The Grateful

“Be filled with the Spirit…always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” Ephesians 5:20

I have always been intrigued by band names. One of my favorite names is “Creedence Clearwater Revival.” There is a lot going on there with that name. John Fogerty, at 69 years of age, is still performing, and we are all still waiting for “The Revival.” Another name that has caught my attention is, “The Grateful Dead.” It’s fan base, The Dead Heads, expressed such devotion to Jerry Garcia, the leader of the band, that he was elevated to near cult status before his death at 53 years of age.

Words mean things long after a band and the fans have forgotten why the names were chosen. This morning I find myself praying “The Revival” and thinking about “The Grateful Dead.”

Paul encouraged the early church to die to self, daily and to be grateful to God, always. He reminded them that thanksgiving was one of the vital signs of the fullness of the Spirit. He warned them that those who were unable to express gratitude to God, in the name of Jesus, were not full of The Spirit. To be more accurate, their mouths would reveal they were full of themselves, not imitators of God.

Paul encouraged the early disciples to “Be imitators of God.” (Ephesians 5:1) The finest picture of the character of God is provided by the prayer life of the Lord Jesus Christ. His prayer life was the essential expression of His personal and preferred form of communication with The Father. Persistent, personal prayer, performed privately and publicly, proved to be the primary source of His power for ministry.

Note to self: If you want to imitate God, and be like Jesus, stop whining and start praying. God knows the difference. You should too.

Paul describes prayer as the elementary expression of a person who is filled with The Spirit and intimately connected to The Father, in the name of The Son. Paul describes thanksgiving in prayer as a basic vital sign of the Spirit’s fullness, not the height of spiritual devotion reserved for only the elite few.  

The facts of physical life are clear. Where there is no breath, there is no life. In similar fashion, the Spirit-filled life does not exist where there is no prayer. Without The Spirit’s fullness, there is no breath of life. Where there is prayer, those who have died to self immediately express their gratitude to God for their new life in Christ. The born again are truly, “The Grateful Dead.” The way they come on is also the they way they go on, with gratitude and in prayer.  

Paul said that the first positive sign of being an imitator of God would be the “giving of thanks.” (Ephesians 5:4) It is hard to imagine this being done without the expression of personal, private, public, and persistent prayer.

Gratitude is the practical display of grace. It is not an emotion, as much as it is devotion. It is the over-riding expression of believers in the face of over-whelming crises and in the face of irritating people. Early believers weren’t given time to warm up the idea, or to mature or grow into the attitude of gratitude. On the contrary, they had to die to take their first breath. Like newborn babies they were desperate for air, and needed no training to do it. Breathing came naturally. So did screaming.

Dying to self precedes being filled with The Spirit. People who are full of self are incapable of being filled with The Spirit. Self has to die before The Spirit will fill. The Spirit goes where He is welcomed, not stiff-armed, grieved or resisted.

“The Grateful Dead” is not a well-worn term of expression for The Spirit Filled Life, but I maintain that is a pretty accurate one. Paul describes gratitude as the earliest sign of imitating God, and the result of being filled with The Spirit. Those who are void of thanksgiving to God, may be alive, but they don’t have life. Don’t take my word for it.

“I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No one comes to the Father, but by Me.” Jesus – John 14:6

True believers are those who have been crucified with Christ. They didn’t just come to the cross. They died there. Dying daily maintains a perspective on life that can only be obtained by a view from the cross. Those who die to self and refuse to take a self-centered, self-absorbed, self-glorifying breath put themselves in the position to receive the fullness of The Spirit.

The Spirit brings the fullness of the character of Jesus into the life of the believer. The Spirit maintains, and sustains the attitude of gratitude in the life of “The Grateful Dead.”

