My reading for today took me to Matthew 6 where we find Jesus teaching in what is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount.  There are people who have issues with Jesus’ teaching here because it seems so unrealistic and unattainable.  Jesus has just finished giving us the Beatitudes, talking about us being salt and light, keeping the law flawlessly, murder, adultery, divorce, making an oath, turning the other cheek, loving your enemies and giving to the needy. That kind of sermon could really be depressing!  He later talks about treasures in heaven, not worrying, not judging others, trusting God, and the truth that not everyone will enter heaven.  Jesus gives warning after warning to those who think that they have their salvation settled, when in fact they do not.  Imagine getting a sermon like that and then trying to go into the week ahead in your own strength.  Hint:  there is an easier way.

I found it interesting that in the middle of all of this Jesus talks about prayer. Prayer is at the center of His teaching.  Jesus expects us to pray.  Notice that three times in vv.5-7 He says “when you pray”.  I don’t know about you but that would tend to make me believe that Jesus does indeed expect us to pray.  

Notice that the first thing that Jesus says is that we are not to be like the hypocrites.  There were men in that day, who at the appointed time of prayer, would stop whatever they were doing and begin to pray out loud for all to hear and believe that God heard it too and that He would be moved to answer them. Jesus pretty much says that their prayers do not have a chance.  They wanted to be seen by men and deemed special and Jesus says that that is their reward or answer to prayer.  Jesus is not opposed to public prayer as He did that Himself, but it was their internal motivation that spoke volumes to Jesus.  I have had several people come to me and ask that I never call on them to pray publicly and I have no problem with that.  My only concern is that they pray.  

The next thing that Jesus says is that when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen.  That might seem strange to some people.  “Look at that guy.  He goes into the closet and is talking to himself.  He’s lost it!”  The intent behind doing this is to remove yourself from public view and focus more exclusively on God.  You are talking to Almighty God.  Sure you have read about Him.  The Creator!  The One who flooded the entire earth.  Think about that.  The One who parted the Red Sea for His people. The One who ultimately loves you so much that He gave His Son to die for you and for me.  That’s who you are talking to.  Be still in the closet and know that He is God.  Humble yourself in His presence, in your closet.  He will meet you anywhere that you want to meet.  Go spend a night out under the stars and talk to God.  Jesus says that what is done in secret will be rewarded.

Thirdly, Jesus tells us not to keep on babbling.  That’s what pagans do.  Too many times we pray because that is what you are supposed to do before a meal or before you go to bed.  Maybe that is what you do before the offering at church.  Maybe that is what you do at the close of the worship service because that is what you are supposed to do.  Have those prayers become babbling in the ears of God.  Do you recite the same words over and over again thinking that God is somehow pleased by that?  Jesus called that babbling.  Talk to God as if He were standing right next to you.  He is your friend.  He loves you.  He is not your buddy, He is your Savior.  If you were to stand in front of the president would you just begin reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or the Declaration of Independence?  Of course not!  You would talk to him with respect and gratitude.  If you started babbling, the Secret Service would take you away.  You don’t need to fill the air with words when you are in the closet with God.  Stand in awe!!!  

One more interesting thing; Jesus tells us not to be like them, “for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”  If that is true, then why pray? Jesus did not say “when you have your list assembled of all of the things that you want to then go into the closet and read it off to God.”  When you go into the closet to pray, and it is just you and God, the list does not even matter.  He knows what you need; do you?  Do you really know what you need?  Jesus goes on to say this is how you should pray:
 
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name…”

I have to believe that you may not get much further than that because you will be so awestruck at who God is that you will say nothing more.  And that is perfectly fine!!!

“when you pray…when you pray…when you pray…”

DO YOU PRAY ???

My wife loves to give gifts to our grandchildren.  She regularly sends our grandchildren in Virginia a box of candy and treats.  The kids cannot wait to get grandma on FaceTime so that she can watch them open their box with all of the special treats inside.  Mom and dad enjoy them too.  It is simple stuff that in many cases could be purchased at a store out in Virginia, but this box is special because it is packed and prepared by grandma.  Quite honestly, the cost to send the box to Virginia is almost always more than the cost of the stuff inside of the box, but that’s ok, because this box was prepared by grandma.  As soon as the box is sent, grandma is already preparing the next box at home and adds things to it every couple of days.

My wife also loves to prepare boxes and bags for our kids in Michigan.  Every one of the kids and grandchildren get something.  Shampoo and conditioner for the long-haired daughters, coconut Girl Scout cookies for Wes, and Reese’s peanut butter treats for Steven.  Then there is the grandkids.  Diapers, outfits, and toys are always part of the bags.  When we pack the car to head to Michigan, the trunk and backseat of the car are full of gifts for the entire clan.  As soon as we return home, grandma begins on the next set of bags and boxes in anticipation of going to see them again.  Every bag and box are always specially thought out and packaged with the anticipation of seeing the joy on the faces of our kids and grandchildren.  She is a really good grandma!!!

