Keep Open Every Possible Connection

When I was a young mom of just one child, I joined a "Mother's Group" at our local church in Connecticut where we were living at the time. One day the leader asked us to go around the circle and tell everyone how we came to be believers. One answer really stands out, from a young mom of just one child as well. She said that she had never not believed, since everyone in her immediate AND extended family were confessing evangelicals, without exception. Someone asked "Are you sure?" but she replied yes. All of us were amazed and praised God for His unusual working in this one family.  

I have never heard that same kind of testimony again. Every Christian I have ever met or become friends with seems to have their own stories of how one family member (or many) have strayed from the faith. And 'prodigals' are not always just young adults. There are parents, grandchildren, spouses, siblings, and even pastors within our family or faith circles that have, for various reasons, departed from the Lord and His Church. Oh to imagine the parable of the Prodigal Son realized for one of our loved ones!

I found an article recently about the prodigals in our lives written a couple of years ago by Russell Moore, an ethicist and preacher within the Southern Baptist Convention. The following excerpt is what caught my eye and compelled me to read further. His encouragement gives me great hope for all those that have wandered. Perhaps it will for all of you as well as you pray continually for your dear family members and friends who need to be brought back to the faith they once confessed. 

"When dealing with those wandering away from the faith, we must recognize that sometimes they’ll not start evaluating the deep questions of their lives until they find themselves in a situation where they don’t know what to do. We must be the sort of parents and grandparents and churches who have kept open every possible connection, so that our prodigals will know how to get back home, and know we’ll meet them at the road, already planning a homecoming party."

Please Click Here for the entirety of Russell Moore's essay. You won't be disappointed, and it might even bring you some joy as you consider God's mercy for so many of us former prodigals!

The Prayingest Prayer

As is often the case, I arose this morning determined to write on a specific topic, but what you will read below isn't it! Either I am led by the Holy Spirt OR I am just a very fickle person. 😆

I started to read a small book today entitled Pray Big: Learn to Pray Like an Apostle by Alistair Begg. So far I can testify that Chapter 1 was great. The focus is 'Prayer Is Dependent.'  SPOILER ALERT: Begg's main point is that we need to recognize our dependence upon God for ALL things:

"To pray is an admission and and an expression of dependence. A self-assured person is not going to pray prayers of petition; there's no need to pray if you think you have got it all covered. A self-righteous person is not going to pray prayers of confession; there's no need to pray if you think you're good enough to earn God's blessing. But the person who knows their heart before God - the person who knows the depth of their need of forgiveness and help from God - does what Paul does. They bow their knees (Ephesians 3:14)."

Begg then addresses the issue of praying on one's knees and concludes with this summary: 

"I'm not saying we must kneel. The posture of our hearts and not our bodies is the issue. Are we coming to God in dependence? Are we asking him to bless our work, to empower our service, to change our flaws, to forgive our sins? What matters is a dependent heart, not a particular posture, as one of my favorite poems makes hilariously clear:

"The proper way for a man to pray,"

Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,

"And the only proper attitude,

Is down upon his knees."

"No, I should say the way to pray,"

Said Reverend Doctor Wise,

"Is standing straight, with outstretched arms,

With rapt and upturned eyes."

"Oh no, no, no," said Elder Snow.

"Such posture is too proud;

A man should pray with eyes fast closed

And head contritely bowed."

"It seems to me one's hand should be

Astutely clasped in front,

With both thumbs pointed toward the ground,"

Said Reverend Doctor Blunt.

"Last year I fell in Hodgkin's well

Head first," said Cyrus Brown,

"With both my heels a-sticken up,

And my head a-pointing down;

And I done prayed right there and then

Best prayer I ever said,

The prayingest prayer I ever prayed,

Standing on my head."   (Sam Walter Foss)

Begg's final comment: "The "prayingest" prayer - real prayer - is a prayer of a dependent person to a divine Person."

Are You Wearing Your Ps39 (or Jms3) Mask?

Candy's thoughts: I believe that months ago I introduced you to our good friend Bob Bjerkaas who is a pastor in California. He writes a terrific blog and this week it was devoted to Ps. 39 and James 3 which is very relevant to our Women's Bible Study classes at EPC. I just love his imagery of a Scriptural masks and I hope that I will remember this lesson even when COVID-19 is just a distant memory. 

Bob's thoughts: Among the many things that we will never forget about the year 2020 is the ubiquitous mask.  Masks are everywhere.  They are in the car on the dashboard or center console.  They are on the end table, the kitchen counter, and the hutch in the dining room.  They are on my dresser.  They are in a pile on top of the clothes dryer.  They are everywhere.

And they are uncomfortable.  They make your glasses fog up.  The straps chafe behind your ears.  All of this is particularly unfortunate because they are required to be out and about in public.  Going shopping?  Don’t forget your mask – you won’t be allowed into the store without it!  Going out to dinner – bring your mask.  Going to church – masks required.  And should you be so unfortunate as to forget to put your mask on, prepare for our oh-so-polite culture’s stare downs and passive aggressive commentary!