Prayers of thanksgiving indicate death to self, invite the fullness of The Spirit, and release the Christ life in believers, for the honor and glory of God. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Glory

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3: 20-21

The Glory of Prayer begins with a prayer warrior having the humility to get off their high horse and pray.  Paul assumes the position by bowing down before God. (“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father…” Ephesians 3:14) He initiates the purpose of prayer by interceding for believers “not to lose heart.” (Ephesians 3:13)

There is no joy in prayer for the intercessor when their prayer goes unanswered.  Answered prayer brings joy for the prayer warrior and glory to God. Answered prayer is not based on asking the right question, but in taking the proper position, humility.

Effective prayer is answered prayer, but answered prayer rests upon God’s capacity to answer, not upon the eloquence or the education of the intercessor.  Paul reminded the early believers that God “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us…” v. 20

The Spirit of God lives to interpret the deepest longings and slightest groaning of the heart, and deliver them as prayers to Jesus. Jesus takes all the prayers delivered to Him, and intercedes on behalf of His followers before The Father.  Anything less than this is simply not prayer. Anything more than this is mere presumption.

Giving God instructions may be the greatest hindrance to answered prayer. When prayer warriors stop talking and start listening, they discover the secret to answered prayer.  The Father doesn’t need the advice of His children. He desires their faith. Prayer rests in the knowledge that The Father knows the need of His child. He holds the answer, before prayer is released, by His child. Release it anyway.

R.E.S.T. = Release Every Single Thing

The answer to Paul’s prayer will not be found in the early believers merely receiving fresh courage or keen insight to stand firm in the face of the crises of life. Paul’s prayer seeks the glory that their spiritual stamina will reflect upon The Father.

The birthmark on God’s children is prayer, not panic. When His children race around in fear, rather than face a crisis in faith, their behavior reflects poorly on The Father. Children without faith in The Father, rarely turn to Him in prayer.

Believing prayer seeks the face of The Father, before, during and after the crisis. It is more concerned with seeking The Presence of The Father, than The Father’s answer to prayer. Peace is found in His Presence, not in the answer. Panic is by-product of a unanswered prayer. It comes from constantly seeking answers, and in blind panic, missing God.

Note to self: When facing any crisis, large or small, don’t panic. Humble yourself. Seek the face of God for His direction, protection and correction. Running around with panic on your face, when faced with a crisis, reflects poorly on the face of your Father. Stop it!

Prayer reflects glory to The Father, when His children deflect the crisis towards Him. Trying to handle anything that only God can do is an expression of childish pride.

Every parent has had the experience of trying to provide guidance or assistance to one of their children, only to be met with the words, “I DO IT MYSELF!”  No doubt, children need to learn to do things for themselves, but wise parents know they must unplug their children from a dependence on them, and plug them into a connection with God as quickly as possible.

Prayer connects the prayer warrior to the will of God, and prayer reflects glory on the face of God.

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. “ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The graduation season reveals one simple truth. When parents observe their children accomplishing a task that will set them on the right course, the joy in their hearts cannot be hidden. It beams out, and streams down their faces, in smiles and tears.  Wise parents glory in the sight of their children graduating from childishness to child-likeness, and praying children are a parent’s greatest accomplishment. The Father glories in praying children. Parents honor Him by leading their children to do it. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Root

“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:18-19

"All You Need Is Love" was written by John Lennon and this song was first performed by The Beatles on a black and white, live global television link, watched by over 150 million in 26 countries, on June 25, 1967. Lennon was known for creating art out of propaganda with songs like "Give Peace a Chance” and “Power to the People.” When asked in 1971 if he wrote songs as propaganda, he responded, 'Sure. So was ‘All You Need Is Love.’ I'm a revolutionary artist. My art is dedicated to change.'’” When  “All You Need is Love” was released in the UK July 7, 1967, it went straight to number one and remained there for three weeks. In comparison, in the U.S.A. when it was released July 17th, it reached number one for only one week.

Note to self: For love to be revolutionary, and to effect change, it is going to have to last longer than a week.

The Root of Prayer belief begins with love. This should come as no surprise. The Bible is clear, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever shall believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

The Root of Prayer produces the fruit of The Spirit.  “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control…” Galatians 5:22-23

Paul prayed for the early believers to be marked by the The Root of Prayer that produces the fruit of love. Love must first be embraced in the form of a relationship with Jesus. Then, love must be expressed by the followers of Jesus. A loveless religion is a poor substitute for the love filled relationship that Jesus offers to those who receive Him as their Savior and Lord. True believers won’t settle for anything less.