As good as grandma is, and she is really good, Jesus tells us that she is evil.  WHAT???  My kids and grandchildren will definitely have something different to say about that.  Matthew 7:11 tells us “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Sounds to me like grandma is evil.  Why would Jesus say something like that?  Parents, earthly parents, are always looking to do what is best for their children and grandchildren.  We are made that way, and yet we are flawed.  Sin has corrupted each and every one of us and as good as grandma is, she cannot match the quality of parenting that God provides for us.  When compared to our Heavenly Father, grandma is evil.  Jealous grandpas can use that as a tool to get grandma.  Haha.

Jesus is not saying that grandma is evil in the kind things that she does for her children and grandchildren.  In fact, those gestures of kindness and love are a reflection of the Father’s love for us.  What Jesus is stressing here is just how much the Father loves you and me.  Grandma’s love is awesome, but compared to the love of your heavenly Father, it can only rise to the level of evil.  Do we realize how much our Heavenly Father loves us?  Sometimes I think we forget that and it is never more evident than in our prayers.  We seem to always go to our Heavenly Father after the fact.  We do what we think is best and if it does not work out the way that we had anticipated, it is then that we go to our Father.  Why not ask Him first?  Jesus said that all you need to do is ask Him (v.11).  In verse 7 we are told to “ask”, “seek” and “knock”.  A commentary of that verse describes it this way.  “Ask.  Disciples should come to God in humility and conscious of need.  Seek connects one’s prayer with responsible action in pursuing the will of God.  Knock suggests perseverance.  Disciples are to persist in prayer, confident that their Father will provide whatever is best for them, according to His sovereign, gracious will.”  The first thing that we need to do is to be conscious of our need and the One who can fill that need and then ask Him.  As you seek, you search out the will of God.  Read His Word.  The knocking is our never ending pursuit of the throne room of heaven knowing that God listens to us, loves us, and will do what is best for us.  As always the question remains:  do you trust Him?  

You can.  You know that you can.  Not one of us can recall a time when God has failed us and could not be trusted.  He may not have answered your prayer the way that you wanted Him to, but He knows the end and you do not.  Our prayers need to consist of asking, seeking, knocking, asking, seeking, knocking, asking, seeking and knocking some more.  Prayer is an exercise for our good and ultimately, for the glory of God.  The Bible tells us that our Heavenly Father really does know how to give good gifts; even better than grandmas.  Way better!  You just need to ask.  Just ask Him!  Whatever it is that you might be dealing with, talk to Him about it.  Let Him know your griefs and burdens.  Stop trying to carry it on your own.  Peter tried it for a while.  Jesus was at the point in His earthly life when, if He ever needed help, it was at the time that Peter bailed on Him.  Not only did he bail on Jesus, he denied that he even knew Him.  Imagine carrying that for the rest of your life and yet Peter gives us one of the most liberating verses in the Bible.  1Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 

Stop trying to do it all on your own.  Stop trying to figure everything out on your own.  Go to your Heavenly Father and simply ask!
Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  

Better than Grandma?  You bet!!!  Spend some time today talking to your Heavenly Father and then rest!

Have you ever been there?  Sure you have.  We all have.  We often find ourselves praying through our prayer lists and seemingly nothing is happening.  The same people remain on the list and it seems as though we see little to no progress.  What kind of progress are you looking for?  Do you think that God should answer your prayer the way that you want Him to?  That would be nice, but is that the will of God?  Don’t you think that God wants what is best for you as well as the object of your prayers?  Do you think that God is sitting in the throne room of heaven waiting for you to use just the right magical words, or to have the right attitude, or to make you squirm for a while, and then He will move?  Is the will and way of God dependent on you?  Really?  Is that what you think?

All too often that is how we pray.  That might even be what motivates us to pray.  We are told in 1Thessalonians 5:16 that the will of God for us in Christ Jesus is to “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.”  People are allegedly seeking the will of God and yet Paul tells us very clearly what it is here in this passage.  If you take a good look at what sits in the middle of that passage we are told to pray continually.  Have you ever thought that God’s way of getting us to do that is to keep us on our knees?  Could it be that the reason why God has not answered your prayer the way that you want Him to, and when you want Him to, is because He wants to keep you continually in prayer?  Constant Biblical, God honoring prayer will lead to giving thanks in all circumstances and being joyful always.  Prayer changes us, not things.  Prayer makes you more like Jesus.  The more time you spend with someone, the more you will become like them.  Take a look at couples who have been married for years.  It’s true!  You begin to eat things that you never ate before.  There are things that I eat now that I NEVER ate before.  I even watch Hallmark movies on Saturday and Sunday nights.  I don’t cry yet, but I am able to make Robbi frustrated with me because I tell her the endings within the first 5 minutes of the movie.  You begin to dress differently because your wife now dresses you.  Your momma used to dress you funny, and now your wife dresses you.  The more time that you spend with Jesus, the more you will be like Him, and the cool thing is that God desires to spend time with you!

