Now everyone knows that a fighter, or any athlete for that matter, has to train. You don't just walk into the ring to face some mauler after sitting in the La-Z-boy eating Cheetos and Oreos for three years. You have to be ready to fight or you're going to get your butt handed to you on a paper plate.

Fortunately we have a great Trainer. He makes sure we are in shape for whatever we encounter by allowing us to work our faith muscles and do some sparring on a regular basis. Few of us consider this workout what we would call "fun". It usually involves some degree of unpleasantness, lots of roadwork, some heavy lifting, and several laps around the obstacle course. He lets us fight some lightweights at the bottom of the card, opponents He knows won't actually slaughter us, but may beat us up pretty good. This is to toughen us up for the heavyweight bout. By this time, hopefully, we are used to getting knocked down, but have developed the stamina to get back on our feet and duke it out (Micah 7:8). And win. That, of course, is the whole point. Winning is everything (Philippians 3:14).

We need to remember that we are (pun alert) "professional" athletes . We have an audience. Our victories, as well as defeats, are watched by a capacity crowd (Hebrews 12:1). There are thousands cheering us on, though we may not hear them. There are others watching that are betting everything they have against us. And there are still others that are rooting for us, but don't think we'll go 12 rounds. We need to show them that we can.

Paul tells us to fight the good fight of faith. He makes no mention of losing the fight. At the same time, he doesn't sugarcoat it. It's a fight, but a fight he believes we can win. He admonishes us to lay hold on eternal life, to put a full nelson on our salvation and not let go no matter what. He knows we can do this, we were called to it and our confession, our profession of faith, assures it. But we have to train. We have to be in shape. We could all do more weightlifting. Let's start with the biceps. Pick up your Bible several times a day. Yes, read it, too.

The Bottom Line
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So you'll never have to say, "I coulda been a contendah."

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Now here comes the part that can be a bit tricky. For everyone to be in agreement, of one accord, they have to believe the same thing. They must know the Word, so that they know beyond a doubt that they are praying according to God's sovereign will. And they must believe that what they are doing will actually work. 

Now I want to cut short this week's message for you to do something. I want you to apply this truth we have studied in the very real world. I have never asked my readers to do this before, but I'm going to today. I want you to pray right now for my young nephew, Francis. He has once again had trouble with a shunt installed in his skull as the result of a brain tumor operation he had when he was a little boy. While he is out of danger at this moment, I do not believe that he should require one more of these intrusive and risky brain operations. He has already had several. He is a faith-filled young man, newly baptized. He is talented, intelligent and considerate. In short, a great kid. His mother, my sister, is a born-again child of God. God's will for ALL His children is health, peace and happiness. They should not have to relive this ever again. We are going to believe for that right now for Francis.

We have just read, "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or more are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." I know right now that more than two are reading this. There are thousands. Though we are not together in body, we are gathered together at this spot in cyberspace and in spirit. I want you to come into agreement with me now to send healing, peace and freedom from fear to my nephew, Francis. Your prayers, from all over this earth, from Germany to Africa to Texas, are going to make a difference. They are going to rise up to God in agreement as one clear, beautiful song. Pray this with me now:

Father God, right now we thank you for hearing us. We thank you for Your Son's presence in our midst and for His promise that when we agree on anything, it will be done by You for us. You are not a man that You should lie. Your word does not return to You void. Right now we lift up Francis, Your precious child, and ask for complete healing, the healing Your Son provided for him, and all of us, by the stripes on His back. We ask You to fill him so full of faith that fear has no place. We ask for all anxiety to disappear and for peace to wash over him like a gentle wave. Lord we thank You for this now and claim Francis' healing in that mighty name, that name to which everything must bow, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.

No doubt as you prayed you were aware that you had joined in a beautiful symphony of prayer. Regardless of where you were, you felt the power of agreement, of being of one accord. I have no doubt that Francis will feel it even more. Thank you. You know, talking and studying about faith is great, but using it is a whole lot better.

The Bottom Line
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"Those united in purpose will be victorious."
Sun Tsu, The Art of War
Some things are just universally true.

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The reason why we are not to profane the name of the Lord, or take God's name in vain, goes to the root of what we believe: God and His name are one, His name being inseparable from His character, who He is. He is His name. His name is not just a name like Bob or Frank. His name is not a simple appellation. It is a word of power, the most powerful name there is. It is not to be lightly regarded.

But our verse from Proverbs shows us that there is more responsibility resting on us than the simple avoidance of misspeaking His holy name. I would even go so far as to say it may be more critical than a simple human verbal slipup. That is the fact that how we conduct ourselves reflects on God's name and who He is in a decidedly positive or negative manner because we bear His name. The word Christian is not the name of a religion, but describes who we belong to, who we're related to, and who we are. Remember that as God is inseparable from His name, we are inseparable from Him.

The writer of today's verse, Agur (that's about all we know about him, his name) made the connection of taking God's name in vain, or profaning it, with stealing. Of course this would apply to any illicit or amoral act, not just thievery. Why? Because other people, nonbelievers, see these acts and because we are supposed to be God's children, they end up with a bad impression of our Father (just like a spoiled kid acting up in a crowded grocery store is an embarrassment to his human parents).

Paul expressed this same concept and concern in his letter to the Romans: For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you (Romans 2: 24). He was actually referring to a verse in Ezekiel, which says, "Thus says the Lord God: I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went" (Ezekiel 36: 22). What Paul is addressing here is the fact that while these religious leaders were preaching one thing, following the law, they were breaking it every chance they got. This was reflecting badly on God. It was in effect taking His name in vain and the nonbelievers that witnessed these acts couldn't imagine why they'd want to be associated with such a God.

This is a good thought to consider as our nation moves daily into a more warlike posture and as the rhetoric and hate-speech reaches a furious boil. How we conduct ourselves as a nation of supposed Christians will be seen by not just the entire world of Islam (who desperately need the Gospel, by the way), but the entire world of Hindus, Buddhists, Bahais, Sihks and Jews (who also need it). I am not talking about pacifism by any means, but responding justly. Can a war be moral? Christian? Yes. Justice must be done, evil rooted out. But we have moved beyond Old Testament vengeance (though there is no lack of those who continue to espouse such), wherein every living thing was wiped out: men, women, children and household pets. Today we try to do no more than necessary, and spare the innocent whenever possible. We already are making efforts to help those displaced. We have the opportunity to not only show what we're made of, but what we believe and why that belief is superior to all others.