Embracing and expressing the love of God, begins by receiving God’s Son, Jesus. The indwelling Christ increases the believer’s comprehension of the character of God. Paul prayed for believers to have the capacity to expand their grasp on God’s love. Love is, simultaneously, the most basic truth about God, and the highest expression of the character of God. Love is the essential key, not an optional adornment, to any valid expression of Christianity.  Don’t leave home without it.

The Root of Prayer is deepened by believing and receiving Christ’s love, and leads to the producing and reproducing The Fruit of The Spirit. The Father’s love is the mark of a Christian. The Root produces The Fruit of The Spirit. It is hopeless to try to produce The Fruit without The Root. No root. No fruit.

Christ’s love is expressed as undefeatable good will to friends, and unconquerable benevolence to enemies. It is not ethereal or emotional. It is practical and available. Christ’s love reveals “the breadth and length and height and depth” of the character of God. The Spirit releases this love in the lives of Christ’s followers. Christ’s love is the evidence of His Presence, and it is the Fruit of The Spirit.

Believers will not stop at what they know about love. They will hunger for more. They pray to receive and then they pray to express the love that God has in His heart for those who need His love. The Root of Prayer drives them “To Know God and To Make Him Known.” Believers are life-long learners who pray earnestly for their lives to be an expression of God love. They pray in order to “know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.”

Believers are not merely to receive Christ’s love in a one stop does all kind of experience. Their lives are to be overflowing with prayer to God for the love of God.  They are not selfish children focused on the thrill of the fill. The Spirit of God brings into their lives the character of Christ, so that they may “ be filled up to all the fullness of God.” Believers are self-less servants, not selfish children. Self-less people are full of The Spirit, not full of self.

The song “All You Need is Love” had a clear message, but it clearly failed to change the world. That doesn’t mean the title did not express the truth, or that Lennon had it all wrong. There is just no power in a title, and there is no wisdom in the right vocabulary defined by the wrong dictionary. Words mean things, but to change lives, love must mean the right thing.

The power is in the love of Christ, and The Root of Prayer releases His power.  Singing about love and expressing love are two different things. Hearing a song does not transform one’s character. Yielding to The Spirit is the only way to be transformed by Christ’s character and to produce His conduct.

To have the right fruit, don’t forget The Root. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Focus

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.” Ephesians 3:14-16

It is possible to slice Scripture so thin, that it becomes gossamer platitudes fit for a Hobby Lobby throw pillow, but it no longer resembles the meat of The Word. On the other hand, swallowing whole passages without gaining an appreciation for the contents of God’s Word may lead to consuming and assuming without absorbing and applying the truth of Scripture.

There is so much man-made insight published on the subject of prayer, that it always pays to return to the Word of God to rediscover the basis for it, and the focus of it.

For Jesus, The Son of God, and for Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, The Focus of Prayer was always on The Father. When Jesus led His disciples in The Model Prayer, He began with, “Our Father.”  When Paul interceded for the Church in Ephesus to prayer, he focused on The Father.

Prayer takes the eyes of the prayer warrior off of the battle of the moment or the crisis of the day, and focuses them on The Father.  Though Paul does not mention the word prayer, it is obvious that prayer is the meaning of his words when he says, “I bow my knees.”

Bowed heads and bended knees are ancient symbols of humility, and always appropriate positions for the serious prayer warrior. The arena of prayer is where pride comes to die. Prayer is the expression of the heart. The position of the exterior position of the body should reflect what is going on in the inner recesses of the heart.

No doubt this symbolic position of prayer is not always a sign of genuine prayer. It is possible for the position to be hijacked by a poser, but if implemented by believers it is a great source of blessing. Believers who come to the end of their own resources discover,  “the riches of His glory.”