Do your prayers make a difference?  You bet they do.  Sometimes you might think that your prayers are seemingly insignificant; that you are not that important.  I was reading in John 11 earlier this week and I read the passage where Lazarus is really sick and as Mary and Martha care for him, they send someone to Jesus with a message:  “Lord, the one You love is sick.” (v.3)  Pretty simple and to the point.  This messenger went to Jesus and talked to Him.  (Remember I have said that prayer is talking to God)  This message was the beginning of a huge change in the earthly ministry of Jesus.  Jesus waited for two more days until He decided to go to Lazarus.  He waited until Lazarus was dead!  I’m sure that was not the intent of the messenger.  I’m sure that the messenger ran all the way there to get to Jesus and give Him the message.  I’m sure that the messenger agonized over Jesus’ delay knowing the condition of Lazarus and the desire of Mary and Martha.  He delivered the message and probably followed Jesus hoping that Jesus might see him and that it might prompt Jesus to do something now or as quickly as possible.  But Jesus waited.  Why?  Because He wanted everyone to see the glory of God (v.40)  

One quick question;  what was the name of the messenger?  Why are we not told his name?  Did his message to Jesus make a difference?  Did his talk with Jesus make a difference?  You bet it did and we don’t even know his name.  Your prayers matter!  You may not ever realize the answer to those prayers on this side of heaven, but will it not be awesome to see how the will of God was accomplished as we stand together in the presence of God for all eternity?  Think about that the next time you are given the privilege to pray for someone.  

“Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I read a devotional earlier this week where the author asked these questions:  

What if the church were filled with people just like you?  What if everyone else in the church were exactly like you?  

What if everyone in the church shared the gospel as often as you do? What would the church be like? What if other believers were just like you?

Wow!!!  Those are some pretty tough questions!  1 Corinthians 11:1 says:  “Follow my example…” (NIV)  “Be imitators of me…” (ESV)  “And you should imitate me…” (NLT) “Imitate me…” (NKJV).  The interesting thing about this verse is that this is not Jesus saying this, but rather the apostle Paul.  Paul, the man who had a life bent on destroying those who were previously imitating and following Jesus.  That same Paul!!!  The difference was the invasion of Jesus in his life.  Paul says that we are to imitate him as he follows the example of Jesus.  This is not a suggestion but rather a pretty clear directive for all of us.

You know that I like to make the emphasis of this Wednesday devotional to be on prayer so I would like to ask you a couple of questions:  What if everyone in the church prayed the way that you do?  Would it make a difference in NWBC?  Would it make a difference in your personal life?  Would it make a difference in the lives of your children and grandchildren?  Would it make a difference in the life of your spouse?  Would our prayer list look any different?  What if everyone prayed the way that you pray?  

Why is it that some of us do not pray?  Maybe you do pray, and you have prayed, but you have grown discouraged because it seems as though God is not listening.  Sure, you throw up a prayer from time to time and especially if things seem to be getting a little out of control, but as long as things are going ok, then I am ok, and God is ok too.  Where does that kind of thinking come from?  Sadly, we have this idea that everything revolves around me and my circumstances.  Sometimes it might move beyond me to a loved one, but even then our prayers are motivated by us not wanting to see our loved one hurting or suffering, so then God needs to step in and do something.  ALERT!!!  This world does not revolve around you.  God is not sitting in the throne room of heaven waiting for His next directives from you and your difficult circumstances.

I was reminded of something yesterday morning while reading another devotional by Spurgeon.  In the Old Testament you will notice as you read that when God met with His people it was always from a distance.  At the burning bush Moses was told to stand back and to remove his sandals because he was on Holy ground in the presence of Almighty God.  The people of Israel were not allowed to even set foot on the base of Mt. Sinai as long as God was meeting with Moses on the mountain.  When it came to worship at the Tabernacle or in the Temple, the majority of the people were not even allowed to enter the outer court.  The priests were allowed into the inner court and the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of holies only once a year.  People who were declared unclean including lepers were put outside of the camp.  

But Jesus changed all of that.  God in the flesh touched the lepers.  God in the flesh touched a women who was unclean and He touched those who were dead.  God in the flesh said:  “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)  Revelation 21:3 tells us “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them.  They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.”  Jesus made all of the difference for us.  We do not need to be afraid to talk to God.  He desires to hear from us.

Do you realize what you have because of Jesus?  Hebrews 4:15-16 says this:  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Did you catch that?  He knows!!!  He knows all about your weaknesses!!!  If you really want help, why not go to someone who knows all about it?  You might think that you are too far gone.  That is why it is called a throne of grace.  It is there that you will receive grace and mercy.  Grace is getting what you don’t deserve and mercy is not getting what you do deserve.  It doesn’t get any better than that!!!  That is the kind of store that we should all want to go to, and yet, we only go there when we think it might help us or when we realize that we cannot do it on our own.

