Monthly Archives: February 2008

What Are We Waiting For?

Posted on by
Reply

We should be patiently waiting for our Lord’s return.

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” – James 5:7-8 (NKJV)

There is no getting around the doctrine of our Lord’s long-awaited return. Every New Testament author mentions it as a certain future event. The New Testament’s 260 chapters and 7959 verses are packed with 318 references to the future coming of Jesus – or one out of every 25 verses.

All too often this belief becomes a point of argument.  We might better spend our time in application.  An attitude of expectation characterized the early church. May that same joyful hope be a central part of our faith, leading us to live pure and holy lives as we await that moment when we will be eternally transformed.

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” – 1 John 3:2-3 (NKJV)

Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” – Matthew 24:42 (NKJV)

Long and Short Prayers

Posted on by
Reply

Prayers do not have to be long to be effective.  Perhaps the best example of a super effective short prayer is found in Nehemiah.  In this case Nehemiah offered up a prayer in the midst of a conversation.  The answer he received sent him on the mission that would forever define his life.

“Then the king said to me, ‘What do you request?'”

“So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.'”

“Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), ‘How long will your journey be? And when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.”  – Nehemiah 2:4-6 (NKJV)

How long was that prayer?  A couple of seconds at most?  Yet under the circumstances, in the presence of the king with Jerusalem lying in ruins, we can be sure this prayer was offered from the depths of Nehemiah’s heart.

We must take care, however, to see this prayer in its larger context.  One chapter earlier, when Nehemiah first heard of the needs in Jerusalem, this was his response:

“So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”  – Nehemiah 1:4 (NKJV)

How long is “many days”?  The text gives us a clue.  Four months elapsed (Chislev to Nisan) from the beginning of Nehemiah’s fasting and prayer until his moment of truth before the king.  No doubt that four months of private mourning, fasting and praying gave that later prayer much of its strength and direction in those few crucial seconds.

Getting Closer

Posted on by
Reply

Our God desires closeness – intimacy – in our relationship with Him, yet all too often we desire to hold Him at a distance. Why is that?

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” – Psalms 34:18 (NKJV)

Sometimes it’s probably that we just don’t like being all that close with anybody, in which case we’re treating God like that neighbor next door or that coworker that we normally avoid talking to. Most of us have family and “friends” (Can we still call them that?) with whom we haven’t spoken in years, and yet we still consider these relationships intact. The space between us and God may be unintentional, but let’s face it: The Savior of our souls both desires and deserves better treatment. We need to humbly draw near to Him.

At other times the root cause of our distance from God is more serious. It was after Adam sinned that he hid himself the moment he heard the Lord coming. Our sin creates a similar separation.

But your iniquities have separated you from your God;and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” – Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV)

The only way back is through repentance and a deliberate drawing near. We need to get closer to Him intentionally:

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” – James 4:8a (NKJV)

Verses for 2008

Posted on by
Reply

At the beginning of each year I pray about some Scripture for that year – something that will particularly resonate with me personally and for Horizon Central as a church.  Sometimes it ends up being a verse or two, sometimes a longer passage.  This year I did that again and here’s what I’ve got.  I really do think it underlines some things I need to focus on and maybe we as a church need to as well. 

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

“But without faith it is imossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)