Paul discovered this truth time and time again. Facing his own spiritual poverty led this prayer warrior to a face-to- face encounter with The Father. For believers who are willing to follow his lead, they discover this only happens…EVERY TIME.

Too many times people come to The Father in prayer, and race right past Him to get to His riches, His strength, His Spirit, or His power. They miss Him. The cry of their inner man is so great that they don’t hear the gentle words of The Father saying, “Welcome home.”

It is not enough to know a need exists in the inner man that only The Father can meet. The Focus of Prayer is on meeting with The Father, not the meeting of the need.  Big difference.

The Quiet Time and The Prayer Meeting have always been great great tools for meeting with The Father. They serve well, as long as meeting with The Father is The Focus.  Quickly completing a Quiet Time or fidgeting one’s way through a Prayer Meeting does not always lead prayer warriors to a face-to-face encounter with their own spiritual poverty.

Note to self: Putting a check mark by your Quiet Time on your Day Timer doesn’t always lead to “the riches of His glory.” When your Quiet Time becomes His time, it will.

Taking pride, in having a Quiet Time or in attending a Prayer Meeting,  is still an expression of PRIDE. The Father hates it. Jesus turned from it. Paul took no pleasure in it. Prayer is meant to put it to death. Prayer warriors willing to die to their pride will be “strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.”

Paul confessed, “I die daily.” Follow his lead, and humbly bend your knees in the presence of The Father. He condescends to spend time with you. Don’t be in a hurry to run away and get on with your day. As country folks used to say, “Take a load off. Rest* a spell.” City folks would be wise to take their advice.

*R.E.S.T. – Release Every Single Thing

The Heart

“I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are for your glory. For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father.” Ephesians 3:14

Paul’s words remind me of an old show tune made famous by the brassy songstress Ethel Merman, “Yah Gotta Have Heart.”

When it comes to physical life, there is just no substitute for heart.  It doesn’t matter how strong the skeletal structure may be, or how toned the muscles are, without a beating heart there is no life.

In similar fashion, spiritual life requires a person to have heart. This is more than a beating, blood-pumping organ of the body. It is the source of courage in the lives of believers that keeps the tribulations or crises of life from robbing them of the joy of life’s journey. A physical body has a life beating heart.  A spiritual faith has a courageous, life-giving heart.

There is a purpose for everything. Nothing happens in life without meaning and purpose. There are no random, meaningless events or purposeless days. The enemy seeks to rob believers of the significance of the slightest second, and the taking of each of breath.  Paul had faced his share of crises.

The fog of war blinds the sight of believers. The battle fatigue of life grinds the life out of believers. Over time they lose their capacity to see through the confusion or their courage to march through the conflict. Believers need both to be revived.

Confusion and conflict create a cancerous erosion of courage in the heart of even the strongest believer. Once they lose heart, they begin the struggle for survival with little hope of revival. They stop walking with God, and begin marching in place.

This loss of heart signifies the first step towards slow agonizing retreat. The enemy cannot rob a believer of eternal life, but the enemy is more than capable of making life a living hell.

Paul revealed the source of his life-giving, purpose filled courage in the face of tribulation. He embraced prayer as the means by which he had obtained it, and he now revealed how he interceded for others to receive it.  He knew they needed it.

What was this great mystery Paul celebrated with joy. “To be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:6)The mystery was no longer the best-kept secret in the world. It was a source of great joy to the Gentiles, and it amazed the “rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:10)

Through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, His resurrection from the dead, His ascendance into Heaven, and His unceasing intercession for the saints at the right hand of the Father, intercessory prayer provided to Paul and to every believer “boldness and confident access through faith in Him.” (Ephesians 3:12)

Prayerless people lose heart in a crisis. Prayerful people find courage as they pray their way through it.  TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Cause

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend will all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. AMEN.” Ephesians 3:14-21

The Cause of Prayer determines the intensity and the consistency of effective prayer. Believing prayer is always a prelude to answered prayer.  Paul believed in The Cause. Two signs reveal a great deal about a person’s walk with God. The first sign is what causes them to panic. The second sign is what causes them to pray.

