Author Archives: Royce

Feb 10 2009

Radical Intercession


We always pray for each other,

That our God may make us all worthy of his calling,
And that we may fulfill every resolve for good,
And that every work be of faith by His power,
So that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in each
of us, and us in him, According to the grace of our God and the
Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11,12)

What if we prayed for each other as Paul prayed for the
believers at Thessalonica? Our daily lives, the challenges we
face, and our problems are very different than those Christians
faced, but in many ways we are very much the same. One thing
is certain; Paul’s prayer for them ought to be our prayer for each other.

 Shouldn’t we want God to make us and our eternal  family a
people who live our lives in a manner that is worthy of God’s
call to us? Christians! Christ’s ambassadors on earth.
(2 Cor 5:20)

Don’t we all desire that each of us fulfill God’s purpose for us,
to do good works as a lifestyle? (Eph 2:10)

God’s best for us is that every thing we do for Him be done by trusting Him completely and depending on His power, and not
our might or wisdom. (1 Cor 2:3-5)

We should want Christ glorified and exalted in us, and we
must find our glory only in Him.

familyprayer_soft_edge1We recognize all of these benefits are the free gifts of
grace in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

What if we prayed for each other in a purposeful, methodical
way, so that every family in our churches is specifically prayed
for, for a week, several times a year?

If only ten families, (or individuals)took the challenge and
prayed for one family each week for 52 weeks, just think how many would have been prayed for a whole week specifically
and on purpose. If 20 families took the challenge, each family
would be prayed for a week twice each year. If you had 100
families who determined to pray for other families, …well, get
the picture? (When I wrote this I had in mind a very large
congregation)

If we not only prayed for another family, but also prayed for
one ministry, one elder, and one staff member, just think how
much the whole church body would be bathed in prayer! Why
can’t we do this? No..why don’t we do this?

Recently I had a family of former members on my heart and I
sent an email saying that I would be praying for them for the
next week, every day of the week. And I asked, “What
specifically can I pray for?” Soon I received a return email from
a grateful dad with a list of 5 specific requests. I replied with a
thank you and a request that he let me know as God
answered my prayers for them. I knew he will be glad to do so.

What if you received a phone call, got an email, or was asked
at church, “What can we pray about for you and your family
next week?” And, what if that happened on a regular basis,
almost every month?

What if you had 30, or 50, or 80 families or more, excited
about praying for others, experiencing the joy of answered
prayer, bearing the burdens of others, and even being an
answer to some of their brothers and sisters requests?
And, knowing the joy of having others lovingly pray for them,
often?

What if we prayed for each other using the components of
Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians as a guide, and for specific
requests as well? Would it make us more likely to pray on a
regular basis? I think it would. Would it help those who pray
and those who are prayed for? I know it would.

What if we don’t?

In Christ’s love,

Royce

 

 

Feb 8 2009

Looking good and being good, Wolves in sheep’s clothing


“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

The above passage is often used as a proof text for those whose idea of salvation from sin and hell is a mixture of works and grace. Those of us who believe sinners are acquitted and set right with God solely upon the merit of Jesus (His perfect life, sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection) are pointed to this text as proof faith in Jesus is not enough.

Ironically, every one of those men who believe men are saved by a combination of grace and works (they refuse to admit they trust “works” and prefer the word “faithfulness”) also believe a person can be saved and then lost. The reason they believe this is that they believe their acceptance by the Father depends, at least in part, on their performance.

So what is being said in the verses quoted above? Is this proof I am in error for teaching that men should trust Christ alone for forgiveness of sins and eternal life? No it does not! The truth is it teaches the exact opposite. What does it say?

First the context.

The context is Jesus’ warnings to the Jews about false prophets. He began this section in v15 by saying “Beware of false prophets..” , and continued by teaching how to know who they are. He concluded by using the metaphor of the wise man who builds his house on a rock.

What are the lessons for us from this passage?

First, you can know a real man of God by watching him. His “fruit” is a dead give away to what he really is. Is the “fruit” (results) of a preacher, or church leader expensive houses, fine cars, and great fame? Watch out! He is likely a wolf in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 5:15). Is the result (fruit) of a man’s ministry a flock of self righteous people who trust their own goodness for salvation? Do they try to share the glory that only Christ deserves? Do they talk more about the Holy Spirit, tongues, and miracles than they do about the good news about Jesus? Watch out! Do they talk more about their heritage, a particular church, how to worship correctly, baptism, or any other subject you can imagine than about the Lord Jesus Christ who alone is eternal life? Watch out!