Today I watched an amazing documentary on the History Channel about the Bridge on the River Kwai. Not only did I come to the sobering realization that the great movie by David Lean was at best pure fantasy, but I was stunned by the brutality of the Japanese towards the over 100,000 prisoners of war in their care. They had no respect for these American, Australian and British soldiers (or the regional peasants). They tortured and killed with no remorse, laughing as they committed these unspeakable atrocities on sick and starving men. The Westerners were less than human in their eyes, worthy of no respect, or even food, for that matter. Their cruelty towards these men was beyond inhuman and completely impossible for me to understand. War could not excuse it. I have no frame of reference for it at all. Christians, real Christians, could not do these things. That gives me hope.

The Bottom Line
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Parents are judged by their children. Fair, no. Reality, yes.

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I am not for a moment trying to say there are no real threats or that there is no possible danger, or that you should stick your head in the sand. We need to be aware, more than we have been as a people, as to what is going on around us, here and in the rest of the world. We need to support our President. We need to make certain changes for the sake of safety and make wise military and intelligence decisions (not based on fear, rumor or bigotry, but on fact). We need to see that those who hurt us are brought to justice and those who desire to hurt us are thwarted. But we don't need to be afraid. We don't need to sit glued to our TV screens, fearfully listening to every rumor, every opinion, every guess. Let's deal with reality, not cringe in fear as we contemplate every hypothetical horror that could possibly ever happen. This is how the media makes its money: spreading bad news (now there's a revelation). I've got some good news for you: you don't have to be afraid.

Today's verse is from our good buddy, David. It was written as he ran around the country hiding from his renegade son, Absalom, who was doing his darnedest to kill him. David had good reason to be afraid. His son had a huge force with him and was not fooling around. But in spite of the very real, very deadly threat to his life, David could still say, "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around." David made a choice not to fear. This faith paid off. We know of course that David triumphed and that Absalom was killed when he got his hair caught in a tree branch and became sort of an early Hebrew piñata. 

All well and good you say, but almost 6,000 people died in the recent attacks, some of them surely Christians. Why shouldn't I be afraid?

Well, first of all, you shouldn't be afraid because it does absolutely no good and only serves to undermine your faith. Christ Himself commanded us not to fear or worry. That should be reason enough. Fear saved nobody in those towers or in the planes. But you're right, there probably were some born-again Christians that died in the attacks. If so, they are with Christ, and pitying us most likely. We are not promised that we will never die, or even have an easy death. Good people die all the time and when I have the answer to this mystery I will write a book, go on Oprah and retire. In the meantime we are instructed to live by faith, not fear.

But here's something you may not have considered. The tragedy could have been much, much worse. There could have easily been ten times as many dead. Many escaped. And we don't know how many Christians were late to work because of flat tires, dead batteries, alarm clocks that failed to go off, sick children or any number of those little everyday annoyances that test our patience. I have no doubt that God intervened to save thousands of lives. Why He didn't save all is a question you must address to Him personally. I like to believe that I would have been one of those that overslept, but I could have been on the 95th floor just as easily. If so, I would probably be almost finished listening to a critique of these weekly writings. But I would be happier than I have ever been and would also have the wonderful opportunity of asking our old buddy, David, "So, you weren't even a little bit afraid?"

The Bottom Line
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It's human to fear. It's also human to sin. Avoid both.

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I think this all comes down to the individual and the society. As an individual, I can make the choice not to prosecute someone who harms me. I can forgive, turn the other cheek. But as a member of a society, I have to insist that law is respected for the good of others and the safety of the society. Christ never suggested we abandon law. It is there for a reason. And when you think about it, Christ Himself chose to give up His personal choice for the sake of the much larger society.

So how should Christians be viewing our present situation? Through the filter of the Word, as always. Nothing, even worldwide war, can make the word of God obsolete. It is changeless. Therefore, we should still present ourselves to the world as Christians. That means we don't look for vengeance, but for justice. We seek to punish the guilty, not the innocent along with them. In short, it means you don't say things like, "Kill 'em all, and let Allah sort 'em out." That is the very sentiment of the people who committed these heinous acts. It cannot be ours, too. We are not called to be the drumbeaters and pep squad for hatred or bigotry or indiscriminate genocide. If you think that is your role, please don't call yourself a Christian in public. We have enough problems.

It is also not the time to persecute innocent people in this country, whether they be immigrants from the Middle East, people born here of Middle Eastern descent (many of whom are Christians), or Americans whose lifestyles and politics we disagree with. This is not becoming and does not glorify God even a little bit. And if certain smug TV evangelists can't do anything but stir up hatred and bigotry they should find a mouth-sized cork and place it where it will do the most good.

In spite of our duty to see justice carried out and law upheld, we are still peacemakers. We are never called on to abandon this mission. Of all the people described in the Sermon on the Mount, or the Beatitudes, from which this verse is taken, the peacemakers are the most honored by Christ: He calls them sons of God. That cannot be wrong. So we must always pursue peace. That doesn't mean we don't fight back when our country or even our family is in peril, but it means that this is always to be our ultimate goal: to make peace.

The United States has been at war before. Our first was against England, of course, and it was bitter. President Bush called England our "closest friend" a few nights ago. The North and South fought brother against brother with unimaginable casualties and yet we no longer have a divided nation. Japan, Germany and Italy also were our deadly enemies. Millions died. We fought in Korea and Vietnam, losing thousands more. We are at peace with them all. Even Russia, with whom we waged a cold and frightening "war" for years, is not seen as the deadly foe it once was. In fact, all these countries now, in the face of our recent tragedy, express their support for us. There is much to be said for peacemaking. But peacemaking is not appeasement and peacekeeping is still a necessity.

We now have deadly foes in the Middle East, a land most Americans know little or nothing about. This has worked to our definite disadvantage. Sadly, a common mantra among Christians is that peace there is impossible. They quote the Bible to (supposedly) prove this. I think this is an evil, bigoted and unbiblical cop out. We are to be peacemakers, and the birthplace of the gospel of Christ is not excluded from this mandate, even if we don't realistically expect a final, everlasting peace (There will be no real, lasting peace anywhere on earth until Christ returns. That hasn't stopped us anywhere else. Northern Ireland comes to mind). Nor are the surrounding countries, however unfriendly they may be. We do not get to choose where we think peace is acceptable. It is not our job. We should demonstrate that we own the moral and spiritual high ground. We have not done a good job of this because of our prejudices. Our faith, the Good News, should shine like a beacon to the poor and oppressed people of this region. I'll leave it to you to decide whether that has been a priority of the church.