I am going to share a song with you that I hope rings in your ears all the rest of this day.  Most everyone knows the tune so I hope that you are unable to get it out of your head and that the truth of the words might pierce your heart today.  Having a tough day?  Sing the song!  Having a great day?  Sing the song!

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
And what a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer

Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer

May your life and more particularly your prayer life be one that we all might imitate and may it bring glory to God.  Praying for each of you today!
Jerry   
 

I just started reading a little book on prayer by Oswald Chambers.  He calls prayer a “Holy Occupation” while we often call it “the least I can do.”  Why is it that when we hear of someone in need we will say something like “I cannot do much but the least I can do is pray for you”?  Why do we say things like that?  It is because we really do not know what prayer is.  We think we do, but we really don’t. If we did, we would pray differently.  

The introduction to Chambers’ book is pretty interesting and I believe that he hits the nail on the head.  Check this out:  

The  job of every Christian is to pray.  Plain and simple.  Yet we want to do more than simply pray.  We want to do something important for God; we want to be someone important to Him.  We want to build; we want to mobilize; we want to show our strength and exert our influence.  Prayer seems like such a small thing to do–next to nothing at all in fact.

Prayer is our business, our only business.  Prayers our holy occupation.  Plain and simple.

Is that not the way that most of us pray?  Does that not describe how most of us pray?  If we can present God as some type of supernatural bell-hop who is there to act on your every whim, then certainly that will be appealing to most anyone.  We act like God is some Genie in a bottle, and that if you can warm Him up a little bit by rubbing Him and doing all kinds of good things; if you can just get Him started, then all that we need to do is to stand back and watch Him do His thing.

There is something special about being around people who really know how to pray.  I have a special friend who I meet with about every 4-6 weeks who really knows how to pray.  He is 90 years old and he has been praying for a long time.  He is a very humble man and yet he prays with boldness and expectancy.  Why is that?  Is it because God has come through for him every time he prays?  If that was the case, his wife would not have Ahlzeimers and he would not be separated from her because of Covid-19.  If that was the case he would not have a grandson who is living a life that is separate of Jesus.  If that was the case, Dan Simon would be attending NWBC right now.  My friend prays for me.  My friend prays for NWBC.  My friend prays for Dan Simon by name and every time I am with him he asks me about our friend Dan.  As he said to me the other day, “God is not in a hurry.”  Man that hit me when he said that to me.  I knew that before, but to hear it from a man who prays, really prays means something.  How is it possible for him to continue so faithfully in prayer and God not do something?  Because he knows that it is the job of every Christian to pray and to keep on praying.  Because he knows that it is a privilege to talk with the Creator and Sustainer of everything that exists.  He knows that God is in control and that He loves us and desires to commune with us.  He has experienced the blessing of doing that for many, many years and it is obvious in his life.  Do you pray like that?

I want to encourage you to consider this question as we close:  When was the last time that you tried to see an issue from God’s perspective rather than ask Him to see it from yours?  Think about that for a minute.  Once you do that you will find yourself praying with boldness because as Hebrews 10:19 tells us we will pray with confidence because of the blood of Jesus.  Perhaps our real problem is that we don’t truly understand what the blood of Jesus did for us.  Keep praying.  It’s your job! 

Last week in our devotional I asked you if you ask people to pray for you.  Our study came from James 5 and we talked about the privilege of praying for one another.   It seemed as though last week’s devotional was getting pretty lengthy so I cut it off a little bit early.  I want to take a brief look at the last portion of James 5:16 where James writes:  “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  Another translation says it this way:  “When a believing person prays, great things happen.”  Still another translations puts it this way:  “The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.”  There is something significant about righteous people praying. Immediately following in verse 17 James calls our attention to Elijah who prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain for 3-1/2 years.  Wow!  

Robbi and I just returned from visiting with our kids in Michigan a few hours ago and we were able to meet our new little granddaughter for the first time.  Our daughter Ashton who battled Covid-19 for 47 days gave birth to a beautiful and perfectly healthy little girl and for that we are so thankful.  We had asked you to pray for her, her husband Steven, and baby Olivia and you did exactly that for us.  Thank you!  As I mentioned on Sunday, Robbi and I were very concerned about the health of Olivia and how Ashton having the virus for an extended period of time might affect her.  The doctors really did not know what to expect either, but you prayed for them.  