But one thing that I appreciate about masks is the way they have reminded me to be careful what comes out of my mouth.  In Psalm 39:1, David says, “I will guard my ways, that I might not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle.”

Much like the purpose of our 2020 masks, the purpose of David’s muzzle was very simple – to keep bad stuff from leaving his mouth.

Think about how many times the things that you have said have either caused or contributed to some of your worst difficulties.  How often have your words caused others unnecessary stress and pain?  Your tongue is described in the Bible as either being a “tree of life” or a weapon.   You bless people with your tongue but you also use it to curse them.  (James 3:10).  You, dear friend, need to put a mask on!

For the foreseeable future, you and I will need to put masks on whenever we go out into public.  And we will get nasty looks when we forget!  Up until this year I never knew what an N95 mask was – or why they were so important to our medical professionals and health service providers.  Do you as a Christian know how important the PS39 mask is?  As you minister to the people around you by what you say, will you be sure to wear it?  Will you, like David in Psalm 39, guard your ways – avoiding sin with your tongue by wearing a muzzle?

I think that there has been a shortage of PS39 masks this year.  This is especially important in your homes.  Be careful and intentional in the way that you speak to your spouse and kids.  And carry that diligence into your workplace and neighborhood as well!  Just think of how the virus of hurtful and useless words could be reduced if we all wore the PS39 mask!

Treasures in Heaven

I would like to share with you parts of two letters that Samuel Rutherford (born around 1600) wrote to one of his parishioners on the occasion of the death of her infant daughter. I have sent these excerpts over the years to those grieving the death of a loved one, and the recipients have always been comforted by them, as I have over the years as well. 

As you read them, you can insert the actual name of someone you loved and lost. For ease of reading I have changed a few of the words to ones that are more familiar to modern-day readers. 

“You have lost a child: nay, she is not lost to you who is found to Christ. She is not sent away, but only sent before, like unto a star, which going out of our sight does not die and vanish, but shines in another hemisphere. You see her not, yet she does shine in another country.  If her hourglass was short, what she lacked of time she has gotten in eternity; and you have to rejoice that you have now a treasure up in heaven.”

And in another letter:

“Do you think her lost, when she is but sleeping in the bosom of the Almighty?  Think her not absent who is in such a friend’s house. Is she lost to you who is found in Christ?  If she were with a dear friend, although you should never see her again, your care for her would be but small. Oh, now, is she not with a dear Friend? And gone higher, upon a certain hope that you shall, in the Resurrection, see her again, when she shall neither be hectic nor consumed in body…  I do speak this fearing your weakness; for your daughter was a part of yourself; and therefore, nature in you, being as it were cut and halved, will indeed be grieved.  But you have to rejoice, that when a part of you is on earth, a great part of you is glorified in heaven.”

Laughter and the Lord

I'll admit it, I like to laugh. There is nothing quite like hearing an amusing story or pun or viewing a picture that is just plain funny. But I've always pondered how this relates to God. Surely He is the one who gives us the ability to chuckle... so does He laugh as well?

I think He does. The evidence is throughout the Bible - in both the Old and New Testaments. Consider many of the Proverbs, for example. What funny images are sprinkled throughout the 31 chapters of this Wisdom book:

"It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife." (Prov 21:9)

"The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth."  (Prov 19:24)

"As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed."  (Prov 26:14)

Of course there is a serious lesson to be learned within these passages, but God uses memorable images that make us laugh AND remember the folly behind each one.

Or take the story of Abraham and Sarah, for years longing for a baby. Long after the promise was made to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, no baby shower could be planned. The Scriptures then tell us that "Therefore, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore." God promised them a son, and a son they got, but not before the husband in question could eventually be described with the phrase "as good as dead" that always causes me to laugh.

And Sarah laughed too! While eavesdropping on the angels talking to Abraham she heard that within a year she would be holding a baby boy. When he was born, he was aptly named "Isaac" which means "He laughs/Will laugh."  

Here is one of my favorite songs by Michael Card that summarized this whole episode of "an impossible promise come true!" Listen Here.

Finally, as evidence that God appreciates and probably even laughed while creating some of His creatures, look at these pictures and admit that they made you smile, and maybe even laugh out loud, as I did!

What Does It Mean To Pray Without Ceasing?

The following excerpt is from a podcast recorded by John Piper 4 years ago. Here is the link if you wish to listen to the 11 minute audio recording.  

If you don't have time to listen, I've highlighted some important parts of his teaching:

John Piper:

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If that life sounds hard to you — “pray without ceasing” — then Paul gives a specific example of the kind of prayer in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. It is not just, “Help, Lord,” which, of course, we would pray all the time. I need help to live this way. But he goes on and says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Let’s keep in mind two things about that context. One is the everys and the alls: “Do good always to everyone.” “Rejoice always.” “Pray always [or without ceasing].” “Give thanks always [or in every circumstance].” The other contextual observation is that there seems to be a deepening to the question “How? How to live?”