Paul believed in The Cause, not panic. The Ephesian believers had come to Christ through him. If they became intimidated by Paul’s persecution and imprisonment, they would not share the message of hope in Christ, they had received from Paul.

Prayerless people fail to witness because they are scared out of their wits. Paul desired for the believers in Ephesus to keep their wits about them, and tell people about Jesus in spite of what had happened to him. Paul prayed for the Ephesians not to be overwhelmed or disheartened by his imprisonment. His intercession for them was done with intense passion.

“Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.” Ephesians 3:13

Two thousand years ago, one imprisoned man could sense that there was more at stake than his own personal crisis. He broke out of a focus on his own needs, and entered into intercession on behalf of others.  The stakes were too high for him to turn his crisis into an excuse for a pity party. He called a prayer meeting.

Rather than focus on the release from prison he wanted, Paul prayed for the increase of faith these early believers needed. Paul’s imprisonment caused him to double down on intercession, rather than spiral into introspection.

Paul’s call to ministry began by being knocked to the ground. This should have been a warning sign to him of things to come. Paul’s life took on a familiar pattern. He was hit by crisis after crisis. His response was to hit back with prayer.

Perhaps Paul teaches is his greatest lesson in prayer by his consistent response to being knocked to his knees by various life experiences. While he was down on his knees, and before he got up, Paul prayed.

Note to self: It is never too early or too late to pray. Before you stand up, stay down, and pray. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Perspective

“I (Paul)…do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe.” Ephesians 1:16—19

Paul’s prison experience provided a perspective only imprisonment could produce. When his horizontal mobility was reduced, he increased his accessibility to God in a vertical direction. Paul could no longer go out on mission for God, but he would reach up in intercession to God.

I recently received a letter from a man in prison. Though he is incarcerated, he has the capacity to see more clearly the path that put him behind bars. His letter was filled with shouts of warning to those on the outside to walk around the landmines in life. Prisoners may have been foolish enough to get caught in a trap, but it doesn’t mean they cannot be a source of wisdom to avoid the pitfalls.

In Paul’s case, he had been no fool. He had been a follower of Jesus Christ. His incarceration was a result of intimidation and persecution on the part of others, not a result of rebellion on his part. Big difference.

Paul wrote the brief Bible Books of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon from a Roman jail, in the form of letters to friends and followers. These Prison Epistles were written to be read to the church that gathered in then name of Jesus. Ephesians contains a strong call for unity in the church.

Paul was a praying preacher. When his audience with others was curtailed, he invested his passion for preaching into intercession for others. He began by thanking God for believers. Without believers there are no converts and no church.

Most preachers value their oration over their intercession, yet powerful preaching and believing prayer are partners.  When some preachers are asked to pray, they lead with a sermonette, as a preamble to their prayer. They place more value on their own words of wisdom than seeking wisdom from God. Oration never improves intercession. It only delays it.

Paul prayed for his followers to have wisdom and to be enlightened. He was convinced God was the source of both. The wise preacher will unplug his people from himself and connect them to God. A wise parent understands that their children must be plugged into God if they are going to become all that God intended for them to be. They pray without delay.

Praying preachers and praying parents are key components to building healthy churches and healthy homes. Believing prayer on behalf of preachers and parents open up the eyes of their congregations and children to “the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Grace

“Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.” Colossians 4:10-18

Paul kept great company. He mentions eight people who ministered to him and with him during his imprisonment. Except for Luke their names carry no great weight. Still, their reputations earned side by side with Paul raise the bar. For all who serve in God’s army, Grace Company remains one of the elite units.

Paul remembered Grace Company as…
·      Fellow Prisoners
·      Bond Slaves
·      Fellow Workers
·      Proven Encouragers
·      Earnest Intercessors
·      Deeply Concerned
·      Beloved Physician
·      Hospitable Hosts
·      Reliable Messengers

These words do not describe a pecking order of hirelings guided by the fine print of their job descriptions, on file in the human resources department of a contemporary church. They are the expressions of blood bought, Spirit filled ministers, men and women, who identified with Paul and stood by him through thick and thin. Though their names are listed, they are not remembered for making a name for themselves. They made a difference. May their tribe increase!

