothes.  She treasured this where it would be eternally valuable.

Re: Verse reading–Luke 18:18-30 (day one) 
Strange math, don’t you think?  The rich, young ruler (RYR) comes to Jesus.  Sincerely interested.  Has much.  Obviously wealthy. Considerate. Conscientious.  Nevertheless,  he is still hungry for eternal life.  Jesus says, “You still lack one thing, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.”  (v 22)  Notice the verbs?  Sell! Give! Come! Follow! FOUR things which are actually only ONE thing.  “And you shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind, and all your strength.”  It is the last ounce of courage or energy that often means a medal or a victory for an athlete.  Much will not be enough.  All!  Why would God be any different?  Not perfection, but certainly full surrender is what God requires. Like the RYR, most of us just lack one thing.

RE Verse reading–Luke 18:9-17 (day seven)  “Whoever humbles himself as this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 18:4)  Our RE Verse reading this week is familiar.  Jesus defending the children.  Allowing them access.  Permanently elevating their value in the church.  The primary truth, however, is not about children.  The Lord’s main focus was on adults, teaching them (us) humility.  How do children illustrate the absence of pride?  Soft hearts.  Easily moldable characters.  Could we get back to this place with God?  Jesus believed that pride is the problem and humility is the solution. In a few hours we will meet together for worship.  I have  great expectation that the Lord will use this passage to teach us “the path of life”.  “This is the one to whom I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit and who trembles at my word.”  (Isaiah 66:2)  Praying for childlike hearts and the blessing that comes with it.

RE Verse reading–Luke 18:9-17 (day six)  “Will not God bring about JUSTICE for His elect who cry to Him day and night?” (Luke 18:8)  “I tell you, this man went to his house JUSTIFIED rather than the other.”  (Luke 18:14)  The Bible is filled with people who pray when in trouble.  When life is unfair.  When justice doesn’t come.  “I waited patiently for the Lord. . .He heard my cry and brought me out of the pit of destruction.”  (Psalm 40:1)  Valid use of prayer. ( See Luke 18 — story of the determined widow)  Our reading this week is a second story.  Deeper story,  I think.  Subject still prayer.   Rather than ask that for JUSTICE ( for his circumstances to be made right) the tax-collector seeks to be JUSTIFIED (made right with God).  It is a rare prayer.  Harder.  Different focus.   Most of us blame life and others for our misery or ineffectiveness. This man knew.  What needed to be put right was his own heart.   

Re: Verse reading – Luke 18:9-17 (day four)
If you drive a car, you know about blind spots.  They are those areas around your vehicle that you cannot see with your mirrors or by turning your head around.  Your blind spots are visible to everyone else with a different perspective, but as the driver, they are invisible to you.  We all have spiritual blind spots as well.  Attitudes or character flaws that those around us can clearly see…but we are oblivious to them.  In this parable, Jesus explains the danger of a spiritual blind spot.  This Pharisee took pride in his own righteousness…he trusted in his own ‘good works’.  What was obvious to everyone else was the tragic failure of his not trusting in Christ.  Often times, we think we can do it on our own.  We don’t believe we need Christ, or worse, we never even consider Him.  The tragedy is that our false righteousness will not bring true justification.  Ask God to give you His perspective…ask Him to show you your blind spots.  The result of your humility will be genuine forgiveness and true justification.

Re: Verse reading–Luke 18:9-17 (Day Three) 
“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled.”  Why is this so?  Does God do this in order to teach self-exalters a lesson?  Yes, but not if by “teach them a lesson” we mean “give them their comeuppance”.  The essence of these words is more about how God rules this universe and less about anticipating the fate of the proud.  When we look forward to the haughty getting theirs, aren’t we exalting ourselves over them?  Let us proceed with great care.

Re: Verse reading – Luke 18:9-17 (day two)
What a blessing it is to watch and help cultivate the formation of my two daughters.  One of the things that struck me when I became a father was the absolute devotion my girls show to us.  As children, especially my toddler, they know nothing of fear, hate, pain, disappointment.  They know trust, love, and joy.  When I look into the eyes of my baby, you can clearly see what Jesus was talking about in Luke 18.  Her eyes are clear, bright, and undiminished.  They carry none of the pain that colors all who try to live apart from His perfect will.  Those eyes are to me a reminder of how far my faith still has to grow, but what an excellent reminder.

Re: Verse reading – Luke 18:9-17 (day one) 
Our scripture this week is about prayer and preschoolers.  Luke puts these two stories together.  Same lesson.  God’s help moves toward humility.  Ego= problem.  To be a sinner and know it (and be humbled by the failure) is actually a better position than to be a respectable person trapped in pride.  The story of the children illustrates the same truth.  No one in ancient society had less standing than a child.  No disqualification, this native, intuitive humility gave a child special advantage in the eyes of Christ.  Maybe coincidence.  Maybe not.  This weekend our search team will recommend a candidate to become FBC’s Minister to Preschool and Children. Welcome Jimmy Gunn!  (and Ashley and Ezekiel)  A huge step forward in the “Next Gen” strategy approved last spring.  My prayer?   As we think seriously about what/how we will teach children, we also think about what they can teach us.  If my people will humble themselves. . .

Re: Verse reading – Luke 14:25-35 (day seven) 
The confusion is deep.  Inside me.  A twisted motive to love God in pursuit of self.  To make Him a “means to an end”.  Better family, life, eternity.  The end game, however, is still ME.  Jesus didn’t think this way.  He warned against it.  “Which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the COST?”  (v 28)  Early on the true follower of Christ must have an honest conversation with himself.  Is this about God or me?  Is God worthy of my love even when His path costs me the things I hoped for?  Must I truly hate (comparative word) all other things in order to give him the exclusive love He deserves?  “Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” (Philippians 3:7)  NOT a means to an end, God is a brand new reason for living!