Monday night as we were all sitting there visiting, I was prompted to think about something.  There was a slight incident with Olivia’s umbilical cord that prompted a few questions.  Robbi suggested that they give our daughter Kirsten a call who is an RN in the baby ward of the hospital where Ashton delivered and ask her the questions at hand.  Robbi and Lauren have already been through this before with their own children, but it was decided to give the sister who has not had a baby a call to ask her what she thought.  Why her?  Why Kirsten? She is younger, she does not have any kids of her own, so why call her.  Because she is a professional in that area of expertise.  She knows what to do.  She knows what to expect.  All of that amazes me because as far as I am concerned she is still my little girl, the second to the youngest, but she KNOWS!  Why NOT go to her?

I could not help but think about that in light of James 5:16.  When you find yourself in trouble or with a question, you want to talk to someone who can help, who knows the answers, or who knows where to go to get the answers.  Kirsten knew the answers.  Her sisters knew that if she did not have the answers, she would know where to get them.  When you are in need or find yourself in an impossible situation, what do you do?  When you feel outnumbered and ready to quit, where do you go?  The Bible tells us that the prayer of a righteous man or woman is powerful and effective.  Is prayer the first thing that you do when you are overwhelmed?  You do realize and remember that when you pray you are actually talking to God?  God already knows what your need is before you even tell Him.  He desires to hear the groaning of your heart.  He wants you to run to Him and tell Him all that hurts, discourages, and makes you want to quit.  If you are a child of God, a Christian, you have been declared righteous through the work and blood of Jesus.  You are now a righteous man or a righteous woman. Your prayers matter to God.  He will listen to you.  Talk to Him!  Cry to Him!  Ask other people who are Christians, righteous people, to pray for you because their prayers matter too.  Why would you not go to the One who has all of the answers?  Why would you not go to other people who have been made righteous and ask them to pray for you?  They may have the answers for you like Kirsten did for Ashton, or they may not.  They might be able to help you immediately; they might have the answer, but if not, they know where to go to get it.  

The real question is, do you really believe that prayer works?  If you do, then pray.  Ask others to pray too.  If you don’t think that prayer works, then your God is too small.  I can assure you of this; the God of the Bible is not too small.  Run to Him first and pray!  Then run to His children and ask them to pray too.  Why? Because you want answers, you need help, and because the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  If someone asks you to to pray for them, please understand the awesome responsibility and privilege that has been asked of you and then do it!

Robbi and I continue to pray for each of you.  Pick up the church directory and look at the names of the people that you may or may not know.   As you thumb through it, please pray for each other too.  Have a great week!

Jerry & Robbi 

Do you ask people to pray for you?  Or are you the type to just take that matter into your own hands and pray for yourself?  You would just assume that people not know what is really going on behind the scenes of your life.  If you do ask someone to pray, it is usually you asking on behalf of someone else.  You ask people to pray for a friend or co-worker or family member, but not for me.  Why is that?  You might say that you do ask people to pray for you.  You have no problem asking for yourself.  What is that prayer like?  What might it consist of?  Maybe you need a job?  Maybe you have a doctor’s appointment or have tests coming up and of course you would like people to pray for you?  Maybe you are going to be taking a trip and you would like to ask people to pray for your safety?  That all makes sense.  But do you ask people to really pray for you?  I mean really pray?  

I was reading in James 5 Tuesday morning and James starts to talk about prayer in verse 13.  He starts out by asking “Is any one of you in trouble?”  Another version says “Is anyone among you suffering?”  What kind of trouble?  What kind of suffering?  He doesn’t tell us, but what he does say is that we should pray.  Interesting that he does not tell us to tell everyone about it and let them know what you are going through.  He says to pray.  We are always more prone to let everyone know all about our aches and pains.  We want to let everyone know how tough our life is and how difficult our job is.  I was talking to my mother-in-law on Monday and she was telling me about a couple of doctor’s appointments that she has coming up.  I love my mother-in-law.  She is a godly woman.  She said to me “well Jerry, I have told you enough about my problems and I’m sorry to keep you so long.”  I said to her “mom, I have found that I have reached the age where doctors appointments and medical issues seem to be at the center of all a lot of my conversations.”  We talk about our aches and pains.  You do too!  Think about it!  There is nothing wrong with that, but what is wrong is when we talk to everyone else about it before ever talking to God about it.  Prayer is talking to God.  James says if you are in trouble or if you are suffering, talk to God,.  

He goes on to say that if you are sick that you ought to call on the elders to pray over you and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord.  Some like to interpret the oil to be a medicine of some type, but I don’t think that is what it is saying.  We must remember that prayer is not only for the benefit of the one who is being prayed for, but also the benefit of the one who is praying.  I believe that this entire process is symbolic of the healing power of the Holy Spirit and the act of doing this is symbolizing everyone’s committing this person and their healing to God Himself.  You are to do it in the name of the Lord while at the same time submitting to and trusting His will.  This is a serious matter that involves the confession of sin and God’s forgiveness.