At present, justice must be meted out. It must be swift, sure and accurate. We must act to stop the terrorists, not just for those who died, not just for America, but for the whole world and for the future. But in years to come it is to be hoped that peacemaking becomes a priority in this region, that it is not considered hopeless, politically incorrect or against our vital interests. I pray that our leaders will address the injustices that have gone on far too long throughout the region, that we have aided and abetted in country after country, to our lasting regret. Right now, we prepare for war so we can have peace. It is to be hoped that we can learn to prepare for peace, so that war is unnecessary.

The Bottom Line
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Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

Let's remember that we are members of the same royal family.

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The families of those who have died in this horror need our continuous prayers, as do those who now work to rescue the living and recover the dead. They are going through a nightmare from which there is no waking beyond most of our abilities to even imagine. Long after a memorial rises on the spot of this tragedy they will still bear the scars they are now receiving. Pray for their healing and for them to know peace and comfort and for the nightmare to end.

Pray for those in this country, our neighbors, co-workers and friends who by no choice of their own were born of a race now suspect. Let's not allow fear to rule our behavior towards those who are innocent, either here or abroad. Bigotry and racism is the ugliest symptom of fear. There is no good in that course and it only perpetuates the evil we now seek to arrest. Let's rise above those who sought to destroy us as a people, a predominately Christian people, and show them why we are Christians, what it means to be one, and what they are missing. They do not realize this, yet, but the Church cannot be destroyed. The body of Christ cannot be killed. You, however, do know this. Our faith, our Lord and our God can and will defeat them. Don't be afraid. He is our Shield.

Pray for our soldiers, men and women who are now waiting to hear what life-changing, and possibly life-ending, challenge is about to take them far from home. Pray for their safety, a successful mission, and a soon return. Pray for those in command, that they would have Divine guidance, strike the guilty and spare the innocent wherever and whenever possible, and that God would go in front of them. He is our Banner.

We cannot be afraid. To be afraid is to lose. We must be prudent, strong and determined to rid the world of this evil. But we cannot do it alone. Now more than ever we must rely on our God and not simply our own strength in arms, however great that strength may be.

We must remember, as time goes on, that though we have been victimized, we are not victims. Though we have suffered terrorism, we will not be terrified. Though we have experienced destruction, we are not destroyed. And though there has been and will be death, death is not final. Death has been defeated. It cannot hold us. Though we don't seek it, or rush towards it, we shouldn't fear it. For us it holds a promise.

We have been very rudely awakened. We are now painfully aware that we have been asleep on our watch. But the God who watches over us never slumbers or sleeps. Our enemies have not only awakened a sleeping giant, they have aroused the sleeping giant's God. His anger is turned towards them. Soon His fury will fall on them with a force and rage they cannot imagine. They don't realize how dire their situation and hopeless their cause is. We will choose not to fear. They should be very afraid.

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You shall not be afraid. That's not a suggestion, it's an order.

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The first thing to note is that these religious leaders He is dealing with do not need another sign. He has proven Himself again and again with countless miracles they have personally witnessed. They know He is the Christ, the Messiah. That's the whole problem. There will be one last sign that Jesus rightly predicts they will also reject: His resurrection.

The next thing I notice is that Jesus is not attempting to hide the fact that He is superior to all who came before Him. He is a greater prophet than Jonah (in fact, the greatest prophet that ever lived) and He is wiser than Solomon, the son of David. He is telling these men that standing in front of them, talking to them, is the One they have waited for for hundreds of years and He is greater than any of their ancestors, prophets and heroes.

At the same time, Jesus not too subtly insults them and makes a prophecy at the same time. These men of Nineveh and this queen of the South (the Queen of Sheba) who will participate in the judgment against them are all Gentiles. The Ninevites were pagans, Assyrians, and deadly enemies of Israel. Jonah himself rebelled at the idea that he was being commanded to save them from their own impending destruction and his insolence cost him three days in a fish stomach. But the Ninevites, pagans though they were, listened to the prophet Jonah and repented. They will judge these faithless men. The Queen of Sheba, pagan and Gentile though she was, traveled miles and miles across hostile deserts to seek wisdom. Her incredible wealth and power were not enough for her. She risked everything, her life included, to gain wisdom. She got it. Her voice will be added to the chorus condemning these blasphemers for their rejection of God's gift to them, His Son.

This is a frequent insult, and warning, Jesus uses, as can be seen throughout the gospels, wherein He rubs the Pharisees collective noses in the fact that Gentiles, like the "good' Samaritan, and the little widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian army commander, and others, like the Centurian and the Samaritan woman at the well are recipients of God's help and blessings when His own people turn their backs on Him. But there's more to it. Jesus is prophesying the gospel becoming the property of the Gentiles, as it would be shortly after His death, resurrection and ascension. 

Yet these Pharisees were at least getting one more chance. Here, right in front of them, was the greatest prophet, the wisest man that had ever lived or ever will live. In His hand He held out to them eternal life, salvation, as only the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ could offer. All they had to do was abandon their pride, like the Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba, or simply believe, like the Roman Centurian or the Samaritan prostitute, and this blessing would be theirs. They wouldn't do it.

We need to guard ourselves against this "leaven of the Pharisees", this rejection of faith for ritual and legalism, the denial of the supernatural for man's logic and praise. We need to get our own pride out of the way so we can accept Jesus for who He is. We can't wait for signs. They've been given. They're all around us. God isn't going to send another Jonah. He sent One greater already. 

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Proclaim the Name.

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The beggar, thinking he's about to get a shekel or two, experiences a moment of disappointment when Peter says, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you." Well, that just eliminated the two things he was hoping for. But then Peter says, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."

Without waiting for a response, Peter grabs the man's hand and lifts him to his useless feet. Instantly the crippled bones are restored and strength spreads up the amazed man's legs. Leaping into the air, he half walks and half hops into the temple, praising God at the top of his lungs.

This does not go unnoticed by the other worshippers. They all know this guy. He is a fixture at the temple gate and has been hitting them all up for money for years. To say they were blown away would be an understatement. But here he is, this man they all know to be crippled from birth, standing, walking, leaping and shouting praises to God as he holds on to Peter and John, unwilling to let go of them. 

The lesson of this miracle is not the healing, but the way in which Peter exercises his authority as a Christian: he uses the full name and title of Jesus. This is not a rule, nor is it a magic formula. It is not intended to be a ritual or a new law to confine us. It is simply wisdom.