Answer: Do good always to everyone, even when they don’t do good to you. How? Rejoice always. Find your joy in something other than the way you are treated. How? Pray without ceasing. How? Be in a continual disposition of thankfulness to God.

Three Meanings

So, in those contexts, what does “pray without ceasing” mean? I see at least three things here that it means.

1. Spirit of Dependence

First, it means that there is a spirit of dependence that should permeate all we do. This is the very spirit and essence of prayer: dependence. So, even when we are not speaking consciously to God, there is a deep, abiding dependence on him that is woven into the very essence of our faith.

In that sense, we are praying. We are experiencing a spirit of dependence continuously, and that kind of disposition is, I think, right at the heart of what God creates when he creates a Christian.

2. Repeated and Frequent

The second meaning that it has (and I think this is probably the one that is foremost in Paul’s conscious intention here) is that praying without ceasing means praying repeatedly and often. I base that on the way he used the word unceasing in Romans 1:9. Listen to how he uses the same word for without ceasing. He says, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you.”

Now, we can be sure that Paul did not make mention of the Romans in every minute or second of his prayers or his days or his preaching. He prayed and he spoke about lots of other things besides the Romans. But he mentioned them over and over. He mentioned them often. He mentioned them regularly. So he says, “I mentioned you without ceasing.”

It doesn’t mean that he was verbally and mentally always, every second, mentioning them. It means that over and over, always, repeatedly, without fail, when I get on my knees, you are in my prayer. That is basically what I think he means by “pray without ceasing” — repeatedly and often.

3. Staying Steadfast

The third thing I think he means is this: not giving up on prayer. “Without ceasing” means you should never come to a point in your life when you say, “Prayer doesn’t work. I am done. I am giving up on prayer.” That would be the very opposite of “without ceasing.” It means, “Don’t ever do that. Don’t ever get to that point.”

So, the key to rejoicing always is to pray continually — that is, to lean on God all the time and to call to him repeatedly and often. Never give up looking to him for help. Come to him repeatedly during the day, and come often. Make the default state of your mind a Godward longing and a Godward thankfulness.

Living Well In A World of Wickhams

Last week I introduced CandyceLand readers to a new book entitled A Jane Austen Devotional. (See image below.)  The premise behind this work is that through her writings and published prayers, we can see that Austen displayed characters and themes very much akin to her biblical worldview. Frequent topics include forgiveness, redemption, justice, mercy, and sacrificial love. Her main characters exhibit both the 'desires of the flesh' and the 'fruits of the spirit.'  The author of this devotional uses her own spiritual insights, but more importantly Scripture, to enable us to make good spiritual use of these novels.

Excerpt from Pride and Prejudice: "Mr. Gardiner did not write again till he had received an answer from Colonel Forster; and then he had nothing of a pleasant nature to send. It was not known that Wickham had a single relation with whom he kept up any connection, and it was certain that he had no near one living. His former acquaintances had been numerous; but since he had been in the militia, it did not appear that he was on terms of particular friendship with any of them. There was no one therefore who could be pointed out as likely to give any news of him. And in the wretched state of his own finances there was a very powerful motive for secrecy, in addition to his fear of discovery by Lydia's relations, for it had just transpired that he had left gaming debts behind him, to a very considerable amount. Colonel Forster believed that more than a thousand pounds would be necessary to clear his expenses at Brighton. He owed a good deal in the town, but his debts of honor were still more formidable. Mr. Gardiner did not attempt to conceal these particulars from the Longbourn family; Jane heard them with horror. 'A gamester?' she cried. 'This is wholly unexpected. I had not an idea of it.'"

Devotion written by Steffany Woolsey based on the above excerpt:  "The news that Wickham left town deeply in debt is sobering: in Jane Austen's day, any gentleman would not rack up debts and leave them unpaid. We have already seen evidence that Mr. Wickham is driven by the pursuit of money, in that he gambled away the fortune left to him by the elder Mr. Darcy, pursued young women like Miss King and Miss Darcy for their dowries, and now has run away with Lydia in an apparent effort to extort money from her family. Wherever he travels Wickham accrues debt, both emotional and monetary.

Interestingly, through his interaction with Wickham, Mr. Darcy is gradually revealed as a hero figure. He clears Wickham (and Lydia by extension) by paying off his outstanding credit and canceling the debt. Though Wickham may not appreciate the kindness, it does not go unnoticed by Elizabeth.

We criticize Wickham's selfishness, but how easily you and I forget our own debt. God in the beginning created us to love and honor Him; every time we sin, we rack up spiritual debt. Thankfully, we have a Redeemer who willingly acted as mediator and paid the ransom. This is what Jesus was referring to when He prayed, 'Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:12). Through His sinless life and substitutionary death, Jesus cleared our names and freed us to live new lives, resulting in an eternal inheritance!

Think how much you have been forgiven, the sacrifice made on your behalf. And the next time you start to hold a grudge or add up how much someone owes you, remember that the price for your life - now an eternal - has been paid; you are gloriously free to extend grace to others.'"

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, 

and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45