This next verse is where the rubber meets the road.  Verse 16 tells us “Therefore, (or because of what I just said) confess your sins to one another…”  NOPE!  I am not going to do that.  Why not?  Because that person will probably go and tell everyone else about it and it is none of their business.  Sad, but probably true.  Someone once told me “Public sins are to be confessed publicly and private sins are to confessed privately.”  I think that is a pretty good idea.  Imagine you and your wife getting into a fight on Saturday night and then she comes to church the next morning and tells everyone what happened the night before and how she retaliated?  “I need to apologize for putting Ex-lax in his pastry this morning.”  That will not fly!  The passage goes on to say that after you have confessed to each other you are then to pray for each other.  After you confess, do you pray?  If you are like 99% of the rest of the families in our church,(and you are) you come to church every Sunday with baggage.  You don’t need to tell me about your baggage because I know you have some.  It does not mean that we are to open up that baggage and show what is inside.  Perhaps sometimes you might want to do it and you might need to do it.  But when someone comes up to you and asks how you are doing we often say “I’m good, all good.”  Maybe you are, but many times you are not.  Have you ever said to someone, “I am really struggling right now, and man I sure would appreciate you praying for me”?  They don’t need the details, they just need to know that you will pray for them.  God knows the details.  The only reason anyone would need to know the details is if they were going to share it with someone else.  God knows the details!  The prayer would go something like this:  “God I do not know what Jerry is dealing with, You do.  I am just asking that You would make Your presence known to him in a special way right now, and that You would keep me on my knees on his behalf.”  Can you imagine what that might do for Jerry?  You don’t have to imagine.  James tells us that “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  If you care, pray!!!  Imagine what your prayer for Jerry might do for you?  To see God move and do a work in Jerry’s life is not only powerful and effective on Jerry’s behalf but also on yours.  You watched God work as you prayed.  

Imagine if we all took seriously the opportunity and responsibility to pray for one another.  What might God do?  How might He use your prayers?  What if you were to ask God to use Jerry to clearly preach and teach His Word with power and a filling of the Spirit?  What if we were to ask God to do a work in our church as He did in the early church and then watch Him add to our number?  Not for our praise but for His glory!  When is the last time that you asked God to convict the hearts of people at the proclamation of His Word and to do a work in NWBC?  Pray for one another!  Pray for me!  Pray that God would protect me from the attacks of the evil one.  Pray that God would not allow me to grow discouraged but to remain faithful in the responsibility that He has given to me.  Ask God to protect our marriage.  Ask God to give Robbi the grace and strength that she needs as she works Monday thru Friday from 6:30 in the morning until 7 or 8:00 in the evening.  Ask others how you might pray for them and then do it!  Pray for one another!  Please, pray for one another!  There are those who receive this newsletter every week and never open it so they will not get this message.  If this has spoken to you, would you consider calling someone who God lays on your heart and ask them if they read the newsletter this week and then ask them how you can pray for them?  If they have not read it, encourage them to do so, and then pray for them.

Please know that Robbi and I continue to pray for each of you by name.  If we can be of any help to any of you, please do not hesitate to let us know.  As we pray for you, would you please pray us and for one another?

Blessings,
Jerry

As you know, I always try to center our mid-week study around prayer. Monday morning as I prayed for each of you, I could not help but notice that there were several who I pray for who have not been with us in church for quite some time.  Some have a very good reason.  Quite honestly, some do not.  As I said in my opening “Welcome” comments, I was recently preparing for a sermon and I came across this verse in my study:  “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  (Hebrews 10:25)  “…as you see the Day approaching.” When you watch the news and hear all that is going on in this world; when you consider the hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, wild fires, and even the beaches being closed down because of too many sharks, does it make you think that “the Day” might be just around the corner?  Do you believe that the return of Jesus is imminent?  

Maybe you don’t even think about that.  Maybe you think that you have lots of time.  For all you know, life could go on forever or at least for another 30, 40, or 50 years.  Jesus is coming!   We do not know when, but He is coming. And if you believe that “the Day” is approaching, has it changed the way that you live at all?  Do you live with a sense of urgency?  Are there things that you want to get done?  Are there people who you want to talk to?  The author of Hebrews is writing to Christians and calling on them to persevere.  Things are happening all around us and he tells us to “…draw near to God with a sincere heart…”(10:22).  He tells us to “…hold unswervingly to the hope we profess…”(10:23), and then tells us “…to consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”(10:24).  It is then as if he almost pauses and thinks if that is going to happen we really do need to be together. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing…”(10:25). He is not speaking of an occasional miss here and there, but rather those who have an occasional visit here and there.  I know that people have things going on in their lives, but do you plan meeting with your church family around the rest of your schedule, or do you plan the rest of your schedule around your meeting with your church family?  Think about that!  