Part of the reason for Peter doing this was no doubt the fact that Jesus (Joshua or Yeshua) was about as common a name among the Jews of that day as Bob or Jim would be for us today. There were Jesuses everywhere (there still are today, some with phenomenal batting averages). He wanted those within earshot to know exactly which Jesus had given him the power and authority to restore this man's health. It was that particular Jesus from Nazareth, the carpenter's boy who lived among them and was executed. Many of them knew exactly who he was referring to. But Peter doesn't just identify which Jesus out of hundreds he is talking about. He reveals His deity. He calls Him the Messiah. Now they all know who he means. Many of those that didn't really believe this crucified rabbi was the Son of God, the Christ, before, now believe. They have seen His name heal. It proves who He is. And it shows, without a doubt, that He is still alive.

When we employ the full name and title of Jesus in confronting sickness or any other trouble, we add power to our prayer and our faith. Just speaking His full name and title strengthens us. We can feel it in our spirit. Just hearing it causes our enemy to tremble in fear, because he realizes we have been given "power of attorney" (as Nathaniel Van Cleave puts it), over him and all his work. We are delegates, deputized as it were, to act on behalf of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and carry out His continuing ministry. Our enemy sees not us, frail and sometimes uncertain, but the One who already defeated him, powerful, supremely confident and completely able to fulfill our words of faith. You can bet our mutual enemy knows His full name and title and he would rather hear anything else. Let's make him absolutely miserable.

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Proclaim the Name.

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Week of 8/26/01

The Gospel According to John is my favorite of the four gospel accounts. I think that's because John is so straightforward and determined to make his points, which he does concisely and irrefutably. He forgoes the lengthy genealogy and doesn't get caught up in maintaining a precise chronological order of events. He writes about someone who was his friend, someone he knew intimately. His concern is that we know Jesus in the same way.  When one reads John, it is difficult to come away with any feeling of ambiguity: there is none. One must struggle desperately to be confused by any of this text. And John has a good habit of repeating important information just in case we weren't paying attention the first time.

Today's verse is a good example of his style and determination to get through to his sometimes stubborn and doubting audience, many of which even today still aren't sure he really means what he is saying.

In today's verse we see Jesus once again preparing His disciples for His soon coming departure. You may also notice that no one has ever prophesied with greater accuracy. As usual, they don't quite understand what He's telling them. Jesus is of course aware of this but continues to patiently beat the idea into their thick heads. Then He begins to tell them about their future, and how prayer will make it happen:

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."

Notice how emphatic this is. See how the idea not only repeats, but grows? Now like the disciples, you may be thinking this is a bit of a tall order. They had been watching Jesus work for three years. They weren't even close to performing at His level, let alone surpassing Him. But Jesus obviously means what He says, and this is what He means: The first part, basically states, "If you believe in Me, do what I do." What were the works Jesus did? Read the gospel and do likewise. The second part, where He says even greater works will be done is not referring to degree or importance but to quantity. We are not going to outdo Jesus; we are going to do more of what He did than He ever had time to do. He had only a handful of followers spreading His message and doing the work of God while He was on earth. That would soon mushroom into thousands, then millions. For example, a TV ministry can reach millions of people at once. Millions can be saved in a single broadcast. This is a greater work, not a better work.

Next He tells us how this will be accomplished:

"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

Jesus is directly relating this to His previous statement about us doing even greater works. The means to accomplish this Herculean task is given to us through the limitless power of prayer. But here He adds an idea completely new to His followers: they are to ask in His name. He's going to be there to hear them, and us. This will even give greater glory to God, because it will be seen that these prayers were answered due to a relationship with His Son. No other name will do it. People will see the miraculous occur, hear the name of Jesus being invoked and realize exactly who He is: the only begotten Son of God. And in case we might have missed this information , Christ, through John, continues:

"If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

Jesus seems to think this a point worth repeating. He wants us to be supremely confident in prayer. His name of course is His total authority. He stands behind it. It's sort of like being a cop, pounding on the door and saying, "Open in the name of the law!" The entire power of the state is behind that lone policeman. He is just one man, but backed up by awesome power and authority. When we pray in Jesus' name, we have all heaven behind us and all the power of God ready to back up His Son's authority over everything.

It is my opinion, which I believe to be more than sufficiently supported by Scripture, that prayer in any other fashion is not only contrary to the word of Christ, but a big, fat waste of time. My apologies to all my Catholic friends, but nowhere in Scripture does Jesus say, "Ask My mom." Of course this concept of praying in the name of Jesus does not apply only to doing works of ministry. It is for all prayer, for all things, for all times, for all of us.

Remember that praying in the name of Jesus is what shows not only God, but the devil, too, that you have been granted this special authority to make things happen, to take charge of a situation, and change it. Everything Jesus was and is stands behind you. It means, more than anything, that you are family. In this case, nepotism is a good thing.

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What's in a name?

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This did not go over well with the Jewish leaders, but their Gentile converts were touched by the whole message. Luke tells us that the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. When Paul and Barnabas left the temple, they left to the blessings of the open-minded Jews that had remained to hear them speak and the aforementioned Gentile converts. Verse 44 tells us that on the next Sabbath almost the entire city came to hear Paul preach the Word.

Luke next records that this tremendous reception of the gospel of Jesus Christ really aroused the jealousy and anger of the Jews in Antioch. Their answer was to contradict and blaspheme Paul's message. This time, however, they had picked on the wrong guy. Paul and Barnabas looked their persecutors in the eye and said something that is most likely still ringing in their ears: It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles, for as the Lord has commanded us: "I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth."

Of course this did not make the Jews any happier with Paul and Barnabas, but the Gentiles were thrilled and glorified the word of the Lord. Many were born again that day in Antioch, and from there the gospel began to spread. The Jews, however, had Paul and Barnabas rather roughly escorted out of town. At the edge of town the two apostles shook the dust of their sandals at them, as a sign that God was no longer in their midst, a symbolic gesture all present understood. So began the delivery of the gospel to the Gentiles and also the increased persecution of the church.

There are some interesting points to note in this account from Acts. To me the most eye-opening is that these men judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life. It was not God who judged them unworthy. It was their own doing. That is something to consider. Their rejection of Christ did not have the excuse of ignorance. These were men who had spent their whole lives studying the word of God. They knew better, and rejected Him anyway. I doubt if they ever came around to the truth. 

We have the same responsibility. Our salvation depends on our willingness to accept Christ. He cannot be forced on us. It's a choice, and if we die without Him, we have judged ourselves unworthy of eternal life with our Father in heaven. We condemn ourselves.