Secondly, this section of scripture teaches that Christ alone, that depending only upon Him is the way to life and heaven. Verses 13 and 14 immediately precede the section about false prophets.

 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Jesus is that “narrow gate”, He is the “narrow way”. He is the door to the sheepfold; He is “the” way, “the” truth, and “the” life. His way is very narrow and considered intolerant by those on the wide path. It is the path of designer religions, good works, law keeping, and those who claim to have a private revelation from God the rest of us don’t have. The way to destruction is to take the path of least resistance, the one that is lined with ego polishing stations and places to display fleshly pride.

Jesus is also the “Rock” in the section of scripture in verses 24-27.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

A wise man builds his whole house of faith on Jesus Christ. A foolish man uses all sorts of other foundation materials and when the wind of judgment blows and the flood of God’s wrath against sin comes the house will fall. We are warned to trust Jesus alone for our eternal hope.

Finally, Jesus affirms the eternal security of the believer and denies the flimsy doctrine of those who think they are, at least in part, good enough to be approved by God, and yet live in fear that they might loose their souls because of a performance that doesn’t meet God’s approval.

“I NEVER KNEW YOU!” (vs23) These stinging words of Jesus fly in the face of those who teach you can be saved and lost, saved and lost. These false teachers Jesus warned of are not apostates, they are not those who once were on solid rock and fell. No, these have never been saved. Jesus NEVER knew them. Oh yes, they were faithful in church attendance, they did all the religious activity. In fact they excelled at being religious, but they went to hell because they missed the narrow way, Jesus.

What could be sadder than to live a life of being good, doing good, and then be forever lost and suffering in eternal fire? Notice Jesus never denies that they did the works they claimed (v22) to have done, He did say He NEVER knew them.

John 6:27,28 records Jesus’ words when asked by the people “What must we do to be doing the works of God?” His reply is my plea. His reply had been my message of hope for over 40 years. “Jesus answered them; this is the work of God that you believe on Him whom He has sent.”

Please believe this; God will not share His glory with another. The Bible is clear. The reason wicked sinners are made fit for heaven by faith is in part so boasting will be eliminated. (Romans 3:27) So I say with the Apostle Paul “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31)

For Jesus,
Royce

 

Feb 6 2009

Let’s Stand for the Invitation


I just read a good post by Jay Guin over at OneInJesus.info about the tradition of the invitation at the end of a worship service. It is a very good post and I recommend you read it. He made this statement which is very true.

In fact, we sometimes do baptize too hastily, without taking the time to be certain the person coming forward really understands the commitment being made.

Jay’s post caused me to remember a church I once visited in Texas. Countryside Bible Church is an independent, local church in Southlake, Texas. My wife and I, shortly after our marriage almost 10 years ago, visited there a few times. What an unusual church!

The singing was hearty and passionate, people were very friendly, and a leather bound Bible was given to each visitor by the ushers. The pastor preached a fiery message from the word of God and without a word, when he had finished his sermon, people got up from their seats and started to visit and file out of the building. I was in shock! What were they thinking, no invitation? I was amazed that after such a fine Bible lesson there would be no opportunity for people to respond.

The next time we visited there, we arrived a few minutes early, so I asked one of the men I had seen there before why there was invitation. His answer floored me! “We believe our job is to proclaim God’s truth” he began, “It’s up to the Holy Spirit to convince the listeners that it is true. If someone is here who is not saved, we wait until they come to the pastor or one of the members and express a desire to know God, to repent, or to report that they have trusted Christ and want to be baptised”. My astonished reply was something like, “So you never have an invitation?” The answer was “No, we don’t try to do what only God can do”. Initially I was stunned! I had never considered the impact of what I had just witnessed.

