| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net We've been looking at prayer, and how to remove barriers which preclude effectual prayer in our lives. I should like to deviate from the how and jump straight to the Why. Prayer is not what most think IE--- sitting in front of the big screen in the basement and calling upstairs for more popcorn. (We laugh, but that's more than not, the case.) Prayer is God’s provision for us who realize we are in a battle (too many scriptures to mention), to call headquarters requesting orders and more ammo. This is the sole purpose of another thing we Christians like to fight about which is - Spiritual Gifts. These are for our equipping to fight the fight. "Well what is the fight preacher?" Here it is, and fasten your pewbelts. God didn't save you to go to heaven. What? If you are you will, it's a promise, a given, a byproduct if you will, but it's not the reason. It would be enough; I mean, an eternity somewhere is guaranteed - John 5:28-29, either in eternal joy or eternal torment, But it's not the reason. Jesus said: "For this cause came I into the world; to seek and to save that which was lost". Then He says - "As the Father hath sent me, so send I you". Does this seem ambiguous? How about this from 2nd Cor. 5:19 and 20? "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead , be ye reconciled to God." It is more than a fight. It would seem to the casual observer, to be a hopeless cause. I mean if Satan has "blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they might not come to the glorious light of the gospel of Christ" (2nd Cor. 4:3-4), and we are (absent Christ) "dead in our trespasses and sins" Eph. 2:1-3. If there is "none that seeketh after God", if "The carnal mind (apart from Christ) does not submit to God's law, nor indeed can it do so" Romans 8:7 - If the very "preaching of the cross is folly (foolishness) to them that perish" 1st Cor. 1:18, all seems lost. The celestial cards are stacked against us. Now for the biggest But in the Bible. "But God"; let that sink in -- "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, by grace ye are saved;" Eph. 2:4-5. And the venue, the tool if you will which God chooses to accomplish this? Well, not to put too fine a point on it, is YOU. God "chooses the foolishness of preaching to save the lost". The equipping for your Mission Impossible? Prayer. After all, "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phil. 2:13 Again, you are not some insignificant cog in an immense wheel. You are a critical component. "Well preacher, why doesn't God just accomplish this via a miracle, or have angels do it? Surely folk would respond then!" Angels aren't eligible. You can't give what you don't have. Jesus didn't die for the angels. In Revelation 12, we read that we (Christendom) "overcame the world by the blood of the Lamb (salvation) and the word of their testimony". If you are "in Christ" you have those, and God chose that to reach the world. Put me in Coach! |
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