This brings me to something that really bothers me. One of the most alarming trends in the church today is the effort to portray Christianity as merely an extension, or a newer version, of Judaism. We use the phrase Judeo-Christian to define our culture, our laws. We act like Christmas is just our version of Hanukah, Easter just our version of the Passover. It's all good. It's all the same. Wrong. We want to be politically correct. One of the worst examples of this is the so-called God Squad, a rabbi and a Catholic priest who do the talk show circuit. It's as if they were just from two slightly different political parties, with each one's faith being just "an opinion". Choose the one you like. I'm sorry, I see a big difference. A man who continues to reject his Savior, and encourages others to do so, can teach me nothing. He's made the biggest mistake a person can possibly make in this life. I want his opinion? Foolishness. Let me say very clearly: Jesus Christ is NOT AN OPTION. Being a Jew will not give you eternal life. Jesus declared this Himself, as did Paul, Peter, John and all the rest. The New Covenant was not just for Gentiles, it was for Jews. It was for them first. It was entrusted to them. For us to pretend that Judaism and Christianity are one in the same, with marginally different holidays, is a disservice to Christ and the Jews themselves. Pastors, teachers and evangelists should remember this. It is apparent they don't.

To this day there are few people on the face of this earth less willing to hear to the gospel of Christ than the Jews. It cannot be preached in Israel. It is considered insulting here. Their leaders, men well-read and knowledgeable in Scripture, still labor to keep the truth from them, as they did in Antioch. If you meet a born-again Jew, they will tell you this is the case. And yet we act like this is okay. It is not. It is deadly. It is genocide.

Understand, though these are hard words, I am not condemning the Jewish people. They are condemning themselves, as does everyone who rejects Christ. I am simply reporting what the Word says. Read it yourself. It is not some weird opinion of mine. It is clearly written in hundreds of lines of scripture. And the Word says Jesus Christ is the only name by which we can be saved. There is not one salvation for Jews and one for Gentiles. There is just Jesus. Period. To reject Him is to get a face full of sandal dust. You don't want this on your face when you meet Him.

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Once and for all.

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Now, as to praying in the will of God, I think we can all agree without reservation that it is a given that Jesus did just that when praying any prayer. So the "Lord's Prayer" gives us some good examples of the will of God for us. Remember, by praying in this manner, we are obeying, as well as emulating, Christ.

First of all, it is God's will for us to not only address Him as Father, but to think of Him as such. This establishes an immediate intimacy, a family relationship that is based on our rebirth in Christ. We do not approach Him as beggars or foreigners, with our dirty little hands out, but as beloved children, praising His name as we enter His presence, Hallowed be Your name. 

Next, we ask that His rule, His kingdom, be established in our lives right now and that His will be carried out. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. You can't pray more in the will of God than this. It is asking that He have His way in our lives. You can't go wrong with that. NOTE: There is a big, no enormous, difference between Your will be done and If it be Your will. 

Now Jesus gets specific and His first request is that our personal needs be met, Give us this day our daily bread. This establishes the fact that God is our Provider. But it also shows without a doubt that it is God's will for us to pray for our material needs. Don't let anyone ever tell you that it is improper for you to do this (or to expect an answer). Jesus puts it number one on the list, before even asking for forgiveness, which is next. 

We see here that it is God's will for us to ask for forgiveness, so obviously this is something He would like to respond to. But in the same breath, we condition this forgiveness on our willingness to give others the same response, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. As Jesus notes in verses 14 and 15, this is indeed conditional. Don't expect God's forgiveness if you aren't ready to hand out your own. But remember this: you have prayed for God's will to be done. It is His will for you to forgive so He can in turn forgive you. Believe that you have this capacity and act on it. Forgiveness of others is an act of faith. So is prayer. Don't wait until you feel like forgiving. Just do it.

Our final request is that we be given the strength to resist the devil. Again, what could be more certainly the will of God for His people than that they be victorious over the enemy? And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. I personally believe more is covered by this request than most scholars would admit. I believe that you are not only praying that a barrier against evil surround and protect you (and your family), but that should the devil in any way affect your life, you will be saved from his grip. There are many ways to be delivered from evil. It can take many forms. You can probably come up with a few.

We end our prayer much the way we started, with praise, For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. This is not idle flattery. It confirms our positive, certain belief that we have been heard and answered. God's sovereignty has been established. His will has been set in motion in our lives. Our needs have been met. We have been forgiven. We have been empowered to forgive others. A hedge of protection has been erected around us. We have been delivered. It's now time to be thankful, and to acknowledge how wonderful our Father truly is. This, too, shows faith and trust in Him.

One thing we should notice about this prayer is that it is 100% whine-free. It is doubt-free. It is if-it-be-Your-will-free. There is reverence, but no cringing, no waffling, no uncertainty. There is praise, but no begging. There is expectation, but no presumption. There is boldness, but no disrespect. There is hope, but no wishing, worship but no wheedling. It is a perfect prayer, which is not surprising when you consider the source.

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You can't go wrong doing it like Jesus.

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We, on the other hand, know better, or should. We know exactly who Jesus Christ is. We can read this account and many others about His healing ministry. We know that He never once refused to heal anybody of anything. 

The point of this is to avoid the use of "If it be Your will" to preface a prayer for healing. Jesus has just revealed that He is willing. The use of this phrase shows a lack of faith, not in His power or goodness, but His willingness. We should not question this. 

The saddest thing about this phrase as it is most commonly applied is that it's used as a way out, a built-in excuse for an anticipated failure (a terrible way to pray). This is intended to get the person praying and the God listening both off the hook. If someone doesn't recover, it was just not God's will and nobody's to blame. This is a horrible cop out.

The fact is there are going to be times when people aren't healed. It may be because of weak faith in those praying or those being prayed for. It may be for other reasons we can't imagine, but we never should condemn ourselves or anyone else when this happens. And we should never question whether God is willing to do what He promised to do. Instead, seek an answer from Him as to why this is happening. Again, you should know by now that it is His will to answer you, to give wisdom to those that ask for it.

It's an old example, but I can't think of a better one to illustrate the foolishness of the "If it be Your will" prayer, and that is the prayer for salvation. We never question whether it's God's will to save our souls. Even the most rigid, non-charismatic churches in Christendom don't begin the prayer of salvation with "If it be Your will." We take this as a given that God would prefer we didn't spend an eternity in hell. Nor would we christen a child and say, "Lord, if it be Your will, bless this child." And I bet you've never said, "Lord, if it be Your will, forgive me for my sins" or "Lord, if it be Your will, help me to be pleasing in Your sight."

