And the LORD restored
Job’s losses
when he prayed for
his friends.
Indeed the LORD gave
Job twice
as much as he had
before.
Job 42: 10
But you are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, a
holy nation,
His own special
people,
that you may proclaim
the praises of Him
who called you out of
darkness into his
His marvelous light;
who once were not a people
but are now the
people of God, who had not
obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2: 9 -- 10
It may seem
strange to use the above verses when we are studying First Corinthians and
especially Chapter 14. When discussing
the use of spiritual gifts, or their misuse, one must write polemically and
often misunderstood. Unless one looks
at the Scriptures presented and note that the writer, in this case me, is not attempting to thrust upon somebody their own opinion, rather to speak
directly and forcefully against that which is not warranted by the Bible, the writer will be maligned in the much or misunderstood in the least. The Bible spoke plainly that while we may desire
spiritual gifts, we are or in the utmost seek out the more
excellent gift, that is the gift of love.
This Friday, as we approach Sunday, the Christian Sabbath, the day set
aside from the times of the apostles and the forming of the early church. We must remember that we are a people of God
who were not before a people of God and that we have obtained mercy from God,
and furthermore it was God who called you.
We are the ecclesia, the called out ones and by this love, God's love, we
are to do exactly what Job did, and that was to pray for his friend(s). Not that we will be seeking anything from God
because we have prayed for our friend, to do so is to attempt to be right with
God that is only a sign that you are rebelling against the atonement. Too often, a person tries to make themselves
right with God and this they often do by some exuberant expression, that only
is euphoric and titillating making one feel religious or godly. You see, a person cannot have this as their
motive, that by doing such things are praying in such a way that one would
become right with God and by doing so making your life perfect before God. You cannot make yourself right with God for
you can only be right with God if you accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ
as an absolute gift. There it is: the
greatest gift that one could receive from God is the gift of atonement. Have you received it? Are you humble enough to accept it? If so you must resign any and every claim
and cease from every effort, and then leave yourself alone entirely in His hands. Then pour yourself out in intercessory
prayer. Are you struggling with
something, are you dealing with some objectionable things that are occurring in
your life? Do you need a touch from God
to help you through these times? Do as
Job did: PRAY FOR YOUR FRIENDS! Peter
made note that we are the priesthood of God and the work of the priest is the
work of intercession. Now, if you have
a disbelief in the atonement, then there is a problem that needs
corrected. We must get this one thing
straight in our minds: Jesus is not beginning to save us, He has saved us, the
thing is done, and it is an insult to ask him to do it. How then do you say that I ask, often it is
a verbal asking, other times it is simply by the exercise of some sorts of
unwarranted spiritual gift. We don't
ask to get, we asked to give, and we ask in faith that the will of God be done
a person's life to whom we are making intercession. You want to be free from these doubts and fears? Well, God freed Job and released him from
the captivity of all the pains, and fears and doubts and circumstances that he
was in and this He did when Job prayed for his friends. Sometimes we've turned so far inward that
all we pray about is for things that pertain to us and it is almost as if we
were using God as a vending machine.
Put a prayer in, get what we asked for, and if it doesn't happen as we
think it can happen then we lose heart.
By the right of God and by His choosing and this before the foundation
of the world, you were chosen to be a royal priesthood in this by the right of
the atonement. Are you prepared to
leave your self resolutely alone and to launch out into the priestly work of
prayer. Or are you running to and fro
attempting to receive some favor from God?
If so then you only generated a self-centered, morbid type of
Christianity and this is not the robust simple life of the child of God. Think about this; nothing is greater than
the miracle of redemption. The only way
to be perfect in Christ, is the realization that you are only perfect in Jesus
Christ and not on clinging to God saying" that you have done your best,
therefore hear me." The question
we must ask ourselves is this: how long is it going to take God to free us from
the morbid habit of thinking about ourselves?
There is only one place where we are right, and that is in Jesus
Christ. When we are there, then we have
to pour out for all we are worth in this ministry of the interior.
I took a
lot of notes for this blog from the work of Oswald chambers in his "My
utmost for Your highest." Sometimes I find great comfort in the words
of others as I read my daily devotion and I hope that you have made a habit to
read a good biblical daily devotion and not one that is simply some
psychological babble basted in Christian terms. Look up all the Scriptures; take time to meditate upon them. Now, begin now, buy the things you need before Sunday, and
make plans to love your brothers and sisters in some way, not only by making
intercessory prayer, but maybe inviting them over for a Sunday brunch. And at the brunch not only talk about
various things in people's life but discuss the sermon. It is our Christian Sabbath, therefore let's
treat it as such. God will release you
from all captivity of your own self-interest and lead you into the interest of
His Son whose only interest was to do the will of God.
For I will restore health to you
and heal
you of your wounds,
says the LORD, because they called you
and outcast saying:
"This is Zion;
no one seeks her."
Jeremiah 30: 17
Make prayer a
prayer of intercession
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