Later I learned that each year of the church’s history they baptised dozens and dozens of people, each of them coming to Christ with only the invitation by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

I was there on a Sunday when 5 or 6 people, all adults that day, were baptised. Each of them stood in front of the congregation and told of how they came to understand they were lost, how they understood what Christ had done for them, and how they loved Him for it. Each spoke for 2 or 3 minutes. What was not so obvious was that each of them had previously spent time with an elder in private conversation so that they were reasonably sure the candidate truly did “believe with all of his heart” that the claims of the gospel were true. And, each of them sought someone else out to find out what they needed to do, no one pressured them to do anything.

My last visit there was in 2000. At that time they had 1,000 or more members, a fairly new facility on 10 acres which they had already outgrown, and were planning an expansion. They had never been in debt one penny and didn’t believe it was ok with God to do so. They seemed to be people of the Word, deeply devoted to Christ and to each other.

Let’s stand now for the invitation… How many hundreds of times have I heard those words when not one person in the room expected anything more than two verses of a song, a closing prayer, and everyone would head over to the restaurant or aunt Jenny’s house for lunch and some football. In fact, I have been in churches where they wouldn’t have had a clue what to do next if someone had come forward.

Charlie Knox, a fellow I worshp with is known for his “sayings“. One of my favorites is this one. “The difference between me and God is…He never tries to be me.” Is it possible we sometimes try to do the work that can’t be done by us?

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12,13)

“since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23)

John 6:40,

Royce

Feb 6 2009

Blog Traffic to Grace Digest


I posted my first blog post on June 29, 2006. It was 4 paragraphs and received one comment. As of today, and 782 posts later, I have learned some things about by blogging.

  • For each post I publish I get about 5 comments. Some posts get no comments and some get many comments.
  • My readers come from most of the states and from about 20 foreign countries. I have regular readers who live in Australia, England, Germany, and Africa. I was most surprised that someone in China sometimes reads what I write.
  • The busiest day for traffic to Grace Digest was 222 page views. The average for ’07 was 21, for ’08 it was 30, and so far in ’09 the average is 55 views each day.
  • If high visitors numbers is what I want I know how to get those big numbers. Tags (key words) like “a cappella”, “instruments in worship”, “coC unity”, “restoration movement”, get large interest and blog hits. Words like “Jesus”, “Christ”, “grace”, “salvation”, “forgiveness”, and “peace of god” get far fewer hits.
  • I am very likely addicted to blogging!

In view of the above facts about my blogging on Grace Digest, what subjects should I choose? And, more importantly, why do it at all?

First, blogging is a purely selfesh outlet for a frustrated writer and preacher/teacher. I seem to learn more when I write as I learn from God’s book and the school of life. I would write much of the same content even if I could not share it. Writing is a personal need fulfilled.

Without regard for the big hit numbers, I intend to share my heart with my readers. My first desire is to encourage every reader to consider the claims of the good news about Jesus and to trust him alone as the only basis of their standing with God. 

I am always learning. I try to, on purpose, approach my open Bible with an open heart and mind, ready for it to shape my thinking and by it’s truth to shape my life. A constant pursuit of objective truth is a passion for me. And, sharing those truths with others is also a very high priority. I know of no better way to accomplish that end than blogging.

I would be lying if I said the big numbers don’t matter to me, they do. But I refuse to taylor what I write with a view of having a large number of readers. So, I will continue to share what moves me at the moment and let the numbers be only numbers.

Part of my desire to continue blogging (apart from selfeshness) is fueled by the wonderful reports from people who have been helped in some way by reading my stuff. Recently, over the span of about 20 days, I received emails and other communications from several people who had read someting here that helped them to understand a part of the Bible better, had some theological question answered, expressed a desire to trust Christ more completely and be more devoted to him. And, I had 3 requests to use something I had written as a part of a sermon, lesson, and in one case a communion meditation.

It is encouraging to be validated by others who are more learned, more experienced, and widely trusted as men and women of God. Two years ago I think, 5 of the presenters at the Pepperdine Lectureships and 3 or 4 presenters at the Tulsa Soulwinning Workshop had recently made kind, encouraging remarks concerning something I had written. I am humbled.

I have also had several odd, nasty, hateful comments that I chose not to publish. Religeous zealots are often furious when you point out their hypcocicy and unbelief. Some folks are offended by truth while others embrace it and are healed by it. That is just the way it is.

As I complete this post and publish it I will shamelessly use some of those traffic generating “tags”.

John 6:40
Royce