I hate to sound like a broken record, but if you have a problem with this it is most likely the result of too little time spent in the Word of God. Read it. Don't allow me or anyone else to tell you what it says. Read it yourself. His will is so very clear on this and many other subjects important to you. And if you've been praying for healing for 30 years, don't give up. Don't blame yourself or feel that you have failed. Don't for a moment believe that God is unwilling, or even worse, that He doesn't care. Ask Him to reveal to you the path to your healing. Tell Him you know He's not only able, but willing. Pray with the faith He put inside you (it's there if you are born again) and expect an answer. This is not presumption. It is proof of faith in Him and His Word.

I have one final thought on this "If it be Your will" thing. I have been in many churches in my life. Some were full of the presence of the Holy Spirit, some seemed to know Him by name only. But in none of them, when the time came for the offering to be received, did the pastor ever say, "Oh Lord, if it be Your will, allow us to take up this offering. And Lord, if it be Your will, let these people give to this ministry and if it be Your will let them become regular tithers" Seems all pastors know the will of God on this one.

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The prayer of faith does not start with "if".

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The Lord tells us, through countless men and women of the Bible, that we should pray. He seems fairly serious about this, making prayer the catalyst of almost everything that happens. Every person who ever accomplished anything in Scripture did so through the power of prayer. And there's a key word to remember and always associate with prayer: power, because that's exactly what it is. So why do so many people view prayer as a desperate last resort or a sort of cosmic crapshoot? Why do their prayers seem to go nowhere?

I think there are three basic reasons: 1) They have no idea how to pray, 2) They have no idea what to pray for and 3) they have no faith.

Let me take the last one first. When I say they have no faith, which is a typical thing to say when people seem to not be getting through to God, I mean something most likely different from what you are at this moment imagining. I do not mean that you have no faith in God, that you don't believe He can do what you're requesting of Him or that prayer doesn't work. I mean that you have no faith in your own ability to pray. The reason for this lack of faith in one's own power of prayer most often goes back to reasons 1 and 2.

Most of us grew up with poor prayer examples. We went to churches that were more concerned with finances and new buildings than prayer. We heard weak, uncertain pastors who really didn't believe in prayer all that much themselves go through the motions once a week. We never saw anything, or much of anything, happen. Prayer was never used to do something. Some of us went to churches where prayer was just endless, mindless repetition of words, doled out as punishment. So we never saw faith-filled prayer do what it was designed to do.

Then there's the problem of not having the slightest notion of what to pray for. This is actually dependent on knowing the will of God. Some people assume this is intended to be a mystery. I disagree. God gave us a big, fat Book full of his very clearly outlined will for our lives. If the answer is not there, He can be asked exactly what His will in a given instance is. Again, many of us have had a problem with this due to our upbringing in dead churches that told us God wanted us sick, or poor, or unhappy and that we should be content in whatever mess we find ourselves. That makes praying with faith difficult.

Today's verse should help. It reveals some "secrets" to real, effective prayer and should assist us in putting our prejudices, myths and misconceptions in our past, where they belong, and moving on to a prayer life that produces results (the whole point of prayer).

Notice first that Paul tells the church at Philippi to be anxious for nothing. Big clue. You're starting your prayer by placing all your burdens, all your worries and fears, into God's hands. This means you trust Him. It doesn't mean you are incapable of being anxious. It means you choose not to be. Now you've taken a tremendous first step, because you are not praying out of fear, but out of faith.

Then Paul says that in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. First, there's that word everything. Another clue. Everything means everything. That would exclude nothing. Enough said. Our requests, our needs are made known to God by prayer and supplication. The word supplication suggests (if you look at the Greek root) an intense, concentrated and continued prayer, something ongoing, not as a chant, not as an exercise in verbosity, but as a determined person that will not be denied. This is sometimes called "praying through". It is done until a sense of peace is realized. This is the Holy Spirit's way of saying "mission accomplished".

Finally, the biggest clue of all, is the word thanksgiving. Does this mean that you're saying, "Well, God, if you don't answer me, thanks anyway for all the other nice things you've done for me?" No. You have given your worries to God. You're not anxious. You're doing as He told you to do for any situation: you're praying (in Jesus' name). You know what His will is and if you were uncertain, you asked. Now to prove that you actually believe there is a point to all this, you thank Him. Before the results are in. Before you have a tangible answer. Sure, you can also thank Him for just being there, hearing you, loving you and saving you, for choosing you out of millions. But thank Him for answering you. Don't wait until you see it. That's faith. That's what makes prayer work.

Or you can just throw up a Hail Mary, cross your fingers and hope someone catches it.

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Prayer is not a last resort. It's the first act of a wise man.

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The problem with this assumption is that it is simply not borne out by the Bible itself. Throughout the Word of God people are blessed in many ways, but riches is one of God's favorites. And a quick look at any poor section of your town will reveal that poverty is not necessarily a springboard to spirituality. So obviously there is a catch somewhere. Today's verse from Matthew makes it clear.

There are several words that should jump out at you: serve, masters, hate, love, loyal and despise. These words reveal attitude and commitment. We are told we cannot serve two masters, and that's the first key. We should never serve money nor should it have mastery over us. It should be us that it serves and we should have mastery over it. And of course we should serve God and He should be our Master. If this perspective is kept, the other words really need not apply. If we love God, and money is not competing with God for the mastery of our lives, we have no need to hate it. We can actually be thankful for it. If we are loyal to God alone, then we do not have split loyalties and need not despise wealth. You cannot serve God and mammon (literally, riches). So don't. Serve God, be thankful for the riches He blesses you with, be generous, share them and they will stay in their proper place. Tighten your fist around them, worry about them, work night and day to obtain them at the expense of God, family, health and sanity and you've got trouble.

All the quotes that are used to discourage Christians from prosperity contain a warning about, not a ban on wealth. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (I Timothy 6:10). See it? Don't love money. Don't be greedy. Don't put its accumulation above your faith. It will make you miserable.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:23-24). So is Jesus saying we should all be poor, give away everything we own? No, He is saying that riches can be a hindrance to entering the kingdom. He immediately also says that all things are possible with God, much to His disciples' relief. But the warning is there. If riches are more important to you than a relationship with God, then you're certainly better off without them. 