When asked to share one of the earliest words of insight I received from a mentor in ministry, I recalled a statement made to me by Dr. W. Fred Swank. In 1974 he was the long-tenured pastor of Sagamore Hill Baptist Church of Fort Worth, eventually serving that congregation for 42 years. I was 24 years old, single, a newly enrolled seminary student, and recently returned from a two-year mission assignment in East Africa.  I asked,  “Where do I start?” Bro. Fred said,

“When I look for staff, I look for a person who is already a faithful member of a local church. I don’t put a person on my staff sitting in a pew looking for a paycheck. I bring on people who are already actively serving. Join a local church and make yourself indispensable. If you’re good for nothing, you will be good for something. God will take care of the rest.”

His words made sense to me. Don’t get me wrong. Bro. Fred would never have used the word mentor to describe his relationship with me. I don’t suffer from BME Syndrome. Belated Memory Embellishment Syndrome causes people to elevate relationships they once had with people into something more than they really were. Paul didn’t suffer from it either. His assessment of those who ministered with him was spot on. We should take aim at it.

Forty years later, I continue to lean on the simple, pithy words of Bro. Fred. They remind me of the importance of investing my life in ministry before I look for a benefit from ministry. I have shared my own version of them with more than one seminary student seeking a place of service.  In my own words, I say, “If a minister is willing to be good for nothing, God will make a minister good at something.” Sound familiar? It should.

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these other things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

In the past 40 years paychecks have come and gone, but ministry has always been abundant. Paul surrounded himself with grace filled people focused on investing their lives in the advancement of His Kingdom. Their selfless sacrifice touched him. With his last words he honored them, and with his own hand he reminded us all of the key to ministry, “Grace be with you.”

Grace is the God-given capacity to draw on the resources of the fullness of The Spirit of God, in the face of a relentless adversary and in the absence of a faithful friend. Grace can be described accurately, as unmerited favor, or divine dispensation. It’s more.

Grace is the infusion of Christ’s character at the moment it is needed most. Anyone who has died to self, and called out to God has received grace. Grace releases the power of the resurrection at the very moment death is declared and defeat is certain. Grace is provided for every breath and each step in life for the glory of God. If you are in need of it, pray for it. Grace never arrives before it is needed. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Request

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Colossians 4:2-6

Paul was not too proud to request people to pray for him to clearly present the “mystery of Christ.” He had been imprisoned for speaking about Jesus as the only way to be a child of God, and he didn’t want any opportunity to share the truth to be wasted. In his own words, Paul requested prayer on his behalf that, “I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.”

The one concern of the preacher is to keep the point of the message on Jesus. The major focus of a message is not on the messenger or the points of the sermon. Every sermon has points, but not every preacher delivers the message. The message is Jesus. Get the point?

Paul was called to deliver a message, not a sermon. He had a passion to preach about a personal relationship with Jesus. He shared the secret that would transform the world, one life at a time. This message is a simple one, but it can be lost in the fog of war. Satan doesn’t want people to hear and respond to the one thing that will keep them from crashing on the rocks. He wants them to settle for a religion without a relationship with JESUS, marked by consistent companionship.

Religion and relationship are two different things. Religion is a person sitting in a pew thinking about fishing. A relationship is a Christian sitting in a boat thinking about Jesus.  Religion promotes great concepts about Jesus that fill the head, without engaging the heart or transforming a life. Relationship promotes consistent companionship with Jesus. A keen mind and a flaming heart are birthmarks of people in touch with and consumed by the fire of God. After embracing Jesus, believers are never the same.

Note to self: Fiery preaching thaws cold hearts. Avoid the thrill to chill.

Paul discovered the “mystery of Christ.” This great secret was God’s desire to fold into His family the Gentiles of the world. The people of Israel were chosen to light the way home for those who were outside of His love, and bring them inside.