This really hit home for me when I read a story this past week about a small church in Somalia and a guy by the name of Billy.  Church was important to him and his friends. Really important!  It was important for him to be with his brothers and sisters in Christ and if anyone ever had an excuse to not meet together, it was these guys. Check out this story:

Somalia might be the most dangerous place in the world. Decades of conflict have gutted the country’s infrastructure. Somalia’s economy ranks dead last among all nations, and it isn’t a matter of if you will experience a terrorist attack but when.  

Today, just two members have survived out of the original church of fourteen—Billy and one other. Billy escaped many attempts on his life before moving to another country. From that base, he travels in and out of Somalia, planting and nurturing underground house churches. No longer are there only fourteen Christians in Mogadishu. The church is quietly growing, partly because of the testimony of those twelve who died for Christ.

Why does Billy keep going back to Somalia?  He was almost killed!  Most all of his friends were killed!  Why does he keep going back?  For church!  To meet with his church!  Amazing!!!  We have the freedom to go to church whenever and wherever we want without the fear of being harmed and yet “…some are in the habit…” of neglecting that privilege.  Why is that?  It has become a habit.  I am writing this because of my burden for what is going on today.  Many Christians are neglecting church.  Church attendance in the US is on the decline.  Everywhere you go there are professing believers who do not regularly attend church even though they can.  There are some who say that they will not go to church because of the Coronavirus and I fully understand that, but then why go to a restaurant or grocery store or Walmart?  DL Moody said that “Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.”  

Are you saved by going to church?  No, of course not!  If the church is to reflect Christ, and it is, then that means that the church should be devoted just as Jesus was devoted to the will of the Father.  It is God’s will for you to attend church regularly.  Are you not attending due to excuses, laziness, or the lack of a desire to have fellowship with other believers?  When we deliberately refrain from going to church, that is sin.  I am not trying to be legalistic.  We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone.  If someone is refusing to go to church and doesn’t have the desire to have fellowship with other believers there is serious reason for concern.  

We were created to have fellowship and you cannot live this Christian life alone. That is why it was so difficult for many of us to not be able to be together for those 14 weeks of shutdown due to the Coronavirus.  In your time of need how can others help you and in someone else’s time of need how can you help them?  How is it possible for you to be encouraged by the church if you are not there?  Do not doubt what God can do through you and how you might be a blessing to others.  We are told to do many things for the body of Christ, but we cannot do them if we are not going to church.  God has given you a specific gift that is to be used for the benefit of the church, and you, by not attending, are denying others of your gift.  Some are musicians, teachers, and helpers.  Some are encouragers and we know that there are many who could use some encouragement right now.  When does the church function best?  It is when its members are actively using their gifts for the benefit of others and the glory of God.  Corporate worship and the preaching and teaching of the Word of God are essential to our walk of faith. Both are very important to us growing and maturing.  Jesus died for the church; He love His church, so, why would we neglect it?

I would also like to say, on a personal note, your faithfulness and attendance is a tremendous encouragement to me and to many others I am sure.  But for those of you who are occasional attenders, we miss you, we pray for you, and we would love to have you be with us.  It genuinely weighs on me when I look at the report that I get each week showing me who is reading the devotionals and who is not.  Many of those who are not reading the devotional are also not attending church.  I want you to know that I pray for you!  This habit concerns me and I ask that we all pray for each other. Please pray for  me as well!  I will close with a few verses that give me encouragement.

“I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord.”  (Psalm 122:1)

“They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe…”  (Acts 2:42-43)
 

As you know, I try to make sure that the focus of our mid-week study is almost always on prayer.   My reading this week took me to book of  Exodus chapters 3 & 4 where God meets with Moses while he is tending sheep.  God meets Moses where he is at on the hillside in the form of a burning bush that was not consumed.  As Moses makes his way to check it out, God calls to him:  “Moses, Moses.”  What would you have done?  Moses’ response was “Here I am” (3:4) and he and God have a conversation.  Was Moses excited to hear from God or was he frightened?  Maybe a little of both?  God gives Moses His plan for the Israelites and I am sure that Moses’ heart began to race as he heard what God had to say.  God had not forgotten the Israelites.  Moses has been gone and in hiding for 40 years and probably thought that God had forgotten all about them, but not so.

 Moses must have been excited until God said “I am sending you to Pharaoh…”  This is when the excuses begin.  “Who am I?”  What if they say who is this God?  “What is His name?” (3:13) God what do I do?  God gives Moses answers to all of his questions and then goes on to tell him what is actually going to happen.  God tells him that they will be released and that they will also plunder the Egyptians.  Is that enough?  Did God cover everything for you Moses?  Evidently not.  “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say ‘The Lord did not appear to you?'” (4:1)  God, what if I fail?  God’s word and promises were not enough for Moses.  He really did not want to do this so he asks for more proof, and God gives that to him.  Surely, that was enough?  Nope!  