I know religious people love to talk about Jesus being poor, and it's obvious He didn't live like Herod, in a palace surrounded by all the comforts of the period. But the day I was born, no kings brought me gold, like they did Him. He had a treasurer (Judas Iscariot, who succumbed to the love of money) so He obviously had some resources. He paid taxes. He was not a beggar, going from house to house like a Buddhist monk. He also showed no prejudice towards people of means. They were the supporters of His ministry. One of them gave Him his very own grave, a very generous act back then (they still aren't cheap). I believe this Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man who undoubtedly gained entrance to the kingdom of heaven. Matthew calls him a disciple anyway.

The important thing to remember is that God is our source, our Provider. Our faith is to be in Him, not our investments. Our loyalty belongs to Him, not our toys. Having or making money should never be the focus of our lives. Being thankful for what He has given us, being freehanded with it, managing and spending it wisely and responsibly is our duty. If we keep this balance, wealth can be like any other blessing from God: Wonderful.

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Money is the root of all missions.
(Casey Treat)

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For one thing, angels are not dead people. Please get that straight if you haven't already. We do not die and become angels. Even though people just love to say this when someone dies it is not true. Angels are a race of created beings. Their purpose: to serve to God. And, at His command, to serve us. That's why it says He shall give His angels charge over you. This is not a decision made by the angels, this is an order from God. They do what He tells them to do. They are not freelancers. We're told in Hebrews that angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation (Hebrew 1:14). When we die, they will usher us into the presence of God (Luke 16:22).

Angels are not to be worshipped. An angel of God would not allow this, though Satan's angels most certainly will (attempting to do this got their boss expelled from Heaven). We do not call upon angels, or seek them out. We call upon God. We seek God out. Many of the "angel books" out there, which are simply New Age occultism, encourage the reader to do exactly the wrong thing: to seek out angels, to attempt to have a relationship with them, to call on them and to worship them (Colossians 2:18 warns against, and predicts, this). There is very little mention of God in these books. You will never read in them that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He is the only door to salvation, bought with His blood, but that He is in the same bunch as Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed and the other "ascended masters". That should give you a pretty good indication of just what sort of angels these people conjure up. It is also wise to remember that Satan was once the most beautiful angel, named Lucifer (literally day star). He is smart enough to appear attractive. You are not smart enough to see through his disguise, not without the Holy Spirit, that is.

Now back to today's verse. What can we expect from these angels watching over us? What function do they serve? I believe they protect us from dangers both physical and spiritual. I would bet that almost every Christian reading this can relate an incident where the hand of God intervened in the nick of time and prevented catastrophe. I can recall several myself right now. That hand was very likely your guardian angel.

In the spiritual world they are also our protectors, to keep us from falling into danger in this unseen realm. They are warriors, after all, and have probably fought countless battles on our behalf that we are completely unaware of. Does this mean nothing bad can ever happen to us? Obviously not. But do you really know how much disaster you have already been spared?

What do angels look like? There are references in the Bible, but I think that the way they really are is probably different from how they appear to us. When interacting with people in scripture, they are described simply as "men". They are human enough that the men of Sodom wanted to assault them. There is no mention in scripture of a female angel. Not one. These are soldiers. They are trained for war. They are tough. They are not little fat babies with wings. I consider that a really good thing. I wouldn't feel too secure knowing that somewhere there was a little fat flying baby that had been given the task of keeping me safe. Someone like me requires the Shwarzanegger model. I know from experience that's what I've got, maybe two of them.

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Think of them as God's Secret Service

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Now let's take a look at Jabez' prayer. We know little of this man, except what is written in I Chronicles 4, verses 9 through 10. It states: Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.

Let's check this with what we already know about prayer. First, though, we know Jabez did not pray in the name of Jesus, because he predated the birth of Christ. He could not have been held to that standard. We can and are. However, Jabez seems to have met the rest of the above listed criteria. He is approaching God directly (no intermediary) with boldness and confidence. His faith is evident. That he is praying according to God's will is also clear: we know it's God's will to prosper us, we know it's God's will for His hand to be in our lives, we know it's God's will for us to avoid evil and it's certainly His will for us not to cause pain (Jabez' name means literally He will cause pain). We can also see that Jabez was a righteous man (Ezra, the writer of Chronicles, tells us as much in the first sentence) and that he prayed with earnestness and determination. This is obvious in , if nothing else, the exclamation point that terminates his prayer. The proof that all of this lines up with God's will is that God answered him. His prayer was successful.  

Now back to today's verse. The Spirit Filled Life Bible contains a notation from Larry Lea explaining our text from 1st John. He states: Immature faith tries to manipulate God. It looks for spiritual shortcuts and formulas guaranteed to produce an answer to any request. It regards prayer as a weapon we use to force God to make good His promises. But true prayer is not a human effort at persuading God or forcing our will upon Him. True prayer is founded upon finding and coming into agreement with God's will.

This is what we need to remember: the prayer of Jabez, while it is a perfect prayer in many ways, and may be an excellent outline (as is "The Lord's Prayer") for us to use when praying, is not an incantation, a magic formula that when repeated automatically forces God to act on our behalf. He is not subject to us. We are subject to Him. We are blessed, as was Jabez, when we become subject to His will. This is the guarantee of God's blessing and all its ramifications in our lives. And who knows better what will truly bless us, what we require, and what's actually good for us than the Lord? Also, it should be obvious that a righteous person (which you are if you are in Christ) would never pray for anything contrary to the will of God. Not sure what that will might be? If it's not clear in Scripture (it usually is), ask Him (James 1:5).

One thing is for certain. God desires that we pray. He wants to answer our prayers. Jabez was not a special case or more beloved than you or me. What God did for him, He would be happy to do for all of us. God loves His children, and all good fathers enjoy blessing their own. He has not tried to make prayer a mystery or a maze we have to struggle to find our way through. It is not a science, an art or a formula, though there are right and wrong ways to pray, at least there are effective and ineffective ways. He has given us several examples to learn from, Jabez being a really good one. 

A final thought about old Two-Verse Jabez and his exemplary prayer. James tells us, You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures (James 4:2-30). Jabez had the foresight and good sense to ask. And although Jabez asked for increase, he also asked for God's guidance, even more righteousness and that he would never be anything but a blessing to others. He saw these things as being tied together. He was right.

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There's a reason we say "in Jesus' name, amen" and not "abracadabra".

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The first and best answer I can give you as to why we should pray is surprisingly simple: God told us to. From Genesis to Revelation whatever was accomplished was accomplished by prayer. Jesus prayed constantly and spent a good deal of His time showing His disciples (and us) that prayer was not only a demonstration of a real desire to reach and know God, but that it was a power given to us to accomplish the impossible. That alone should tell us that it is not a pointless enterprise. You're pretty safe emulating Jesus at any time.