The Jews had been given an inside track to the message of God’s love. Through His Covenant with Abraham, they were called to be a light to the Gentiles. Over the years they lost the point of the message and began to treat Gentiles as permanent outsiders.

God’s great secret was His willingness to send His own Son, Jesus, as The Lamb of God to remove the barrier of sin that separated people from His love. Through His Son, Jesus, God invites people on the outside to come inside, to receive The Father’s love. With open arms, God still desires to receive all those who are outside of His love, but are willing to come to Him in the name of Jesus.

As Paul closed his letter to the Colossians, The Request for prayer was a call for clarity. This kind of clarity can only be achieved by increased humility in the pulpit and improved intercession from the pew.

There ought to be a foghorn that sounds off above a pulpit every time a preacher feels compelled to say, “Let me clear.”  It should trigger a flashing sign in every pew…PRAY NOW! When preachers in the pulpit and people in the pew pray together, there will be less mist in the pulpit and no more fog in the pew. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Honor

“Honor your father and your mother that your days may be prolonged in the land.”  Exodus 20:12

There is no expiration date on this command from Almighty God. Those who choose to ignore it, violate it at their peril.  It is a command with a promise. As with most promises, it has consequences. If properly kept, it will be a blessing to the receiver, and life-giving to the giver of the honor.  When children dishonor their parents they can expect God to take up the offense they have made against them. He takes it personally.

American poet William Ross Wallace penned these words.

“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” Without a doubt a mother’s care is a powerful force of influence upon the destiny of a child, and cannot be over-estimated.

Mothers provide the first real touch of God on the lives of their little ones. Long before a child is conceived in a mother’s body, they are received into a mother’s heart.  Months before they are delivered into the world, babies are protected by a mother’s body, and nurtured with her lifeblood.  When the very idea of a child is embraced by a mother’s love it is life-changing and life-giving for both mother and child.

Some believe Mothers’ Day is a secular intrusion into the church calendar and should be kicked to the curb.   Long before Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first National Mothers’ Day May 9, 1914, Anna Jarvis, a Methodist minister’s daughter had been encouraging ministers, and politicians to establish this tribute to mothers across America.

Mother’s Day was first conducted in a local church to honor the ministry of mothers during the Civil War.  Anna Jarvis had seen her own mother care for wounded soldiers, both Confederate and Union, during the conflict. She had also seen similar acts of kindness organized by mothers to fight the post-war scourge of tuberculosis in her community. She had seen these tireless women had put themselves in harm’s way to give others life. This may be the pure essence of a mother’s love. It is life-giving. In spite of life-threatening challenges, mothers choose life.

Before there was a national debate over OBAMAcare, God settled the issue with MAMAcare. There is hardly a day that goes by that I do not recall the loving care my own mother gave to me. At 93 years of age she is still a powerful source of it.

Don’t get me wrong. My mother’s loving MAMAcare was equally matched by her formidable capacity to become a MAMAbear.  As I grew from a cub and sought to express my own inner bear, I often resisted her loving influence. She would take a step back from the conflict with me and simply say these words, “Wait ‘til your Father gets home.” This only worked EVERY TIME. As they say, “The honor was mine.”

This morning, I will go over to my mother’s home and fix breakfast for her and my Dad. After church, I will take them to a lunch prepared by and hosted in the home of one of their grandchildren. Thanks Ashley.  Mom will receive a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Thanks Dana and Allyson. It will be a great day for her and for all of us.

Still, every day, in God’s eyes, is a day provided by His grace to honor our mothers and our fathers.  Hallmark cards, candy and flowers are wonderful expressions of love on this special day, but they are poor substitute for prolonged silence the rest of the year.

Praying for your parents is a great way to honor your father and your mother throughout the year. It is blessing to them, and life-giving for you. If you have ever thanked God for a cheeseburger, you can say a blessing over your parents. Let them hear you do it, in person or over the phone, by text or  Twitter, snail-mail or email. Like the Nike ad say, “Just do it!”