God, I am not gifted.  I cannot do it.  “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to your servant, I am slow of speech and tongue.”  (4:10)  God reminds Moses that He is the One who gave Moses his mouth, ears, and eyes and He was also the One who would go with him to help him speak and give him the words to say.  Moses was out of excuses and finally says:  “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” (4:13)

You might think to yourself, what is wrong with Moses?  God was talking directly to him!  God wanted to use him!  God was going to go with him and even put the words in his mouth! God assured him of victory!  What is wrong with Moses???  Be careful!  How do we differ from Moses?  Moses was communicating with God and we call that prayer.  God was communicating with Moses and we call that the Word of God.  God wanted to use Moses and He desires to use us too.  He has given us the command  to go into all the world and preach and teach the Gospel.  We are to make disciples and that requires effort and a willingness to invest in other people.  When Jesus gave us the great commission He promised that He would always be with us.  This past Sunday we talked about the promises of God and the assurance of heaven.  In the end, we win!  We will be with Jesus and it will be the ultimate.  

Moses talked with God and he told Him of his concerns and reasons why he could not do what God was telling him to do.  I want to encourage you to let God know how you feel.  Tell Him about your concerns and fears.  Tell Him why you cannot do it.  Pray!  
Don’t be afraid to pray.  But then you need to have your Bible in hand and ask God to speak to you.  Ask Him to reveal His will and purposes  in His Word.  Read your Bible!  Ask for help in reading your Bible.  We are no different than Moses in many ways.  The sad thing is that many of us do not even take the time to pray and read the Bible, and yet we are expecting things to be different.  We live in fear.  We wonder what God is doing but we never even bother to check out the burning bush that does not burn.  Check out the bush!  Pray and read the Word.  I promise you that God will make Himself known to you in a very special way. 

As you already know, I try to make sure that the focus of our mid-week study is almost always on prayer.  I was reading in John 17 where Jesus is wrapping up His time with the disciples in the upper room the night before He was to be crucified.  Think about this:  It was in John 13 that Jesus sits down with His disciples and the first thing that He does is wash their feet.  Every one of them.  Even Judas!  He then enjoys a meal with them and He begins to teach.  I don’t know how much time He spent talking to them but I am sure that it went late into the evening and I am sure that the disciples were tired.  Chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16 are all filled with Jesus’ teaching.  It is in John 17 that Jesus begins to pray.  At the beginning of the chapter Jesus is praying for Himself.  Imagine that!  Why not?  We have told you over and over again that prayer is simply someone talking to God and Jesus is doing exactly that; He is talking to His Father.  He then turns to praying for His disciples.  He tells the Father that He has given the disciples all that He was to give them and then He asks the Father to protect them in the same way that Jesus protected them.  Jesus was going to be leaving them very shortly and all of them would scatter, and yet Jesus asks the Father to protect them.  Jesus says that He is not asking the Father to take them out of the world even though they are not of this world, but He is asking the Father to protect them and then to sanctify them by the Truth.  He goes on to say “Your Word is Truth.” (v.17)  So how is it that we are sanctified or set apart?  By the Word of God.  That is why we teach the Word of God.  That is why you need to read the Word of God.  It is important!  

Jesus then turns from praying for His disciples and then prays for you and for me.  Look at v.20 with me:  “My prayer is not for them (the disciples) alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.”   “Those who believe…” is you and me.  Jesus’ prayer for us is “…that all of them might be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You…”  Why pray that way?  “…so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.” (v.21)  Jesus is implying that the unity of His followers, you and me, will be proof that the Father sent Jesus to the world.  Think about that.  Does the unity you have with other believers point people to Jesus?  Does the way that you talk about other believers show people that the Father sent Jesus to this world?  Believers’ unity is the result of being united with God.  So that would also imply that if there is not unity amongst believers that there is a mess up somewhere in the unity with God chain, right?  Are you the cause of that?  Am I the cause of that?  Jesus says it again in v.23:  “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”  Our love for one another is to be an expression and imitation of the Father’s love for the Son, and the Son’s love for the Father.  

Verse 24 is really interesting.  Remember that Jesus is still praying and He continues to pray for us and about us in verse 24.  The whole purpose of salvation is communicated in this verse.  “Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see my glory…”  Jesus’ desire is for us to be with Him and there is only one of two ways that that is going to happen.  Jesus is going to come back to get us or we are going to die.  To be with Jesus where He is at right now and to see Him in His glory would require us to die.  It is almost as though Jesus is saying to the Father, I want them with Me so either send Me to get them or bring them to me by their physical death.  The Bible tells us that “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”  (Psalm 116:15)   That is the way that God looks at your death if you are a believer.  That is an interesting prayer of Jesus, isn’t it?  

Jesus wants us to be with Him.  That is the ultimate!  Until then, His desire is that we would be like Him, and that it would be pressed in our love for other Christians.  All kinds.  The way you love other Christians is an expression of your relationship with God.  This is pretty important to Jesus, because this is how He closes his time on earth with His disciples.  It ought to be important to us too.