But there is, I believe, a fallacy in this question as well. While it is true that nothing happens without God's knowledge, things certainly do happen continually without His intervention. It's to encourage His intervention that we pray. A quick scan of today's headlines will readily confirm that God is not intervening as much as we would like. When we see wars, famine and huge disasters we know these are not the result of God's action, but lack thereof. He does not interfere when He is not asked to do so, yet the Bible is full of instances when He definitely intervened. Examine the prayers of David in Psalms and you will see him frequently imploring God to step in to a hopeless situation and change it. You will see that He does just that.

There is an exception to this, however. I believe that God does intervene at times without being directly asked if we are born again and have an active relationship with Him. Sometimes He may act to get an unbeliever to that point, as He did with Paul on the Damascus road. I can personally recall many times when the Lord protected me from harm when I had no time to pray, or no knowledge of the imminent danger facing me. This is a bonus, and one of the perks that comes from salvation. But even in the case of Paul, I would not be surprised if someone had been praying for his deliverance, or at least their deliverance from him.

If God knows when we are going to die, why pray for someone to get better from a terrible life-threatening illness?

Again, I would have to start with "God told us to." Then I would remind you that though God knows when you're going to die, you sure don't. James, Jesus' (half) brother writes, Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven (James 5:14-15). We have so many exhortations to heal the sick in the New Testament that it is not (or at least should not) be a question. Jesus instructed us to heal the sick. It's what He did most of His ministry. He didn't ask us to analyze the sick person's chances or guess at whether his time here was up. He just told us to do it. It is one of the clearest examples of His will being made abundantly clear that I can think of.

Now sometimes a person will not recover. They may die. I would like to be able to tell you why this happens but I can't. I can tell you, however, that I have witnessed miraculous healing so many times that I would be writing for the next several hours if I were to attempt to document what I have experienced first hand. And if we are unsuccessful at times in this we do not give up, no more than Tiger Woods throws away his clubs and quits the game when he misses a birdie putt (which he does more often than you would imagine). That is not to take the situation lightly, but is to say that none of us will ever be 100% successful in anything we ever attempt, no matter how proficient at it we are. If we were, we would be God.

What good is prayer if you believe in manifest destiny?

Actually, I don't. I believe God knows the paths we will take, but I also believe in free will. He may have a destiny in mind for us that we choose not to accept. He may, through His omnipotence, guide us toward a planned destiny, but ultimately it is our choice. Even Jesus had the opportunity to choose not to die for us, even though it was God's plan from the beginning of time. 

Prayer is the tool to make certain that you are reaching your destination. In fact, the perfect prayer is to ask for God to do with you what He intends, that you should know His will for your life, and that you should fulfill it (as Christ instructed us in the Lord's Prayer). God has no desire to make His will for you a mystery. Prayer in accordance with His will is the most powerful force on earth, and the only prayer that works.

You saw today that I started this article with another verse from James, in which he states, The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. He goes on to tell us about Elijah, how he was no different than us, in other words, subject to the same human weaknesses and failings. But he prayed, and stopped it from raining for three and a half years. Then he prayed again, and it rained, ending the drought and famine. You, if you are born again, are righteous. You are the righteousness of Christ. Your effective (miracle-producing), fervent (energized, earnest) prayer will, just like Elijah, avail much (make a difference, get things done, change things). Never let anyone tell you differently.

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If at first you don't succeed, pray, pray again.

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Her first point, that Moses was reluctant, like Jonah, to follow God's instructions and do His will, is quite accurate. From his very first meeting with the Lord, when He appeared as the burning bush in chapter 3, Moses just didn't want to get involved, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Ex. 3:11). Again he tried to beg off with, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." (Ex. 4:10). Still, despite God's assurances that He could make up for his shortcomings, his "servant" tried one more time to escape his task, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send." (Ex. 4:13). Translation: anybody but me. Please.

But before we look too harshly on Moses, we should remember that this is fairly normal, at least human, and we probably would have said much the same if we had been instructed to walk back into Egypt, where we had committed a murder (for which we were still wanted), confront the king, and free a few million people. Indeed Moses is in good Biblical company in his reluctance to serve. Jean mentioned Jonah, but we could add some more: Gideon, Elijah, Barak and Peter, to name just a few. Then there are those who weren't so much reluctant, but downright rebellious: Abraham, David and Solomon come immediately to mind (Moses makes this list, too). Yet all these men were used by God to accomplish His ends, did great things and are remembered in the New Testament as heroes and fathers of our faith.

Jean's second point, that maybe in Zipporah Moses had been given a smart wife, is also right on. This is not the exception for people chosen by God to do His work. God often puts people in our lives to balance out our weaknesses and encourage us to see our mission through. Moses not only had Zipporah (wonder if he called her Zippy?), but also his brother Aaron. Even his father in law, Jethro, proved invaluable in the dispensing of good advice for the not always practical (or smart) Moses (Ex. 18:14-27).

In this case, however, Zipporah was more than just smart. She was a lifesaver. As today's verse points out, God was going to kill Moses (yes, after all that). It seems that Moses, for some reason we can only guess at (it may have been against the customs of his wife, a Midianite), had neglected to circumcise his son. Law decreed that this was to be done, to signify God's covenant, on the child's eighth day (Midianites performed this rite at puberty). And here was Moses, on the verge of becoming the deliverer of his people, still behaving like an outlaw. Possibly Moses became sick at this time, but whatever, Zipporah, through God's grace, realized what the problem was, took matters into her own hands (so to speak), and with a sharp rock (ai chihuahua!) performed the circumcision Moses, as father and head of the household, had opted not to do. Moses' life was spared, God's wrath was averted, and the rest you know if you've seen the movie.

There remains, however, one thing we may not ever understand, and that is Zipporahs's extreme reaction to this act. After deftly performing the circumcision, she threw the now detached foreskin on Moses' foot, calling him twice a "husband (literally, bridegroom) of blood." Was she disgusted by the act she had been forced to perform? Was she just put out with Moses for not having done it himself? Was it something that went against her religion? Was she just in one of those moods? We don't know, but I can guess at the reason her reaction is still a mystery. After Moses cleaned off his foot, he probably said something like, "What? What did I do? Why are you mad at me?" And Zippy probably said something to the effect, "Well if you don't know I'm certainly not going to tell you!" Moses, as the author of Exodus, just had to leave it that way.

The Bottom Line
(or get to the point, Kona!)

God gave us wives to help us when we fail to make the cut.

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